This week’s Principal’s Message is in Video format. We have included a copy of the transcript below if you wish to read instead.
To the family and friends of St Edmund’s College,
Online Teaching and Learning
Welcome to the final Principal’s Report for Vortex for this term. I would like to commence by thanking our students for engaging with the online teaching and learning experience in a positive enthusiastic way. Most students have had a positive experience with this and have engaged with a good attitude. I am aware that some students are struggling with this new online learning environment, and we will continue to work with these students and parents to ensure that there leaning experience during this time is just as strong.
I also would like to thank our parents for supporting this online program. You have been most encouraging of our teachers with their initiatives and your feedback has been very positive.
Of course I need to thank our teaching staff for their hard work and many hours of preparation in providing our boys with the best possible online teaching and learning opportunities, for providing the boys with a sense of stability, a sense of belonging and of course a sense of learning and developing.
I could not be more proud of our whole community – students, parents and staff – in the way we have jumped into the online teaching and learning environment and the way all of us have made it work.
It is more than likely that the online environment will continue for most of Term 2. I am conscious of the fact that our boys are in front of their screens nearly all day from 9.00 – 3.30, five days a week. This is not healthy nor is it sustainable, so we are looking at ways of overcoming this and will inform you of any developments in this area.
I remind you that there will be no online lessons this Thursday 9 April, but school is still open for those boys who unable to stay at home. Online teaching and learning resumes on Tuesday 28 April (Monday 27 April is the Anzac Day public holiday)
Student Wellbeing
I am very conscious of the way in which the media is sensationalising our current situation, especially the free to air news services who seem to be relishing in the drama of coronavirus. If you listen to the language they are using, the tone in which they speak and the graphics they present, it would cause anxiety and stress particular with our younger students. Please do not hesitate to contact our Counsellor if you feel you need support and assistance with your son’s anxiety and general outlook in these current circumstances.
St Edmund’s Community
Anzac Day and Founders Day are two events which we do so well at St Edmund’s. We will try to acknowledge these two important events in a special way online so we can continue to engage and share in these important events as a community.
Last week I spoke of the importance of our community especially at this time. I would ask you to please let me know of any achievements or milestones, experienced by our students so I can mention them in my Vortex videos and we can share this good news and celebrate together. Please either ring the school with this information or email me the information at the email address – principal@stedmunds.act.edu.au
Enrolments for 2021
We have commenced our enrolment process for 2021. This can be quite challenging for us this year without an Open Day, without an Experience Eddies Day, without our information nights and without the many tours of the school that we normally conduct at this time. Our enrolment campaign has started in the print media and social media, but I would ask you that if you know of any family who is considering sending their son to Eddies next year, please let them know that we are accepting enrolments and would be happy to meet with prospective families. They need to contact the College or go to the enrolments page of our website.
Holy Week
Palm Sunday last Sunday saw the commencement of Holy Week – the season of Easter and the Passion of Christ being the pinnacle of the Catholic church calendar. Of the death and resurrection of Christ, Pope Francis has said, “to those who ask us our reasons for the hope that is in us, let us point to the Risen Christ. Let us point to Him with the proclamation of the Word, but especially with our resurrected life. Let us show the joy of being children of God, the freedom he gives us to live in Christ, who is true freedom, freedom from the slavery of evil, sin and death! In looking to our heavenly home, we will also have a new light and strength in our commitment and in our daily efforts. It is a precious service that we give to our world, which is often no longer able to lift its gaze upwards, it no longer seems able to lift its gaze towards God”.
At this time of social distancing and lock downs and stand downs, we need this message of hope and light more than ever. We need to remember that we will come out of this, that we have a model in Jesus that out of adversity there is light and new life. We need to be patient and strong. In his homily at the Palm Sunday Mass which was livestreamed from St Christopher’s Cathedral at Manuka, Archbishop Christopher Prowse gave a lovely definition of hope – H O P E – Home of Paschal Encounter. Let our homes this year celebrate the Paschal joy – the Easter joy of the resurrection.
I wish you all a Blessed Easter. God bless, take care, be safe and I will see you in one way or another in Term 2.
Prayer for Holy Week
Lord God,
We give you thanks, for you are good, and your mercy is endless.
Here we stand, at the start of this Holy Week,
This week in which your church remembers Jesus’ passion and death.
We are distracted by many things at this time of pandemic.
Turn our eyes now to the One who comes in your name,
The one who opens the gates of righteousness,
The one who answers when we call.
We bless you, Lord, for shining your light upon us, even in these difficult times
And for sending your son to us, in human frailty.
To walk the road we walk.
Open our eyes that we may see him coming,
And may praise him with a pure heart.
And may walk in the way of his suffering,
And share also in his resurrection.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us
Live Jesus in our Hearts, forever
Mr Joe Zavone
College Principal
Christus Lux Mea