“Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24-25
Dear families and friends of St Edmund’s College,
Welcome back to all members of our community. May we face this last term of the year with fresh vigour, confidence and determination to achieve, succeed and finish well.
I don’t usually recommend television programs to parents and carers through my Vortex articles (especially commercial television programs), but this week I must make a strong recommendation to our parent community to watch a two-part program called Mirror Mirror which aired on the Ten Network on Monday and Tuesday of this week and can now be viewed on Ten Play. The first ten minutes of this program were very powerful and shocking, demonstrating the ease with which children can be abused and exploited online on sites such as Omegle and WhatsApp. The program also looks into cyber-safety, how the internet impacts young children and what parents need to know about the dangers of the internet.
Mirror Mirror details clearly how the internet is changing the way we view the world, especially as we have the first generation of children who have only known life with mobile internet. Exploring multiple stories across the two episodes, the program takes a look at the ways internet companies are capturing our attention and rewiring our brains and meets the people whose lives have been irreparably affected in one way or another. Quite importantly within our community context, the program explores two significant how young children have such easy access to pornography and the consequences that virtual relationships and pseudo-connections have on today’s young generation.
The first episode of the two-part documentary focuses on the theme of “love”, focusing on various topics such as OnlyFans, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, virtual relationships, influencers and chatting online. The second episode shifts to the theme of hate, looking at how easy it is for people to fall into the hole of hatred, prejudice and conspiracies. I would urge all parents and c areas to watch this documentary – I would suggest to watch it alone at first, and then select which sections of the program would be suitable to watch with your son, followed by some robust discussion about the issues raised.
I turned 60 last week, and have found myself in discussion with friends and family reminiscing on my childhood. How innocent it seems now to be at school, during the day, then come home and look forward to watching American sitcoms on television – Gilligan’s Island, The Brady Bunch, The Munsters, The Addams Family and so on. Life was simple. The world for young people is now completely different, with a requirement for a sophisticated level of cyber dexterity and cyber maturity.
It really does disturb me and worry me what our young people are being exposed to and how this affects their though patterns and behavioural patterns. Schools alone can come nowhere close to dealing with these issues – it will take a great deal of work from schools, families, communities and governments to ensure that our young people have the skills to rise above the cyber world which envelopes them.
Parents Scam Alert
There is a new scam circulating on mobile devices setting out to trick parents into communicating with a fake number by posing as their child in urgent need of help. Doing the rounds on mobile devices, this scam is one of many of this nature and one that parents need to be alerted of as soon as possible as the element of fear being instilled may cause them to contact scammers or reveal highly sensitive information to them. The recommendation is to remain vigilant. There are many scams happening through text so if you are not sure, don’t respond. If it is something important your family will find a way to call you.
Principal’s Awards
At Wednesday’s Assembly we introduced the Inaugural Principal’s Awards. These awards are presented to students who demonstrate exemplary qualities of leadership and reflect the many fine qualities of the Eddies Statement of Pride.
Principal’s Awards were presented to:
Reeves Dzapata (11 O’Brien) and Darrell Faranando (11 Clancy), who last term stepped in of their own accord to prevent a situation with two younger students from escalating further.
Paul Oscar Brown (11 O’Brien), Daniel Isherwood (12 O’Brien), Lorcan Jennings (11 Rice), Tadhg Loadsman (12 Treacy) and Connor Moloney (11 Treacy) for their leadership and outstanding work in this year’s musical production.
2023 Leaders
Also at Wednesday’s Assembly we presented our 2023 student leaders to the College community. These leaders will be formally inducted into their new roles at next year’s Opening College Mass. I very much look forward to working with these new leaders, and I thank our current leaders for a year of fine service to their community.
Junior School
Stewardship for Inclusive Community – Tyrone Lauvao
Stewardship for Gospel Spirituality – Jonah Ong
Stewardship for Justice and Solidarity – Zachary Apperley
Stewardship for Liberating Education – Matthew Bolton
House Leader Clancy – Michell Gane
House Leader Haydon – Jace Daly
House Leader Mulrooney – William Hancock
House Leader O’Brien – Thomas Walsh
House Leader Rice – Mitchell McCracken
House Leader Treacy – Benjamin Brooker
Senior Students
College Captain (Stewardship for Inclusive Community) – Deveraux Tapelu
College Vice Captain (Stewardship for Justice & Solidarity) – Liuaki Percival
College Vice Captain (Stewardship for Gospel Spirituality) – Damian Jelfs-Smith
College Vice Captain (Stewardship for Liberating Education) – Hamish Chapman
Clancy House Captain – Jack McDermott
Clancy House Vice Captain – Darrell Faranando
Haydon House Captain – Roy Kuchel
Haydon House Vice Captain – Nixion Lemisio
Mulrooney House Captain – Joseph McBride
Mulrooney House Vice Captain – William Bate
O’Brien House Captain – Kelven Ng
O’Brien House Vice Captain – Paul Oscar Brown
Rice House Captain – Callum Hicks
Rice House Vice Captain – Rhys Spence
Treacy House Captain – Tristan Borghouts
Treacy House Vice Captain – Jacob MacDonald
Prayers and Blessings
It has been a difficult few weeks with a number of members of our immediate community and wider community experiencing loss and suffering.
We pray for member of staff Mr Denzil Fox, who last week underwent extensive surgery. Denzil will now commence a long series of treatment and recovery.
We pray for Brayden Woodger in Year 12 whose father Peter passed away last week. We offer our prayers and blessings to his mother Kellie and sister Abbie.
We pray for the families of the two young girls from Stromlo High School, who were killed in a car accident a few days ago. One of the young girls was the aunt of Pharoah Feagai in Year 5.
We pray for the family of Thomas English, a Year 12 student of Marist College Canberra who was killed in a car accident in the holidays. Thomas’ father Dixon English is a member of staff at Marist.
I offer you a Blessing Prayer from Sr. Joyce Rupp. Joyce is a retreat leader, spiritual director and a prolific Catholic spirituality writer. This blessing is from her book, “Out of the Ordinary”.
Blessing Prayer for Another’s Healing
May you desire to be healed.
May what is wounded in your life be restored to good health.
May you be receptive to the ways in which healing needs to happen.
May you take good care of yourself.
May you extend compassion to all that hurts within your body, mind, and spirit.
May you be patient with the time it takes to heal.
May you be aware of the wonders of your body, mind, and spirit and their ability in returning you to good health.
May you be open to receive from those who extend kindness, care, and compassion to you.
May you rest peacefully under the sheltering wings of divine love, trusting in this gracious presence. May you find little moments of beauty and joy to sustain you.
May you keep hope in your heart.
Amen.
Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.
Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea