Last Sunday’s Gospel was the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. This was the moment when He went up to the mountain top and His clothes were transformed and the voice of God stated “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”. The message here is one which is repeated a number of times throughout the Gospel when even Jesus Himself tells us that the way to the father is through Him and we need to follow His guidance in our lives. Within this Gospel however, there is a second phrase that Jesus makes to His disciples: “Don’t be afraid”. As Catholics and people who follow the message of Jesus, it is this second phrase which fills us with hope and joy. In our lives we can constantly be comforted by the knowledge that God is with us. Whilst it is important to be cautious and careful with our decisions, if we follow the message of Jesus, we have no need to be afraid.

Last Tuesday evening, the Parents and Friends Association held their Annual General Meeting. At this meeting, the P&F Executive presented a report on 2019 and were thanked for their tireless and consistent support. Following this, elections were held for the 2020 executive team. I congratulate the following parents who were elected unopposed:

• President, Ms Stephanie Jenkins
• Vice President, Mr Damian Calderbank
• Treasurer, Ms Kelly Calderbank
• Diocesan Delegate, Alex Dziubinski

The positions of Secretary and second Vice President remain unfilled and will be readvertised at the next meeting. At the meeting which followed the AGM, I requested the P&F support a number of financial requests from the College. They have very generously agreed to a number of these including the provision of a Catholic Care Counsellor one day per week to assist with student counselling. There were a number of other requests which will be outlined in future newsletters. I thank the P&F for their ongoing support and providing a forum for discussion.

Once again a reminder that the working bee which was scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled. I apologise if this decision has caused any inconvenience. We will look for a possible new date in Term 2.

As most of our community is aware, we have been reminded in the news in recent weeks of the spread of the coronavirus around the world. Over the past week, the students have been reminded of safe practices around handwashing and sneezing handwashing. We have placed hand sanitizer in a number of places around the College including Student Services, Year Coordinator offices and the Library as well as ensuring the toilets have adequate soap. I can assure all parents that whilst we are cautious, we have been advised to continue as normal and we are following all advice from the NSW Ministry of Health and Catholic Education, Diocese of Wollongong.

Consistent with current guidelines, children, students and staff who are unwell with respiratory illness should remain at home until symptoms resolve. In accordance with our current practice if any student becomes unwell we will implement our infection control guidelines and follow the advice provided by the NSW Ministry of Health as appropriate.

For more information, visit NSW Health. Maintaining good hygiene standards is an important way to reduce the risk of acquiring and spreading respiratory infections. I ask all families to be aware of requirements for self-isolation or seeking medical support especially if you intend to travel through infected areas during the Easter holidays.

Once more, a reminder that enrolments for Year 7 2021 are currently being accepted at the College Office. The closing date for these applications is Friday April 3.

Ite in Veritate

Mr Steve Lo Cascio