PRINCIPAL’S ADDRESS – JUNE 2022

REFLECTION

Do Not Be Afraid

In the face of many attacks Jesus outrageously proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom.  His courage stemmed from his firm belief in the Father’s love for him.  May we also be courageous witnesses to the values of the Gospel knowing that God’s love for us far outweighs any opposition we may encounter.  The gospel reading from Sunday encourages all of us to proclaim the Good News from the ‘housetops’; reveal our soul and declare our faith in the ‘Father in heaven’.

Today, there are so many more challenges thus making it much more difficult to be witnesses to the values because we are in many ways counter cultural to the values that our society today.  Through our personal conviction and the love of the Father, who is merciful to all, we can seek the courage to be true witness to the values of the Gospel.

During this particular, Gospel reading, I am always reminded of the hymn “Be Not Afraid” sung to proclaim God’s love for us and for us not to be afraid.  If you have an opportunity, listen to the song (through YouTube) as it always inspires me to be brave and face the challenges with great confidence knowing that God’s love is present for all.  

Now that Term Two has come to a close, we are reminded of the importance to remain faithful to our vision and mission statement.  Both statements remind all of us the importance of remaining inclusive, seeking individual excellence and success, being faithful to the Gospel values and the spirit of Edmund Rice, and having Christ as our role model as we become lifelong learners. We need to be reminded of these statements because at times some of our behaviours stray from the essence of these statements.  If we are to remain faithful to the Dommies way, then we must always be faithful to these two important statements.

Our pastoral care of students, in particular wellbeing, is paramount as we educate our students to be well-rounded young gentlemen.  The College aims to ensure that boys feel happy, safe and healthy.  To be able to do this, the College seeks to educate the boys about positive relationships, self-belief, respect for self and resilience.  Through the development of positive relationship, in particular, are we able to truly provide them with a sense of connectedness, as these relationships allow us to share our thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Be prepared, be committed, and remain faithful to your goals.  Year 12 are approaching a significant time in their final year with three weeks left until the Trial HSC Examinations.  This ‘holiday’ period for Year 12 students is a crucial time with significant study time required to ensure success.  Designing and implementing a study timetable is so important so that students remain on task and prepared for their Trial HSC Examinations.  I pray that all students use this time wisely as they continue along their learning journey.

Year 7 – 11 Semester One Reports.  From the feedback provided by staff, students and parents are encouraged to discuss what needs to be enacted to ensure that each student continues to learn from their previous experiences.  The Semester One Report is a reflection of this ongoing review and learning from each student. Please view this information as a means of seeking ways in which to continual improve no matter at what level our sons are currently performing.  Continual improvement and being the best version of yourself is what we are seeking.  I look forward to celebrating and acknowledging the success stories of Semester One.

The Year 7 Camp proves to be a great success in the development of new relationships.  After being postponed from the beginning of the year, students from Year 7 were able to enjoy the activities provided by Aussie Bush Camps.  Many of the activities are challenging but from all reports from teachers, the students engaged in these activities with great enthusiasm.  Thank you to all the staff for providing this great opportunity for our students.  A special thanks to all the students for their support of the staff and making the camp experience a enjoyable one for all.

Our first year in the PDSSSC Rugby League and Football competition

The 2022 PDSSSC Rugby League and Football season was an interrupted one.  The season did not allow all our teams to truly demonstrate their talents and abilities.  The rain early in the term affected the opportunity to play all regular season games.  Th football teams only managed to play two or three games.  The Rugby League teams only played an extra game or two.  It was decided that there would be no semi-final round and only the top two teams would qualify for the Grand Final. For this reason, it was difficult for many of our teams to reach this final game. 

However, we did manage to have a good representation of both our Rugby League and Football. 

In Rugby League, the U13A’s, B Grade and A Grade played in the Grand Final game on Thursday, 23^rd June at Windsor, while Year 7A, Year 9 and B Grade played at Valentine Park.  Congratulations to A Grade Rugby League, Year 7A, Year 9 and B Grade Football for being the inaugural premiers of the PDSSSC competition. 

Thanks to the coaches and managers of all our teams for their time and commitment to our cocurricula program.  Special thanks to our Grand Final coaches and managers:

U13A: Mr Ahern and Miss Kraim

B Grade: Mr Verlinden and Mr Passlow

A Grade: Mr Churchill and Mr Zammit

Year 7A: Mr Tsahtarlis and Mr Easterbrook

Year 9: Mr Buckley and Mr Gerlach

B Grade: Mr Meek and Ms Lister

Thank you also to all the players for their commitment and sportsmanship throughout the season.

During the month of June we experienced a great variety of activities.  Please view many of these events through our College Website:

• Year 11 Champion Sustainability during Waterford Wednesday
• NSW Parliament and Government House Excursion
• NRL Schoolboy Cup St Dominic’s College 34-12 win over Bass High 
• Bronze Duke of Edinburgh
• Students Welcome Old Boy Noel McLaughlin Back to St Dom’s
• PDSSSC Representatives

Staff Development Day (Pupil Free Day) – Monday, 18^th July

A Staff Development Day will be conducted on Monday therefore this is a Pupil Free Day.  Therefore, Tuesday, 19^th July will be the first day for students to commence Term 3. 

Once again, Term 3 will be new opportunities for all students.  I encourage all students to seek these opportunities so the Lord’s light can shine brightly in your heart.

May we all continue to live life with hope.

Dominus Lux Mea

Mr Michael Ronchetti

St Dominic’s College Principal