Issue 8, 16 May 2025

As part of Catholic Education Week this week, CESA present a number of awards across a range of categories. The Catholic Education Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions to Catholic education by staff and volunteers throughout South Australian Catholic schools and Catholic Education Offices.
 
I am aware that a number of staff were nominated for an award this year. Well done and congratulations to these people on their nomination and for being recognised by a colleague, parent/caregiver or some other member of our school community.
 
I’m pleased to share with you that our college has again featured in the list of recipients for an award. Congratulations to Nicole Manning who has been awarded the Early Career Teacher Award, which acknowledges the significant impact she has had in our school community in her first five years of teaching. 
 
Alongside our past recipients and all the other nominees from our school, we can take great pride in Nicole’s achievement, which highlights the strength and impact of our college’s vision, mission, and commitment to Catholic education.

I am sure that you will join me in congratulating Nicole on this achievement. 

Today, our younger students and families enjoyed participating in 'Walk Safely to School Day'. This event is part of National Road Safety Week, which runs from 11-18 May 2025. It's a fantastic opportunity to promote road safety, health, and the environment. Walking to school is a great way for children to get active and stay healthy. It complements the work that we have done with our students in years 5 to 7 around road safety. You might see some of these students operating the 'Stop' signs at the Emu Crossings around our school in the mornings and afternoons. We encourage to stay fit and healthy by walking and riding to school and being safe around roads and traffic. 

Early last Friday, we witnessed the welcoming of
the 267th pope of the Catholic Church onto the balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square. The conclave lasted a little under 2 days of voting before the white smoke came out of the chimney of the Sistene Chapel. Emerging after the announcement of the Cardinal selected and his papal name, we saw him emerge for the first time.

Robert Prevost, taking the name Leo XIV, is the first ever North American pope, coming from Chicago. The youngest of three boys to Italian and Spanish parents, he always knew he wanted to become a priest and would often spend his days making his brothers play Mass instead of with trucks. An avid fan of the Chicago White Sox, he never had plans to become a bishop or cardinal – he simply wanted to serve the people and be a missionary. Stationed in Peru, he was the bishop of Chiclayno and gained his Peruvian citizenship in 2015. 

Pope Leo XIV has been likened, not just by his brothers but by the wider Church community, as having a number of leadership qualities similar to that of Pope Francis. His extensive experience in pastoral care, education (he has a degree in Mathematics), and administration has prepared him well for this significant role. 

Our Year 8’s have dived into learning about inspirational leaders of the Church, following the passing of Pope Francis, the process of electing a new pope, and the leadership qualities required to undertake such an important role. Students have spent time learning about 9 different Cardinals who were tipped to become the next pope (none of which was who was elected!), before sharing their findings with their classes. They spent time discerning who they would vote for if they were a Cardinal and participated in a mock Conclave to see if they could get white smoke before the actual Conclave finished. Lots of excitement within each class was evident as they finally reached a two-thirds majority vote to elect who they felt should have been the new pope.

They have also explored the life of Pope Leo XIV, creating newspaper articles sharing the news of the election of the pope and his perceived impact on the Church in the time of his papacy. They will also deepen their understanding of the impact of Pope Francis’ papacy and his ministry throughout his time as a consecrated servant of God by developing memoriam presentations. Students will also take a deep dive into the life of St Peter, the Church’s first pope, appointed by Jesus.

I was fortunate enough to spend the day with some of our Year 5/6 student leaders at the GRIP Leadership Conference last Friday. Students spent the day exploring the positive qualities of leadership and how to listen carefully to everyone’s ideas when planning events. The conference was engaging with key concepts being introduced through videos, games or role plays, and our students had the opportunity to share their ideas with other schools in the region. Our students are keen to share their ideas with their peers and make a difference to others in our community.

A number of children in our school and parish community have begun their formation and preparation sessions to receive their First Holy Communion later this term. This is an exciting time for these children and we continue to pray for them and their families as they continue their faith journey. The next session for these children and their families will be Saturday 24 May at 6:30pm or Sunday 25 May at 10:30am at All Saints Church. If any families have missed any sessions, this coming weekend Saturday 17 May at 6:30pm or Sunday 18 May at 10:30am is a spare ‘catch up’ session.

National Reconciliation Week is 27 May – 3 June and it is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The theme for 2025 is Bridging Now to Next. To prepare for our Whole School Liturgy in Week 5, students will be exploring this theme through the lens of the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and how we are called to right the wrongs of the past by reconciling and forgiving to move forward. Classes are busy discussing what Reconciliation means to them and our wider community. In 2022-23, our Australian Catholic Bishops in their Social Justice Statement, have invited us to Listen. Learn. Love. to the stories of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, so that we can listen, learn and love, just as Jesus did.

Back in 2016, Laudato Si’ Week began as a way to celebrate the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’. This Laudato Si’ Week and Pentecost, let us gather in community to contemplate and nurture seeds of hope for our “suffering planet” (LD 2). Written in 2023, Laudate Deum is a reminder about the urgency of the Laudato Si’ message and the need for both personal and cultural transformation amidst our ecological and climate crises. 

It has been 10 years since Pope Francis wrote his now famous encyclical, setting out a bold vision for our common home. This year’s Laudato Si’ Week theme is inspired by the theme Raising Hope, in line with our Ordinary Year of Jubilee. Let us be seeds of hope in our lives and our world, rooted in faith and love as we bring the light of Laudato Si’ to all, for a brighter future for tomorrow. 

The following resource, developed by CESA and the Family Faith Formation team, are a great way for families to explore ways of caring for God’s creation.

In Week 1 our Year 10 cohort travelled to Adelaide for 3 days to explore career options and opportunities. We travelled by coach, bus, tram and train and did a lot of walking too.
Places visited included Flinders University, TAFE campuses at Regency Park and Tonsley, the MTA, Cavpower, BAE, SAMHRI, the Law Courts and the Zoo. Students also had some fun at Tree Climb and with a tour of Adelaide Oval. 

A number of Old Scholars visited us at our West Beach campsite and provided students with an insight into what moving to Adelaide can be like. The Old Scholars also shared their experience of choosing career pathways and university life. 

We also visited residential college, Aquinas, where more Old Scholars took students on a tour before we had dinner and enjoyed some downtime on the basketball court. 

Overall, it was a very successful camp, with many students now thinking more broadly about their post school options. 

Research shows that careers education should start well before students reach the senior years, so this year all students in Years 8-11 as well as interested Year 12’s will visit the local Careers Expo at Central Oval in week 5. Last year’s event was impressive, and we hope all students will be inspired and intrigued by what they see this year. 

A group of our Year 11 students travelled to Whyalla today to participate in the Flinders University Assessment Centre. If successful, they will be offered a pathway into university that will not be dependent on ATAR, rather a successful SACE completion. This can take pressure off students in Year 12 and encourage them to choose subjects without the focus on ATAR. 

Later this month, we will also welcome the Education Pathways Team from Flinders University on site for a presentation.  All students in Years 10-12 considering a university pathway will be encouraged to attend. An ambassador from the new Adelaide University will visit early in Term 3. 

All Year 11 students should have finalised their placements for their 4 days of work experience at the end of this Term. It can be challenging to find employers willing to take a school student on, so if any members of our community would like to become involved as a possible workplace in 2026 please let us know so we can add you to our 'bank' of options.