Sacramental Program
I was fortunate to experience a wonderful celebration last night, our Sacramental Mass for our 37 students who received the Sacraments of First Community, Reconciliation and/or Confirmation. These students completed their programs on Tuesday afternoons throughout Semester One and received their Sacrament/s at a Mass celebrated by College Chaplain, Fr Chris, at St Christopher’s Cathedral. Mass last night focused on the meaning of the three sacraments in our individual faith journeys, and how our motto, Christus Lux Mea, Christ be my Light, is central to the College’s mission and our day to day lives.
I would like to thank our Mission Team, Mr Michael Monagle, Ms Bridget Cusack and Mrs Carmela Wilson for leading this and other important programs and celebrations at the College. Thank you also to Miss Caroline Devlin and Mrs Rachel Rasmussen for their assistance with the Mass last night.
End of Semester
As we draw close to the end of a busy semester, I wish all students well in their semester final assessments and classroom activities. Our seniors have commenced exams and our Junior School and lower High School will be finishing off their final tasks over the next week or so.
Our first expectation from our Statement of Eddies Pride asks students to strive to achieve their personal best by showing resilience and engagement and our College Prayer asks ‘that we may live each day to the full’ and have ‘strength to confront all challenges that we face with hope and faith’. I ask parents and carers to have a conversation with their son about their learning in Semester One over the next couple of weeks and reflect on their effort and whether they are striving to be their best, making the most of each day, and are showing resilience and courage when faced with challenges. This conversation may be most effective when the Semester Report is distributed in Week 10. The report will indicate academic achievement for each subject, but just as importantly, it will provide information on student effort and application in each class.
Not all students can receive the highest academic results, but all students can achieve high effort and application grades for their classes. Please look at these two areas for your student and commend them if they are striving to achieve their personal best or challenge them if there is room for improvement with regard to application and effort.
The College offers a range of support options for students, and these may be worth considering for your son at the start of Semester Two. Parents can contact individual teachers for further information regarding application and effort in particular classes, parents can contact tutors to seek ideas about study skills for your son, students can attend the lunchtime study support sessions to catch-up on out of class assessment, and High School students can drop-in to the Library after school and seek assistance from teachers who are rostered each day.
Yr 11, 2024
A big thank you to Trent Masters, our Pathways Coordinator, who has worked in an effective partnership with St Clare’s College and their staff to organise a very successful Careers Expo last week. The event was very well attended by our Yrs 10-12 students.
Over the last few months, Yr 10 students have been engaged in a number of activities preparing them for Yr 11 aimed to increase their capacity to make informed decisions about their subject selections for Yr 11, 2024. Years 11 and 12 can be challenging years for students; we work very hard to prepare our students and support them through their last two years of secondary education.
We look forward to having individual conversations with our Yr 10 students and their parents next Monday 19 June about their study packages for the next two years. Please contact Mr Masters or Mr Bibbens if you would like any further information about senior studies and post school pathways.
Staff Professional Learning
Our staff engage in a professional learning program for Week 10 of Term Two. In the week after the last day of term for students, Friday 23 June, St Edmund’s Staff will participate in a range of professional learning activities that align with our strategic directions and targeted learning needs.
The professional learning program for this year includes:
- formation in the Edmund Rice and Catholic Traditions,
- school-wide focus on Literacy using the Writer’s Toolbox program,
- faculty-based professional learning targeting faculty needs,
- a range of compliance and professional responsibility modules, and
- a range of workshops where individuals select the most relevant topics for their needs.
Thank you for your support of the College and your sons throughout Semester One.
Dear Lord,
Grant that we may live each day to the full, inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Let us cast away all worries and concerns into your divine care.
Christus Lux Mea
Give us strength to confront all challenges that we face with hope and faith.
Let our community seek truth in all that we search for.
Christus Lux Mea
Let us stand for others always giving generously without counting the cost.
Blessed Edmund Rice
Pray for us
Live Jesus in our hearts
forever
Amen
Ian Garrity
Acting Principal
Christus Lux Mea