From the Head of Senior School

Each year from 1 September to 4 October, Christians worldwide celebrate the Season of Creation. This year, the theme for the season is ‘To hope and act with Creation’, and the symbol for 2024 is the first fruits of hope (Rom 8:19-25). Spring brings new life, and together we hope to make the world a better place. There are many resources available on the Laudato Si’ Movement website.

Last week, the Year 9 students participated in the Year 9 Igxperience program. This four-day outdoor experience promotes belonging, companionship, engagement, and growth. The students chose from a number of activities in various locations, including mountain biking at Melrose, fishing and surfing at Corny Point, and caving and snorkelling on the Limestone Coast. We are most grateful for the work of our Middle Years House Leaders and staff for their wonderful care of the students.

The 18 students in the aerobics team competed last weekend at the FISAF National Championships in the Gold Coast and were awarded the overall Spirit Award for their demonstration of exemplary sporting conduct and energy throughout the competition. The senior team, Fever, won a bronze medal in the Secondary Small Teams final, and the Radiance team were gold medallists in the Secondary Pre-Choreographed Phase 2 section. We are most grateful for the work of Mrs Emma Toker and Mrs Gabby Puntillo and coaches in support of the aerobics program.

This week we celebrated Arts and Activities Week. The wonderful week of student activities included the House debating and House chess tournaments and a co-curricular theatre presentation. The celebration will end with next week’s much-anticipated House Performance Day. We are most grateful for the work of Mr Aaron Dohse, Coordinator of Arts & Activities, for his endless support of the students.

Phil Donato
Head of Senior School

Please take note of some special events at the Senior School during Weeks 8,9 and 10:

Monday 9 September
Senior School Assembly #6

Monday 9 September
Parent presentation – The Unplugged Psychologist, Flynn Theatre – 7:00 pm

Thursday 12 September
RUOK? Day

Friday 13 September
House Performance Day

Monday 16 to Saturday 21 September
Old Ignatians Week

Monday 16 September
Mentors Breakfast

Wednesday 18 September
Co-Curricular Celebration Evening, Adelaide Town Hall – 6:00 pm

Thursday 19 September
Legal Landscape - Ignatius' Talking Live Podcast, Flynn Theatre – 5:45 pm

Friday 20 September
Mass of Commissioning for 2025 Student Leaders, Chapel – 6:00 pm

Saturday 21 September to Thursday 26 September
Lake Mungo Immersion, NSW

Sunday 22 September to Friday 27 September
Ikara Immersion, Flinders Ranges

Friday 27 September
End of Term 3

Please note the Senior School Front Office will be closed from Monday 30 September and will reopen Tuesday 7 October.

On Wednesday 4 September, 64 keen writers gathered in the library for a 12-hour writing challenge: to write a book in a day! Students worked in teams of 5-7 people and wrote and illustrated full texts that will be read by children aged 10-16 years, who are patients in children’s hospitals. Each text must incorporate unique parameters for each team comprising of: two human characters, one non-human character, an issue, a setting and five random words. The story is intended for reading by children aged 10-16 years who are patients in children’s hospitals. Write a Book in a Day is not only an opportunity for students to exercise their creative skills and follow their imagination: the entry fees go towards The Kids’ Cancer Project, which funds research into childhood cancer.

It is a long and rewarding day and this popular event has become a firm fixture on our annual College Calendar. Many thanks to supervising staff Mrs Lisa Black, Mr Ben Rogoznica and Mrs Holly Peters, and sincere gratitude to the library staff, the groundsmen, the finance department, and members of the English department who came and offered support throughout the day.

Vania Thurston
Leader of Learning - English

“O tempora, o mores!"

Stage 1 Latin students have recently begun studying Cicero, the renowned Roman lawyer. In his speech against Catiline, they encountered his most famous exclamation: "O tempora, o mores!"

The Latin phrase literally translates to "Oh times, oh customs!". However, understanding the words and grammar alone is not enough. A deep grasp of the context and Roman politics is essential to truly capture Cicero's meaning.

It is the morning of November 8, 63 BC, and the Senate is in session. When Catiline enters, a hush falls over the room. Cicero, the consul, stands and points at him. Catiline, nearly convicted of plotting against the Roman Republic and its leaders, still has the audacity to attend the Senate meeting. "O tempora, o mores!"

It is a challenging quote to translate. Quotes and sayings often pose significant challenges for translators, and sometimes it's better to leave them in Latin, as some editions of this speech do.

Good translations are those that perfectly capture the author’s mood and convey it in a way that a modern speaker would use, without missing any idea hidden behind each word. It took time for the students to agree on a shared translation. Capturing the author's intended meaning, worldview, and emotions is key to rendering it into English. Students realised that translation is not just about vocabulary and grammar, but it is an exercise of empathy.

As language teachers, our primary goal is for our students to develop the ability to grasp the core message of a text, understand it, feel it, and make it their own.

Can studying languages—even Latin, a ‘dead’ one—save the world? Probably not, but in an era of growing miscommunication and misunderstanding, the ability to empathically understand others is a crucial skill for our education system to cultivate. After all, it is the lack of this skill that often leads to conflicts, and our world is already plagued by them. What a world we live in!

Alessandro Boria
Teacher of Latin, French and Religious Education