Our First Online Edition
Welcome to our very first web based Newsletter. We are very proud to have moved to a new platform where our community will be able to access this interactive newsletter. We hope that you enjoy reading and interacting with the articles.
Remembrance Day Ceremony
Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Australia since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (11:00 am, 11 November), it marks the time (in the United Kingdom) when the armistice (or the end of World War I) became effective. To be exact, 61,678 Australians lost their lives in World War I. In total all countries involved lost between 9 to 11 million soldiers in the war and the civilian death toll (men, women and children - not soldiers) was between 6 to 13 million people. Any of these people who lost their lives, did not get a chance to know what their lives would have been like, having children, growing old, building a future for themselves.
This gives you an indication of how destructive wars are, how important peace is and how important our Catholic values become to ensure we live our lives full of compassion, love and service. Nothing is resolved through conflict, conflict always leads in the same way, with one or more people left hurt.
Today and everyday is a time when people can pay their respects to the substantial number of soldiers and mums, dads, children, loved ones who died in battle to give us the freedoms we have today.
Australians wear a red poppy on Remembrance Day for three reasons:
in memory of the sacred dead who rest in Flanders' Fields.
to keep alive the memories of the sacred cause for which they laid down their lives.
as a bond of esteem and affection between the soldiers of all Allied nations and in respect for France, our common battleground.
I often speak about the four R’s of respect and the importance of respecting everyone. Today I especially want to focus on respecting our elders, those older than us. We would not be here and enjoy the wonderful, peaceful country we live in, without their sacrifices, our parents, grandparents, great grandparents. In some cases they are gone, but not forgotten.
The 5th commandment says, 5. Honour Thy Father and Thy Mother. While the phrasing might be a little old-fashioned, this Commandment is still very relevant today. We can interpret it as meaning that people should be polite and respectful to their parents or guardians, or to older people in general. It is more than that, it is very clear about the importance of respecting adults, elders, those that have and are contributing to make your present and future the best it can be for you. This includes your teachers, all staff members, members of the community that serve you in a shop, our canteen.
I challenge each and everyone of you to say thank you, to your parents, to your grandparents, any elder in your family, to our staff, it’s a simple word, yet so powerful. To say thank you and show respect to adults, to those in the Police, ambulance service, nurses, doctors, anyone that serves you in some way. When you are on the bus or train, ensuring you give up your seat for an adult, the elderly. “Thank you” to all those people that made my life what is is today.
Student Leaders Commissioning and Training Day
During our College Assembly on Monday 11th November, we also Commissioned our Year 12 2025 Student Leaders. Please find below my address to the College community and our new Year 12 Leaders about servant leadership.
Our experiences with war lead us to question who our current leaders are and what true leadership is all about. I’m not talking about the kind of leadership that comes with a title or a special badge. I’m talking about leadership that’s rooted in the values we hold close here at our College: love, justice, mercy, compassion, and service.
To help us understand what this kind of leadership looks like, let’s turn to a story that might sound familiar – the parable of the Good Samaritan.
In this story, Jesus doesn’t just tell us about a kind act. He’s giving us an example of leadership. The Samaritan leads with love and compassion, not because it’s easy, but because it’s right. He sees someone in need, and he steps up. He doesn’t ask, “What’s in it for me?” or “What will others think?” He simply responds with love and care, showing us that leadership begins in the heart.
As students in a Catholic school, you are each called to be leaders in this way. You may not always have a title, but every day, you have opportunities to lead through your actions. When you notice someone sitting alone at lunch and you invite them over, you’re leading with compassion. When you stand up against bullying or unfair treatment, you’re leading with justice. When you forgive someone who’s wronged you, you’re leading with mercy. And when you help others without expecting anything in return, you’re leading with service.
True leadership means putting others before yourself. It’s about looking for ways to help, to lift others up, to bring peace where there’s conflict. And when we think of those values – love, justice, mercy, compassion, and service – we can see that each one is connected to the example of the Good Samaritan. In our school community, these values help us create a space where everyone feels supported and valued. It’s a place where we all strive to live as Jesus taught us.
As you go about your day, think of ways you can be a Good Samaritan in your own life. It might be as simple as offering a listening ear to a friend or helping someone struggling with their homework. These small acts of kindness and service might seem insignificant, but they are the building blocks of real leadership.
Remember, leadership isn’t about being in front; it’s about reaching out, about stepping in when others need us most. That’s what it means to be a true leader in a Catholic school community – someone who lives with love, acts with justice, shows mercy, practices compassion, and serves others wholeheartedly.
Being the Samaritan is easy to do, it’s harder to do the opposite of what we are about. How can you be the Samaritan each and everyday is the question? How can we all be the Samaritan that is focused on being an exceptional Good Samaritan person and an exceptional Good Samaritan student.
Congratulations to our 2024 SCS Sports Awards Winners
Mr Newman and I had the privilege of being invited to the 2024 SCS Sports Awards. We were honoured to have five students who received awards on the day for their outstanding achievements in their chosen sports at State, National or International level. Below are our 2024 SCS Sport Award winners:
Aiden Voon - Taekwondo (International)
Mackenzie Manev - Gymnastics (International)
Alvina Khoshaba - Football (International)
Alyssa Michael - Athletics (National)
Joshua Azzi - Football (National)
Congratulations to our HSC Class of 2024
Our HSC class of 2024 has completed their HSC exams, we now continue to pray for each and every student as we await the results being released on 18th December 2024.
Highlights of Exceptional Good Samaritan People and Students from the Term so far (including the end of Term 3)
Lunchtime Mass
Year 12 2025 Retreat
Staff Spirituality Day
Inspirational Quote from Pope Francis
