From the Principal

Welcome to our first newsletter for 2024. I hope your child has had a joyful start to the new academic year. It has been wonderful to see the students’ beautiful, happy faces fill our College with such energy and enthusiasm. I’d like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to the Saint Ignatius’ College community for the warm welcome I’ve received since joining the College in October last year.

In this time, I've been deeply inspired by our students – from the boundless curiosity and imagination of our youngest learners at Ignatius Early Years, to the kindness, commitment, and empathy in our junior students, and the remarkable work ethic, intelligence, and courage displayed by our senior students.

Late last year, I had a moving and memorable conversation with an outgoing Year 12 student. He told me all about the extraordinary heart and soul of an Ignatian education. We also spoke about ways in which we can improve the College, including the ‘messy stuff’. He thought for a moment before responding, “That is the best bit about Saint Ignatius, the teachers here help you do hard things.” He proceeded to share with me some of his challenges and struggles, and about the times he felt like giving up. It was in those moments that the Saint Ignatius staff walked alongside him. He came to realise at the end of last year, those times when his teachers challenged him, stretched and pushed him beyond his perceived potential, was when he experienced the greatest personal growth and transformation.

That is one of our most important roles as educators and as parents.

We don't know what the future holds ‒ we don't know what the world will look like 20 years from now. However, we recognise the imperative to equip our young people with the skills to navigate life’s complexities, to avoid the temptation to remove obstacles out of their way or step in to rescue them too soon, thereby hindering the development of resilience and adaptability skills. We know that life won’t always be easy, and we can be certain that the trajectory to ‘success’ is not always linear.

We are, however, certain of our children’s capacity to face hard things and, in doing so, grow stronger.

I extend my gratitude to every parent and caregiver for your support and partnership. Together as an Ignatian community ‒ parents, students, and staff ‒ we embark on an exciting journey ahead in 2024 and beyond.

Lauren Brooks
Principal

Below is a circular from the Australian Government about compliance arrangements for the College related to Government funding. There is no new requirement for families, but we do ask everyone to ensure that the College has up-to-date and accurate family information on record.