From the Principal

Dear Old Collegians, As we approach the halfway point of a very welcome year of relative normality at De La Salle, it is terrific to be able to update you on a busy and productive period for the College since our last edition. I really enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with many past students at the recent combined reunions with the Classes of 1980/1981 and 1970/71. I encourage all of you to attend your various reunions as those Old Collegians who do come along invariably enjoy the opportunity to reconnect and share memories.

Old Collegians may be aware of the College’s current stance and our position on dealing with matters of historical sexual abuse at the Malvern Campus in the 1960s and 1970s. In response to letters received in recent years, numerous sexual abuse survivors contacted me on a broad range of issues arising from their time at De La Salle. The common theme from survivors was simply wanting to be heard and their circumstances formally acknowledged and recognised by the College. The College worked on an appropriate response with survivors and the In Good Faith Foundation, a charity providing advocacy and support for survivors of abuse arising from acknowledgement of past crimes. Following ongoing consultation with the De La Salle Brothers and the College Board, a Dedication and Memorial function ran on Sunday 21 March (see article on page 8). After consultation with the De La Salle community and with past and current alumni, two sculptures were commissioned, one for Tiverton and another at Kinnoull, accompanied by plaques with appropriate messages. The past few months have seen significant capital works on the Tiverton Campus as we brighten up and improve the learning and recreational spaces for students. The Murdoch Building’s classrooms and corridors have been completely overhauled and look fantastic, giving tired old spaces a contemporary feel. A new weights/cardio room has been completed, and new signage in the gymnasium, coupled with various AstroTurf installations in the yard have really added to Tiverton’s appearance and functionality. The current focus on consent and respect has certainly brought these issues into sharp focus as we support our students to grow into respectful, quality young men and make good decisions. We have been using the most relevant and engaging aspects of the Respectful Relationships program at Malvern for several years, complementing our own internally designed courses. Consent, sexual relations, and masculinity certainly feature already, and we are fine-tuning it to address the current issues and expectations. This year’s return to normal onsite learning has progressed smoothly. While some students needed a little support in resuming the everyday challenges of the daily school routine, the transition has been overwhelmingly successful. The challenges of 2020’s remote learning ultimately produced some outstanding VCE results at the top end and this year’s cohort is hard at work trying to emulate their predecessors’ success. I commend yet another exceptionally fine edition of the Roll Call to you; it is a wonderful read, full of news and information about your fellow Old Collegians. I am confident you will enjoy it and I look forward to catching up with many of you at various reunions in 2021.

Peter Houlihan Principal