{"id":24846,"date":"2026-08-21T12:48:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T02:48:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/serviam\/?post_type=article&p=24846"},"modified":"2026-08-21T13:28:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T03:28:19","slug":"principals-message-73","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/serviam\/article\/principals-message-73\/","title":{"rendered":"Principal’s Message"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to our latest newsletter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Australian Catholic Bishops Justice Statement<\/span><\/a> was published this month titled, <\/span>Living the Gospel in Times of Division. <\/span><\/i>Launching this document, Townsville Bishop Tim Harris encouraged Australians to respond to hatred and division in society with \u201ckindness, friendship and a listening ear\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Taken from page 3 of the statement, practical ways to guide us on how we are called to live the Gospel in these times are offered.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, by remaining close to Christ in prayer and the sacraments, allowing the Lord to convert our hearts before we seek to change the world.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Second, by practising a \u201cculture of encounter\u201d: listening before reacting, seeking to understand the fears and hopes of others and choosing relationships over caricature.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Third, by exercising restraint in what we say – especially online – rejecting gossip, slander, dehumanising labels and the sharing of unverified claims. Christians must be known as people who speak truthfully, argue respectfully and never delight in humiliation.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Fourth, by concrete acts of compassion and justice: standing with those targeted because of their faith or background, supporting families under economic pressure, welcoming migrants and refugees and working for the common good through parish, school and community initiatives.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

This statement invites us to see our current social climate as an opportunity to witness to the Gospel.We offer Jesus and the hope born of his death and resurrection. When we choose forgiveness over enmity, hospitality over isolation and solidarity over vilification, we help to create the conditions in which a more peaceful society can prosper.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

As a Catholic and Ursuline community, our prayer and liturgical life, our College motto of Serviam together with values of accept, respect, act, unite and empower are our ways of teaching our students how to live the Gospel with a focus on companionship, kindness and friendship. This statement is a great resource and I have provided a link to this document and encourage you to read through it. It is a timely message for us all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2027 NSW Premiers Teaching Scholarships<\/b><\/h5>\n

On Wednesday 12 August, our talented mathematics teacher Jessica Magee was awarded the prestigious Premier\u2019s University of Sydney Mathematics Scholarship at a ceremony in Parliament House. This will allow Jessica to travel and visit schools and universities both in Australia and abroad as she researches problem solving approaches that will best engage girls in mathematics. We are very proud of Jessica and we know that her research will benefit herself as an educator, her peers and most importantly our students.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

World Youth Day (WYD) 2027\u00a0<\/b><\/h5>\n

Students in Years 9 and 10 have been invited to apply for WYD which will take place in Seoul. This is a wonderful opportunity that brings young people from around the world to gather together for a faith filled experience that culminates in mass with Pope Leo.<\/span><\/p>\n

Global Impact Summit<\/b><\/h5>\n

On August 5, Mrs Moroney and I travelled with a group of students to the Global Impact Summit held at the State Theatre. This was an opportunity for students to listen to leaders in the field of business, philanthropy, social enterprise, technology and culture. They gained exposure to real-world thinking, future focused leadership and an experience of Serviam beyond our school gates. <\/span><\/p>\n

Two students reflect on on the Global Impact Summit and share their experiences in this edition of the newsletter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Father-Daughter Bowling Night<\/b><\/h5>\n

Our St Ursula Parent Association (SUPA) has organised a Father – Daughter Bowling Night.The event will be held at 6.00pm on Thursday 17 September 2026 at Manhattan Superbowl, Mascot. This is a hugely popular annual event that I look forward to. The cost is $35 per person, which includes one game, shoe hire, pizza, hot chips and a soft drink. Tickets can be purchased here: <\/span>https:\/\/www.trybooking.com\/1634398<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

St Ursula Youth and Family Mass Sunday<\/b><\/h5>\n

Finally a reminder our college Youth and Family Mass is this Sunday at 5pm at Our Lady of Fatima Church Kingsgrove.<\/span><\/p>\n

Warm Regards,<\/span><\/p>\n

Vivienne Awad
\nPrincipal<\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to our latest College newsletter…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":13703,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-24846","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/serviam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/24846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/serviam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/serviam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/serviam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24846"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/serviam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/serviam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}