From the Principal
Ms Silvana Rossetti
This Term I had the privilege of attending the Archbishop’s Award for Student Excellence ceremony at St Mary’s Cathedral College. The Award for Student Excellence recognises those young people who give witness to their Christian values and actively contribute to the faith life of the school, Catholic parish and the wider Church community. It is presented by His Grace, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, to one Year 12 student in every secondary college in the Archdiocese of Sydney. For 2024, Elie Baraz was the recipient of this award. Congratulations Elie!
In true Family Spirit, we were blessed to be able to come together throughout Term 3 for various celebrations and information evenings. Our celebration of our fathers and carers at our Father’s Day Mass and breakfast was a wonderful affirmation of all fathers and what they do for us each day. Throughout the Term, parents and students were able to learn together through various events including our “Debunking the HSC Myths” evening and Dr Justin Coulson webinars supporting one of our strategic plans’ focus on consistency as we all learned together. We also gathered for our Term 3 Parents and Friends meeting which gave our P&F an opportunity to learn more about how and what their sons are learning in the classroom, also supporting a consistent message being delivered by all.
The Comedy For a Cause fundraising event, organised by the P&F, was held in August. It was a fantastic evening and it is fair to say that a good laugh was had by all! A special thank you to the P&F executive, Mr Damian Mousley, Mr Mark Hancock and Mrs Maria Costello for all the work behind the scenes as well as the generous parents who donated various items to be raffled or auctioned on the evening.
Love of Work was clearly evident in both staff and students during our weekly HSC Study Evenings post Year 12 HSC trials. These evenings were a wonderful opportunity for students to collaborate with their teachers and peers as they prepared for their final HSC exams. At the conclusion of each evening, the students and staff were able to enjoy a meal together to bring the day to a close. Our CAPA and TAS teachers worked tirelessly with our Visual Arts, Music, Industrial Technology and Design & Technology students as they completed their HSC Major works. Thank you to all of my amazing staff for their hard work and dedication to Year 12 and all of our students.
As Term 3 draws to an end, I am grateful for the many opportunities that enabled both our young men and wider community to demonstrate the Marist characteristics of Love of Work, Family Spirit and Presence. Some of the highlights of Term 3 include the Stage 5 Visual Arts showcase evening, Year 12 HSC Visual Arts Virtual Showcase, Year 12 Reflection Day, Year 12 study evenings, Father’s Day Mass, Malloy Cup assembly, SCS Championship Athletics carnival and the Chess tournament to name a few! In addition to the many extra-curricular opportunities, students continued to be engaged in their learning, completing assessments and final exams and receiving valuable feedback to use to continue to improve upon results.
Last but not least, Term 3 marked the end of 13 years of schooling for the Class of 2024. This is always a momentous occasion not only for the graduating class but for all of the community as we farewell those students we have spent the last 6 years with. The Class of 2024 has been an exceptional year group who will be missed! We look forward to following their journeys as they make their way in the world.
I hope you all enjoy the publication and I look forward to welcoming you all back to Term 4! Have a restful and peaceful holiday break.