Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,
2024 Scriptural Theme: “I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10)
I had the very good fortune to accompany our Year 12 Tertiary English students to a performance of the Bell Shakespeare Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Canberra Theatre Centre last Thursday evening. We had a wonderful night at the theatre, immersing ourselves in the great tradition of Shakespeare and the richness of the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It took me back to my days as an English teacher in Sydney where I would often take students to the theatre to view a production of a text we were studying, or just to enjoy a night at the theatre. Similarly, I have greatly enjoyed being back in the classroom teaching Year 9 English this term (can you believe the last time I taught junior high school English was 1996!). I never realised how much I had missed teaching English until I commenced with this class, studying Australian identity through a close study of David Williamson’s play The Club, and looking at related texts such as Banjo Patterson’s ballad Clancy of the Overflow. Not only has it been an enriching experience for me (and hopefully for my Year 9 students) but it has such a enriching experience to have in my final year of working in schools prior to my retirement.
As our Year 11 and 12 students approach their examinations this week and continuing into next week, I would like to wish each and every one of them the very best of luck. This is a time to showcase the hard work and dedication they have put in throughout the semester. We remind our senior students to believe in themselves and their abilities. They have all the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. It is important to remind them take a deep breath, stay calm, and remember that they are capable of achieving great things.
The Spirituality Of Sport
Those of you are read Vortex regularly will know that I have a great interest in the spirituality of sport. The Australian Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry has just released a document entitled “Open the Way to Christ: Fostering a Pastoral Ministry of Sport” (full text found here: https://nce.catholic.au/s/sport) The document reveals that the sporting field is an opportunity to put Catholic Social Teachings into practice, to consider how we can serve others and work towards building a level playing field for all. It is a very rich and powerful document, and I would like to share with you extracts from the document over the coming weeks. I encourage you to please take the time to read this carefully and perhaps share it with your sons and members of the family who have in interest in sport. My keenness to share this with you also comes within the very sad context that the most significant problems we have here at St Edmund’s with poor sportsmanship is not with our students but rather has unfortunately been with a handful of parents. This extract is entitled Grace On The Sporting Field:
“Sport often arouses a range of strong feelings and emotions within those who are involved. Sometimes, for players, officials, parents or spectators, these emotions can spur on performance or evoke a sense of awe and wonder; at other times they can be expressed in aggressive or abusive behaviour. For people of faith there exists a great responsibility to act with grace and respect, both on and off the field. This means going beyond simply abiding by the laws of the game, which often make no comment about poor sportsmanship. Instead, we are called to demonstrate an ethical and charitable attitude towards all involved, always playing within the true ‘spirit of the game’.
Before developing character, sport first reveals it. Competitors are called to rejoice in their gifts, to acknowledge their limitations and to recognise and applaud the skills of their opponents, rather than viewing them as an ‘enemy’. Although there is joy in victory, defeat should also be accepted graciously; and there should be a spirit of camaraderie between opponents after the final whistle. For spectators, there is a need to gracefully accept all decisions made by coaches and officials. Sport teaches us that life is not always fair, but we are encouraged to pick ourselves up in a spirit of perseverance, to learn and to commit wholeheartedly to the next contest.
The sporting field is an opportunity to put Catholic Social Teachings into practice; that is, to consider how we can serve others and work towards building a level playing field for all. How might we offer a voice, a caring enquiry or a discreet action to assist those overlooked or excluded due to socio-economic circumstance, race, religion, or sexual orientation? What changes might we seek to initiate when the dignity of another is undermined? How might we foster efforts to enhance our club’s or competition’s contribution to the good of the wider community?
The potential for individual growth in virtue present in sport is especially important when considering junior sports and school competitions. Such settings provide an ideal platform to build lifelong virtues in children and young people, and to demonstrate that the goal of all human activity is to bring people closer to God. Pope Benedict XVI wrote that, for young people, sport can become a “school of formation in the human and spiritual values, a privileged means for personal growth and contact with society”
Sport also reflects the synodal model of the Church encouraged by Pope Francis. Through sharing our gifts in a way that glorifies God, while observing and listening to others, mutual enrichment is realised. By working, listening and growing together, and by recognising that each person has something to contribute, division can be overcome, wounds can be healed and a shared goal can be achieved. In fact, the importance of working together was recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 2021, when it adjusted its 140-year-old motto of ‘Faster, Higher Stronger’ to include the word ‘Together’.
The sporting field is not a church, but both are places of encounter … a love of sport can offer opportunities for deeper relationships characterised by learning, prayer, and support in joy and sorrow.”
College Building Fund
As you may be aware, voluntary contributions to the building fund are tax deductible. Contributions to our building fund are vital in enhancing our facilities and creating a better learning environment for our students.
As we approach the end of the financial year, we would be grateful if you could consider making a tax-deductible contribution to our building fund. We thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to St Edmund’s College. Your support truly makes a difference to the College’s growth and development. Please use this link to make a donation to our building fund.
Congratulations to …
Phillip MacNamara (Year 8, Mulrooney), Kyler Peisley (Year 9, Mulrooney), Darcy Davis (Year 9, Haydon) and Ethan Guthrie (Year 12, Mulrooney) who have been selected to represent School Sport ACT at the School Sport Australia Championship, as part of the School Sport Australia Games, 27 – 31 July on the Gold Coast.
Brayden Kent (Year 8, Haydon), Kaleb Matthews (Year 8, O’Brien), Taniela Mapapalangi (Year 8, Clancy), Harry Borton (Year 9, Mulrooney), Ezra Taiatini (Year 9, Rice), Cooper Stevenson (Year 9, Treacy), Karney Kelly (Year 9, Haydon), Altas Lomitusi Atilua (Year 10, Treacy), Campbell Lloyd (Year 10, Haydon) and Sonny Lauvao (Year 10, Mulrooney) for being been selected in the ACT U15’s Schoolboys Rugby League final team for 2024. The team will be heading to Port Macquarie to compete in the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Championships, 29 June – 5 July.
Prayer for students sitting exams
Loving God,
As our students prepare to take their exams,
we come before You to ask for Your guidance and support.
Grant them peace of mind and the confidence to face each test with courage and clarity.
Help them to remember all they have studied and to apply their knowledge wisely.
Give them the focus to stay calm and composed, trusting in their abilities and in the hard work they have put in.
Bless them with the strength to overcome any anxiety or fear,
and the resilience to persevere through any challenges they may encounter.
Surround them with Your love and protection,
and let them feel Your presence during this time.
We pray for their success
and for Your wisdom to be with them in every moment.
In Your holy name, we pray.
Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.
Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea