From the Principal

The excitement is building for the College Fair this Saturday, which will be held between 11.00 am and 5.30 pm on the Senior School campus. The Parents and Friends Committee and the fair organisers have been working solidly this year to organise a fun-filled day for the Saint Ignatius’ College community. They have been working together with great dedication to make the event a success, and we hope that all families and members of the wider SIC community will join and celebrate on the day. We pray for fine weather and look forward to sharing some relaxed time connecting with families at the event.

Yesterday the Junior School was abuzz with excitement for the Junior Primary Athletics Carnival. It was wonderful to see so many parents and family members cheering our youngest athletes on to success. Whether it was the rubber chicken throw, the mini hurdles, or the final relay races, we witnessed joy, determination, the spirit of being a good sport, and giving it your best. Congratulations to Mrs Sexton, Mr Boys, and the junior primary staff for their hard work and to the students for doing their best on the day.

Last week I attended a Catholic Principal and Deputy Principals gathering, a regular event that takes place throughout the year. The meeting was very informative, with two keynote addresses that struck a chord about schools of today and the education we must strive to provide. The first address was from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). The presenter referred to recent data about teacher shortages, recruitment, and retention of staff. He spoke of staying hope-filled and innovative, challenging schools to look for new and interesting ways to support all staff, particularly those new to the career of education. At Saint Ignatius we are constantly looking for ways to grow the capacity of our staff to meet the needs of our changing students. We are focused on delivering innovative and up-to-date professional learning experiences so that our staff enjoy their work and are engaged fully in their career and its development.

The second speaker was Dr Neil McGoran, Director of Catholic Education South Australia. Dr McGoran spoke about the imperative we have in schools to educate those in our care to a high standard. He drew the gathering’s attention to the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration (2019), which has two main goals:

• to promote excellence and equity
• to assist all young Australians to become
  1. confident and creative individuals
  2. successful lifelong learners
  3. active and informed members of the community.

Together, school and home, we can achieve these points. Our task is to commit to making this a reality each day. As we move towards the end of term and reflect on what we have achieved, it is timely to reflect upon how we have accomplished these points for our community of learners so far this year.

Holy Week and Easter fast approach, a time where we reflect on the Passion and Death of Our Lord and being reborn on Easter Sunday. We wish all families the blessing that the Easter Season brings and hope that this time of coming together is a special one for all.

Please continue to pray for Mr Jones and family as they support their son who remains in hospital.

With prayers of peace and hope,

Barbara Watkins
Principal

OREMUS (Let us pray)

We remember all in our College community. May our prayers comfort those suffering at this time. May God’s blessing be a source of support in their sorrow and loss, and bring courage, patience, and hope.

“Ask and you shall receive … knock and the door will be opened unto you.” (Matt 7:7)

If you would like someone to be remembered by the College community in prayer (even anonymously), please provide details to the Rector, class or Mentor Teacher, or House Leader.