Newsletter

A warm welcome back to Term 3. This term promises to be an exciting one, not just within our school community but also on the global stage – including the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris. Sporting events such as the Olympics are not just a wonderful exhibition of athletes but also a wonderful learning experience for all of us. Although by nature the games are competitive, the manner in which medals are won and lost, the Olympic spirit, teaches us how to compete with integrity and good grace. All athletes remind us of the importance of keeping active, of never giving up, of getting back up if knocked down, being resilient and enjoying the journey, of focusing on a goal – and in defining what success is from your own individual perspective.

Term 3, in footy parlance, is the third quarter, the championship quarter where success (or not!) is hard won. The third quarter is a difficult one, where some tiredness from the exertions of the first half creep in yet the end is still sufficiently far away – it's the point in the game where the 'greats' stand up and take hold... it’s where they 'make their mark'. Term 3 does make me reflect upon what schools are all about – I call this the 'Matthew Effect'.

Matthew 13:12: “The rich shall get richer and the poor shall get poorer.”

This line from the Gospel of Matthew has tremendous implications for learning. Students who take on the skills and the knowledge at each stage of schooling use those as a springboard for the future. It's almost as though education is like VELCRO, where one layer of knowledge and skills hooks on to the next. The school's responsibility is to ensure that conditions exist for hooks to latch onto hoops – otherwise the knowledge and skilled 'rich' will become richer and those with 'poor' knowledge and skill levels will become poorer. The level of achievement in learning is therefore not so much about 'ability' but instead it's about 'previous attainment', the previous attainment is the VELCRO for new learning rather than ability itself. I think Catherine McAuley knew the 'Matthew Effect'... her schoolhouse in Baggot Street was committed to ensuring each child, regardless of so-called 'ability', had sufficient skills and knowledge to be able to continue their lifelong learning journey.

My message to all in our community during this third quarter – our championship quarter – is to focus on doing the things which we know ensure achievement: attending all classes, taking an active part in the class, asking questions, taking notes, spending time at home re-reading, re-note taking, and re-vising; focus, attention, positivity, and life balance lead to real attainment.

Staff News

We welcome Steven Bina who joined us this semester. Steven will be teaching Japanese, Food Technology, and Humanities.

NAIDOC Week

In week one, as a nation we celebrated NAIDOC Week, a significant event that honours the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We acknowledge and pay tribute to the wisdom and contributions of Indigenous elders in our community and beyond.

Soon we will welcome staff and students from our Sister School Seibo Gakuin, Kyoto, Japan and I wish to extend our thanks for the support of all our host families to give the students the opportunity to experience family life in Australia and to learn more about our culture.

During the Semester One break, many of our VCE teachers ran extra classes for units 3&4 students and I thank them on behalf of our students for their time and commitment.

As the month of July comes to a close, we remember that this Wednesday, 31 July, is the Feast Day of St Ignatius Loyola. St Ignatius was born into a wealthy family and became a soldier but soon devoted his life to Christ. Known also for his support of education, St Ignatius was renowned for his humbleness and kindness, and so what better way to finish July but with St Ignatius’ famous Prayer for Generosity: