“If we walk in the light, as he is the light, we have fellowship with one another.” 1 John 1:7
To the families and friends of St Edmund’s College,
Cricket First XI
It was my absolute pleasure to present members of our First XI Cricket squad with their “Baggy Blue” caps last Sunday morning before their game. I congratulated the boys for representing the College as part of the First XI, and thanked them for continuing the tradition of cricket at St Edmund’s. The team has started in a very strong manner, winning all three of their games so far. My thanks to Jamie Haynes (old boy and current parent) for coaching the team, and to Mel Navin (current parent) for managing the team. My thanks also to Mr David Kelly, Assistant Principal Junior School, for co-ordinating our current season of cricket.
Congratulations to the First XI squad:
- Captain: Shenal Rajapakse
- Vice-Captain: Nick Toze
- Himesh Rajapakse
- Ben Gow
- Preet Singh
- Ryan Navin
- Shaquille Willock
- Oliver Peisley
- Alex Green
- Monty Green
- Mehki Pearce-Smith
- Romeo Asbock
- William MacNamara
Presentation Ceremonies
Unfortunately due to the current covid requirements in schools to have cohorts separated, we cannot organise our annual Presentation Ceremony in the normal manner. Instead, we will have two separate presentations ceremonies in the high school for Year 7 & 8 and Year 9 & 10. We will present current Year 11 students with their awards early next year. The Junior School will still have its Presentation Ceremony at the normal time on Tuesday 7 December. Parents and carers will receive specific details of these ceremonies in a separate communication.
Year 12 Graduation
Last Friday’s Year 12 Graduation events were a highlight of the year. Although once again we had to organise our Graduation events in a modified form due to current restrictions, the three events (Mass, Assembly and Dinner) ran very smoothly and marked a significant manner in which to celebrate and farewell our Year 12 cohort. We have some very unique and special traditions which take place on Graduation Day, such as presenting each Year 12 student with a graduation stole, on which is printed the name of every student in Year 12; and of course, the presentation of the Old Boys tie during the Graduation Dinner. Year 12 presented the school with a gift which now commences a new tradition to the College – a bell that is rung by students and staff when they commence their time at the College and when they leave the College.
Our College Captain, Baden Godfrey, presented the Graduation Bell to the College with these words,
“In Irish mythology, bells symbolise both a beginning and an ending. We, as the Graduating Class of 2021, would like to present the College with this bell, the symbol of which has a strong connection to our Irish heritage as a school and also to connects us in knowing that when something ends, another begins. For us, our time at school is formally coming to an end yet it is the beginning of the next chapter of our lives. After us, members of our community, students and staff, are invited to ring this bell to celebrate the beginning of their time here at the College and also to acknowledge the end of their time here too. So in hearing this bell, we know that even when life changes, we are always connected to the Eddies community. May this gift from the Graduating Class of 2021 ring out with shared memories and of the past, celebrations of the present and hope for the future.
Go gcoinneoidh Dia iad siúd a chloiseann é i dtearmann a láimhe. May God hold those who ring it in the palm of His hand.”
Graduation Address
I would like to share an extract of my address to Year 12 students from the Graduation Dinner. In my address, I focus on the importance of relationships and purpose.
“A few months ago, I was listening to the radio as I was driving. On came a song that I had never heard before by a musician named Michael Nelson who goes by the stage name of Banners. When I heard the opening words of the song I became quite irritated:
I don’t wanna die or fade away
I just wanna be someone
Dive and disappear without a trace
I just wanna be someone
Well, doesn’t everyone?
When I heard these lyrics, I thought to myself, here we go again – some young person wanting a Kardashian or an Instagram version of life. They just want to be someone; they just want to be famous without really working for it. I don’t really know who the Kardashians are but I know they don’t do much and are very famous. This is what I thought the song was about – some empty goal of just wanting to be well known, wanting to be someone, like those empty Instagram influencers, the type who we see on celebrity reality shows and we have absolutely no idea who they are. But I kept on listening to the song because the tune was rather catchy.
The more I listened, the more realised I was so wrong about the song. It turned out to be one of the best songs I’d ever heard and I downloaded it as soon as I could. Why did I change my mind so quickly? Because the lyrics changed. The song goes on to say:
I just wanna be somebody to someone,
I wanna be somebody to someone
I never had nobody and no road home
I wanna be somebody to someone
And if the sun starts setting, the sky goes cold
Then if the clouds get heavy and start to fall
I really need somebody to call my own
I wanna be somebody to someone
Someone to you
The song is actually saying that the most important thing in life is not just to be someone, but to be somebody to someone. To give somebody else’s life meaning and purpose. To be someone’s companion, to be by somebody’s side, to stand up for someone; to share your life with someone. The absolute complete opposite of what I originally thought the song was about.
How precious is the gift of giving somebody else’s life meaning and purpose? To reach out to someone and make them feel special. In doing that, your life takes on meaning and purpose, your life becomes special, your life becomes a gift.
Being somebody to someone doesn’t mean you need to be in a committed relationship – it might just be a good friend. All that matters is that you are in some sort of a positive relationship with another person or a group of people and that by being around that person your life and their life becomes better and stronger.
But you know, it even goes beyond friendships and relationships. If you are a tradie and you are working at somebody’s house trying to fix a problem, be somebody to that person. Make them feel that for the time you are there, you are working on the most important problem in the whole world.
If you become a doctor or a lawyer or an accountant or a teacher, deal with the person in front of you as if they are the most important person in the world – be somebody to them. If you see someone in the street struggling, be somebody to them. If you walk past a wrong or an injustice, try to make it right, be somebody to the people around you.
When you are somebody to someone, in whatever context you find yourself and whoever the someone is – who becomes the better person, the stronger person, the richer person? You do.
I cannot leave you with a better message – be somebody to someone. In finishing gentlemen, thank you for everything you have given us. Thank you for the way you have enriched the College in your time here from your very first day to tonight. Thank you to the parents here tonight for handing your boys over to us and working with us in raising and developing fine young men. We hope we have done you proud.
Boys, for me personally, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to walk alongside you for the past four years – with the highs and even with the lows. Come back to us as old boys. Continue to be a part of our community and continue to enrich us with your presence and contributions.
In Italian we say “Tanti auguri e cammina con Dio” – best wishes and walk with God. We look forward to seeing everything you have to give the world and how you can be somebody to someone”.
Ricky Stuart, Br Matt McKeon Faith and Service Award
It was an honour and privilege to have old boy Mr Ricky Stuart as our special guest at the Year 12 Graduation Assembly last Friday. It was only two years ago that Ricky was at our graduation ceremony watching his son Jed finish his time at the College.
Earlier this year, at our Opening College Mass, we presented the Br Matt McKeon Faith and Service Awards to individuals in the College who have demonstrated a significant depth of faith and service in a number of ways to both the College community and the wider community. The awards are presented annually to a member of staff, students and an old boy. Ricky was not able to be with us at that event, so I am pleased that he has been able to join us last Friday to receive his award.
The phrase ‘Eddies Boy’ has been used to describe the fine men who have walked the halls of St Edmund’s College for the past 67 years. To be considered an Eddie’s Boy, a person must be loyal to his friends, faithful to his beliefs and be a person who is aware of the needs of others, actively trying to make the world a better place. Ricky Stuart is a true Eddie’s boy. He has had an illustrious career in Rugby League which has seen him achieve at the highest level as a player and a coach. His incredible skills as a player have inspired many young fans to pull on the boots and take up playing the game of rugby league. In his role as coach both here and overseas, Ricky has been responsible for mentoring many young players to fully commit to their chosen sport be the best they can be both on and off the field. Ricky’s sense of sportsmanship is strong and genuine.
Ricky Stuart epitomises the importance of service, giving of his time to make a positive difference to those people and families in the community living with special needs. The Ricky Stuart Foundation was set up in December 2011 to help Ricky achieve his goals in raising an awareness and an understanding of autism. The Foundation raises funds to directly support people with autism and their families. Over the last 10 years the Foundation has developed and built $3.5 million in respite facilities, and earlier this year Ricky announced the progression yet another development. This third facility is to be built in Queanbeyan and will create a home where independence can be achieved by adults with a disability.
Ricky was recently appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours for “significant service to rugby league, and to the community”.
It is with much pride and pleasure that we congratulate Mr Ricky Stuart on being the Old Boy recipient of the 2021 Br Matt McKeon Faith and Service Award.
Student Voice Forum
A few weeks ago we explored the EREA Child Safeguarding Frameworks over a few editions of Vortex. One of the main concepts to emerge from the Frameworks is for schools to have a strong and clear focus on student voice, ensuring that student voice is not only student leader voice.
As part of the EREA family of schools, St Edmund’s College is expected to engage with students and enable student contribution to decision making frameworks and feedback implementation. Students are a school’s most important stakeholders and it is important that schools partner with children and young people with whom they work. This partnership should be extended to include working with children to make decisions together and also implement decisions together.
In 2022, we plan to have a student voice structure where the voices, perceptions, ideas and concerns of our students are heard and acted upon. I will provide specific details of this new student forum early next year once we have completed our planning.
Uniform
Attached to this edition of Vortex is the schedule of opening times for the Uniform Shop during January next year, prior to the commencement of term. I would ask that you have this handy to avoid disappointment and delays in purchasing items of summer.
Important Dates
I would ask all parents to please keep in mind the following important dates as we draw closer to the end of the year:
| · Presentation Ceremony, Year 9 & Year 10 | Monday 6 December |
| · Last day for Year 9 | Monday 6 December |
| · Presentation Ceremony, Year 7 & Year 8 | Tuesday 7 December |
| · Presentation Ceremony, Junior School | Tuesday 7 December |
| · Last day for Junior School, Year 7 & 8 | Tuesday 7 December |
Prayer for our Year 12 Graduates
Gracious and caring God,
our source of light,
we ask for your Almighty hand to be upon our graduates as we send them forward.
With their classes and exams now complete,
may they strive toward excellence in all they do.
With the applause quieted,
may they celebrate and lift up those around them.
With the speeches concluded,
may their voices rise up to pronounce peace and justice in the world.
With the fanfare ceasing,
may they find bliss in future endeavours and adventures.
With certificates and awards in hand,
may their achievements grow and enrich their communities.
As young men of the Edmund Rice tradition,
may they discover Holiness in the midst of life’s blessings as well life’s challenges.
As their careers and further studies commence,
may they conduct their life’s work with exceptional skill and integrity
inspired to make Christ their light
from this day onward.
Amen.
Blessed Edmund Rice, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our Hearts, forever.
Joe Zavone
Principal
Christus Lux Mea