From the Principal – Term 1 Week 7
While many of us are familiar with St Patrick’s Day and the celebration of St Patrick on March 17, the Feast of St Joseph can sometimes go unnoticed. Celebrated on March 19, this day honours Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, within the Holy Family of Nazareth, whose model inspires us. Pope Leo XIV in an address on March 12 this year spoke of how we can learn hospitality from St Joseph and the Holy Family. He wrote that in St Joseph ‘we recognise that welcoming is not only presence but also guardianship. Guardianship means being attentive to others, respecting their choices and caring for them’.
We experience many forms of encounter and welcome in a school community and one of the many highlights of the past fortnight has been the Year 12 Careers Breakfast. As with our recent International Women’s Day Breakfast, the ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ Alumni, parents, staff and past staff joined our students to share their experiences of careers and industry opportunity. As this was being celebrated, we also enjoyed expressing our version of Harmony Day and Neurodiversity Week in the College. Again, these expressions speak to a commitment of encounter, welcome and belonging at ÐãÐãÖ±²¥.
Ride to School with the Principal Day
I can think of no better way to end a week than to have ridden to school today with so many of our students and parents. Joined by a few of our staff, we all met at a nearby park and made for a great convoy of bikes and little scooters along the local footpaths. ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ students from Kindy, early years, upper primary and Year 7 all looked after one another and shared a beautiful moment of Marist Presence and Family Spirit. Just the sound of the bike bells as we took off was enough to announce the ride to school as a great success. The sound of excited chatter, trainer wheels rolling along and the whirring of tyres punctuated the bright morning conditions. Thank you parents who either rode with us, or dropped off their children to join in. We all enjoyed some breakfast treats at the end and our parents went off with a coffee voucher to relax at their time of choice.
Marist Basketball Carnival
It’s arrived and begins on Sunday afternoon at the College! I’m sure we all send our best to all Marist teams and visitors for a hugely successful Carnival throughout next week.
Mr Andrew Watson
PRINCIPAL