Ar Sceal (Volume 1, Issue 5, 2015) by hccryde

l a é c S r Á

Snapshots from the Archives

Are you an Old Boy or do you know an Old Boy with news to share? If so, get in touch! Holy Cross College would love to hear from you. Wedding news, reunions, significant work placements, interesting success stories or other alumni updates are all welcome. Please email the College: info@holycrosscollege.org

A PUBLICATION OF THE HOLY CROSS COLLEGE COMMUNITY Holy Cross College, Ryde 2

H O LY C RO SS CO LLEG E, RYD E

517 Victoria Road, Ryde NSW 2112 Australia Telephone: (02) 9808 1033 • Fax: (02) 9809 7202 www.holycrosscollege.org

Volume 1 Issue 5 2015 ‘In Cruce Salus’Á R S C É A L • V O L U M E 1 I S S U E 5 2 0 1 5

Connecting Generations

Welcome

ced Scéal (pronoun 2013 by r Á f o n io it d e ced in This is the fifth lication introdu b u p l a u n n r. ia b Mr Adam Taylo ar sh-cail), a l a ip c n ri P e g Colle ith our the Holy Cross e to connect w g lle o C e th r fo eans ilies. Ár Scéal is a m i and their fam n m lu a , ts n e d f the current stu Congregation o h is Ir n a , rs e Broth llege in The Patrician Holy Cross Co d e d n u fo , k ich ic tr Pa d Ár Scéal, wh e m a n Brothers of St n e e b s a lication h ue this 1890. This pub in Gaelic, to help us to contin ry’ ur rich means ‘Our Sto to connect to o e u n ti n o c e w e as Patrician them ge. les Patrician Herita nd feature artic neral a s rt o p re s w e rs n and ge Ár Scéal delive munity events m o C e g from lle o C s s g contributions in iv e about Holy Cro c re to n e p re also o updates. We a order our alumni. r mailing list in u o to e b ri c s b e to su editions please l a é c S r Á If you would lik g in m py of all upco 1033. to receive a co n (02) 9808 o e g lle o C e th contact

Holy Cross College, Ryde has been providing quality Catholic education for young men in the tradition of the Patrician Brothers since 1891. In 2016, the Holy Cross community is celebrating its quasquicentennial anniversary. Holy Cross has changed, transformed and evolved over the past one hundred and twenty five years in more ways than I can detail here. My most enduring memory of Holy Cross as an Old Boy is its authentic, tangible and everlasting Catholic mission and identity: Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me; Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me; Christ in every ear that hears me. This will remain with me forever and I remain continually grateful. Perhaps you have an enduring memory of Holy Cross too? To celebrate the 125 years of our College’s proud history, I urge you – our current students and families, our Old Boys and Alumni, our staff and our community – to join together, share your story and let’s honour this significant milestone together. There will be many opportunities to mark this occasion throughout 2016, so stay tuned for more details in future editions of Ár Scéal, the College’s newsletter, the College’s website and our social media channels. The College ought to be very proud to celebrate 125 years of Catholic education and it is my hope and prayer that the College continues to educate young men in the tradition of the Patrician Brothers for many years to come. In Cruce Salus, Zachariah Duke HONORARY ARCHIVIST

Contribute: Parents, Students and Alumni are invited to contribute to Ár Scéal by contacting the editor: belinda.jreige@syd.catholic.edu.au.

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ÁR SCÉAL • VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5 2015

Principal’s Message Dear Community of Holy Cross The Old Boys of Holy Cross hold a special and significant place in the fabric of this great school. I hear often the sentiment that the quality of a school is largely measured by the quality of its ex-students. Holy Cross is indeed Mr Mark Compton blessed with quality ex-students – not quality measured only by the position and status they hold in business, government or Church but measured also on the qualities they have as decent men of the community and society in general. Many ex-students of the College have led lives that have made a difference in their worlds and the world of others. Next year, in 2016 the College will celebrate its Quasquicentennial. 125 years of proud Patrician heritage! It will be a year of great celebrations and one where we will want to connect generations of great Holy Cross old boys. Please keep an eye out for events and be sure to connect with your great College. In the last two years the College has made great inroads in staff faith formation and social justice initiatives where the College can engage meaningfully in social outreach. This year, the senior boys have been involved in the St Vincent de Paul Brekkie van and with St Vincent de Paul Night Patrol. We are reminded in the Gospel that “what you do to the least of my brothers you do to me”. I have been truly moved by the number of staff and boys who have participated in these opportunities. The College is also engaging in a Winter Sleepout in June for students and staff. This will be an important experience to understand how “others” less fortunate live and experience the world. Providing opportunities for leadership within the College, especially for the students, is an important part of the educative process. Over the years, the College has been gifted with many outstanding young men who have led the students of the College well. In 2015 we are extremely blessed in the young men chosen to be the leaders of the

students. College Captain and Vice-Captain – Nicholas Chesterton and Justin Story, along with the councillors have been doing a great job in leading not only Year 12 but the rest of the student body. Together with the Student Representative leaders, Peer Support Leaders and the Transport prefects, the Captains and the students work in support of one another and uphold the traditions and values of the College established across the years. The building programme is progressing well. At the start of the year our new state of the art science facilities in the Gell and Doggett building were opened. These wonderful new teaching and learning facilities are well liked by staff and students alike. In addition, the new Flexible Learning Area development is on track to be completed by the end of Term Three. Much planning has already gone into how teaching and learning will look in this new flexible facility which incorporates the library and diverse learning. It is a very exciting time at the College. I would encourage you to visit our website and look at the time lapse video of construction. The College is very grateful to the Catholic Education Office who have been instrumental in the realisation of this building programme. Recently, the College lost the legendary John “Obie” O’Brien after whom the College gymnasium is named. John ‘Obie’ O’Brien was involved at Holy Cross College, Ryde for over 55 years. His passion for rugby league was the driving force in his coaching and mentoring of generations of boys. For John, rugby league was not just a game; in its purest form, which is best expressed at school-boy level, it promotes skill development, discipline, teamwork and camaraderie. As a First-Grade player for Balmain, John was a dedicated, loyal and intense competitor. He was always a great supporter, friend and advocate of Holy Cross College and the Patrician Brothers. May he rest in peace. Mr Mark Compton ACTING PRINCIPAL

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School Captain’s Message Holy Cross College Captain, Nicholas Chesterton, addressed the College community earlier this term. The following is an extract from his delivery First and foremost, welcome back to yet another Holy Cross term and I hope you all had a fulfilling holiday break. Times like the holidays are always good to rejuvenate but it’s important to reflect as well, especially on the past term. Year 12, we have just finished our half yearly examinations and are swiftly moving to the finish line, less than half a year away. Don’t take this time for granted - chip away every day for that ultimate goal of ours. Have pride in the place where we now sit. Thousands of men have gone before this place and it is important that we do our job in setting a standard which will be sought after in years to come. Remember, what will be the legacy we leave at the end of the year? This can be applied to every year; pride is not a senior responsibility. From the youngest boy here, to the oldest, it is imperative we have pride in our school and do what is best for it. Upcoming events, whether they be sporting, academic or spiritual require a sense of school pride, and how you turn up and play your part will determine whether you have what it takes to be a real Patrician man. It is not a coincidence that I talk about pride when we have just witnessed the celebration of the mateship, courage and sacrifice of the ANZACs. We may not be putting our lives on the line for our country, but do you put your heart on the line and show some courage and bravery in everything that you do? Our MCC boys represent our College every Thursday and wear their heart on their sleeve. We saw this last year with the MCC A Grade Rugby League team winning the championship in their first year of returning to the competition. It was a living and breathing representation of sacrifice, courage, mateship and endurance. Now, and until the last day of this College, we should be attempting to emulate this kind of pride and show not only other schools or the public, but ourselves, that we can in fact show some ticker and display immense pride in our school. For example, the Hoka Tiki was not a school-wide war cry until this year and I know the senior boys 4

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in particular can already see a shift, a shift in the pride of this place. These hallowed halls have changed since the first time we stepped foot in here and we expect they will continue to change, but it’s the way they are changing… they are evolving. This can be especially credited to each and every one of you. I don’t think I’ve seen a bigger smile on Mr Kemp’s face after our last Hoka Tiki and that’s because we understood the importance of pride, we didn’t sing like boys, we sung like men, and I know we can continue it into the future. In our last pastoral assembly, Mr White spoke about an eye opening matter relating to this topic. The question was asked: “do you turn up because you have to, or because you want to?” It’s a deep and intimate question, which really makes you think about how you carry yourself. Like many things in life, at the time it didn’t affect me, nor did I think much of it, but as the days passed I’ve contemplated it. I asked myself, am I here because I have to be here, taking each day for granted and just floating along? Or am I here because I want to be here, because I want to make a difference and show the same courage and bravery the ANZACs showed by wearing my heart on my sleeve and saying “I am proud to be a Holy Cross man”. Thank you and God bless. Nicholas Chesterton COLLEGE CAPTAIN

Assistant Principal’s Message The educational environment has certainly changed since the days of the College’s establishment by the Patricians. We have witnessed the shift from slates, to paper and inkwells, to biro and exercise book to now cloud based computing. Similarly the classroom space has changed from large lecture halls with a single brother instructing, to smaller class sizes with a mix of religious and lay instruction, through to now almost exclusively lay teaching supported by a very active brothers presence. In a back to the future style reference we are in part returning to the large student numbers in a large space, however, there is now a saturation of adults in the room to support students of all learning skills, styles and levels. This collaborative venture has seen classes in Years 7 - 10 gather as a whole cohort to receive brief formal instruction followed by collaborative work in small groups throughout the year.

While collaborative practices will not become the exclusive teaching paradigm of the College they do open opportunities that the traditional four walls and single teacher can not provide. Indeed for those who have visited the campus recently you will have seen the significant construction work that is taking place, which will be completed later this year. These new spaces will enable this collaboration and flexibility to take place in a more organic fashion as the walls between classrooms, libraries, offices and playground begin to blur. This major construction project is in fact the creation of a new wineskin for the new wine that is the modern learner. Mr David Matheson ACTING ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

The significant advantages of this classroom design on a fortnightly basis include; ●● The grouping of students of like ability enabling targeted instruction and support for their needs. ●● Skill development such as writing can be targeted with group composition based on that particular skill. ●● Students are given access to a broader range of teachers who each explain the same topic differently one of which will best suit each student. ●● Key content is addressed by the teachers who have a particular expertise in a field benefitting both students and teachers in their understandings. ●● The development of workplace skills in group dynamics, negotiation, expressing oneself articulately and appreciating a diversity of perspectives. ●● Keynote and special presentations now occur in scheduled collaborative periods which minimises the impact on other classes.

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Ministry at Holy Cross Holy Cross College prides its self on the rich tradition it holds in liturgy and celebrating the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of our faith. As part of our Mission we believe that Christ is our role model and the Gospel is our script. As a community enriched by the values of the Patrician Brothers, we seek to build a community of welcome and hospitality that reflects the works of the Spirit. As the College celebrates 125 years next year, we hold on to the traditions of the past and seek to build on them for the future. Over the course of the year we celebrate over 70 masses here at the College. Each Wednesday morning, Mass is celebrated in the College chapel. It is an opportunity to take time in the morning, to stop and reflect and celebrate the Eucharist as a community before we begin with our busy days. Each week a different homeroom leads the mass through prayers and offertory. As well as this, we also celebrate Friday fortnightly mass at St. Charles Borromeo. Each fortnight a different year group walks over to St. Charles to celebrate with the wider community. There are many occasions throughout the year that afford the College the opportunity to foster its community of welcome and hospitality. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day celebrations have become events in the College calendar that parents look forward to each year. The celebration of the most important day, the Feast of the Holy Cross commemorates the foundations on which this College was built and is reinforced with the College motto and school anthem In Cruce Salus, in the Holy Cross is salvation. During the celebrations of the Feast of the Holy Cross, we commend members within our community, both present and past, who have achieved some form of excellence. With few schools fortunate enough to have the constant presence of the Brothers, we are able to maintain our traditions and create new ones under the guidance of the Patrician heritage. Mrs Jessica Jansz ACTING RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COORDINATOR

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ad of the church, “ …just as Christ is the he the Saviour.” the body of which he is Ephesians 5: 23

Gallipoli Tour On Sunday 19 April Lachie Camroux, Daniel Keeling, Alexander Lara-Watson, Hudson Shayishayi and I embarked on the Premier’s Scholars Gallipoli Tour. One hundred students and twenty-five chaperone teachers from State, Catholic, and Independent schools across New South Wales travelled to Turkey to participate in the commemoration of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli exactly one century ago. The tour involved tours of the battlefields guided by a military historian. We gained unique insights into what both the Turkish defenders and our ANZAC troops faced in the battle that defined both nations. Prior to the ceremonies we also had the opportunity to explore the ruins of ancient Troy and the battles that took place there thousands of years ago. All the Premier’s scholars and their chaperones tried to get some sleep under the stars in the hours before the Dawn Service at ANZAC Cove. This first ceremony was both solemn and poignant set against the backdrop of what the first ANZACs saw as they landed, under withering fire, at the cove.

Following this, we walked to Lone Pine to participate in the ceremony at the cemetery in what was once the ‘no man’s land’ of the battlefield. The Tour Directors bestowed a particular honour on the party from Holy Cross by selecting Lachie Camroux to lay a wreath on behalf of the Scholars with three other outstanding students. Following our ceremonial duties there was time for a brief tour of Istanbul before flying home on Monday 28 April. Our boys did the whole Holy Cross College community proud by their demeanour, humour and willingness to participate in all aspects of the tour. It was indeed a great honour for the College to be selected to be a part of this once in a lifetime experience. Mr Paul Sands HSIE COORDINATOR

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Market Day Bolognaise Billionaries, Cuplettes, Tandoori Masters, Chick Wing Corporation, Double D Desserts, Spice and Rice, Sydney Satay and Bruno Bars were the business names of the Commerce groups who were responsible for the successful Market Day held on Friday May 1, 2015. The wide variety of dishes on offer, made by the Year 10 Hospitality class, included chicken wings with corn on the cob, brownies with delicious toppings, tandoori chicken wraps, mars bar slice also milk shakes and cupcakes, proved to be very popular with the Year 7 and 8 students who were the target market group for the Market Day.

The lead up to the day involved a strict time line of production, design and planning. Outlining their intentions in a business plan, the Commerce students were responsible for the selection of the food they wanted to promote as well as the selling strategies on the day. These included raffles, guessing games, meal deals with drinks as well as a soccer goal competition and even a wrestling match between staff and students. It was a challenge for all the students to work together in teams to manage both the selling of food and drinks, the handling of money and ensuring their customers were satisfied.

In a first for Holy Cross College, Market Day 2015 was the culmination of a project that went across the 4 key learning areas of Commerce, Construction, PDM (photography & digital media) and Hospitality and involved over 60 students.

All profits made by each stall will be donated to the Delany Foundation. In a new record, the day raised over $450, which was an increase of 10% over last year.

The specific areas of the project involved the design and construction of stall frames by the Year 10 Construction class, with the promotional posters for each stall designed and created by the Year 9 PDM class. The wonderful food was created by Year 10 Hospitality students and then marketed and sold by the Year 9 Commerce students.

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We are looking forward to making this unique project work to new heights next year in 2016. Mrs Philipa Harrington and Mr Adam Rekrut COMMERCE TEACHERS

HCC Old Boys HALF A MILE IN THIRTY YEARS After five years with the Patrician Brothers at St James, Forrest Lodge, I became a student at Holy Cross College from 1950 until 1954 and then went directly to the Royal Military College, Duntroon. I was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Corps of Signals in December 1958 and continued to serve in the Australian Army until reaching retiring age in 1992. I continued a direct association with the Corps for a further eight years in the role of Representative Colonel Commandant. I would be the first to acknowledge the debt I owe to Holy Cross and the Patrician Brothers for the fine education I received and the grounding in the Catholic faith which has sustained me throughout my life. The Brothers also instilled the idea of service to the wider community which led me, inter alia, to become involved with St John Ambulance and, later, with the ancient lay religious order, the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta.

The genesis of this book was a rather raucous Corps of Signals reunion where a few of us were exchanging stories about characters in the Corps. One of the party suggested I should commit my memories to paper while I was still able. This seemed like a good idea but then I thought I should weave these tales through my own story. My career spanned much of the Cold War, extensive social and political change and almost unbelievable technological advancement, so this story may be of some interest to more than just my immediate family. I am grateful to Mr Adam Taylor and Ms Belinda Jreige for including me in this College Publication. For anyone in the community that may be interested, my book is available as an eBook at: http://www.echobooks.com.au/shop/half-mile-thirty-years Brigadier Peter J A Evans (Retd) HOLY CROSS COLLEGE 1950-1954

In April 2013 I was afforded the distinct honour of addressing students and staff of Holy Cross College on the spirit of ANZAC. At that event a number of boys expressed interest in an Army career, so when I completed my autobiography I suggested to the Principal, Mr Adam Taylor that there might be some interest in my book, “Half a Mile in Thirty Years-From Duntroon to Russell”, hence these few words.

Being “dubbed” as KStJ by the Go venor General, the Honourable Major General (my Classmate at Michael Jeffery RMC)

ive Colonel Representat al Australian nt, Roy Commanda als Corps of Sign

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Vale John “Obie” O’Brien Obie was a common sight here at the College for the past 15 to 20 years to many teachers and students. I’m going to pay tribute to Obie’s great life with his past 20 years of service here at the College. It was not as a teacher that I first came to know Obie, but rather as a student at Holy Cross that I first ran into this crazy old man who reminded me of Mickey from the Rocky saga. I remember the day I met Obie like it was yesterday. I was playing in the A Grade Rugby League team and we had a big game against St Greg’s who were the powerhouse school at the time. Anyone who played them in the 80’s or 90’s would remember how tough they were. Here comes Obie in his Holy Cross blazer waddling down the hill on Frank Street and out of all the seats he could of sat down at he sits where else but right next to me. I asked him if he was an old boy because he was wearing a blazer. He said no mate I’m an old coach. He went on to ask me details of each player in the Holy Cross team and in particular who our hooker was. From that tightly contested game all I remember was this old coach screaming out ‘tackle, tackle’ and when our hooker got the football, who was at the time Mark Riddell, he would scream out “wheel wheel wheel!” I never quiet understood what that meant to be honest. It was the start of a wonderful mentorship that would last until the day he died. As I got older and left school Obie and I used to meet at his house and then even coached a few sides together from the A Grade side here for a few years to a couple of teams with the junior league club. In 2005 Obie wanted to go in a different direction with the schoolboy cup team compared to my now developing theories. Obie wanted to run them up and down the hill on Cressy Road. He would say “they have to get up the hill 100 times and if they can’t do it they can go home!” I said no Obie we need to have a good mix here, they need some structure and tackle technical skills. He would not have a bar of it. It’s funny because after all these years I look at the most successful coaches in the NRL and the simplicity that Obie was preaching is the basis of their philosophy! Michael McGuire, Craig Bellamy, Des Hasler all base their teams on this theory that Obie was trying to implement. So Obie you were right mate. You need to set the platform before you can do the so called fancy stuff I was pedaling. However, when that side went on an amazing winning run winning 21 games in a row, he

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was always at every game cheering on the maroon and the gold. That’s the kind of bloke he was - such a gentleman who would roll with the punches. A few things you didn’t know about Obie: 1) Did you know Obie played a test match in Rugby League? In 1958 Obie laced on the boots for none other than the stars and stripes of the USA. 2) Obie was fascinated with science fiction. In fact his favourite show was Star Trek and some of his football terms he got from Mr Spock. 3) Obie never had a drink or a smoke in his life. 4) Obie got involved in training dogs and horses to race, but again he said they didn’t like running up hills either. 5) In the 1970s there used to be a staff vs students Rugby League match here at Holy Cross. Obie played hooker, Brother Stephen who was the Principal was playing half back, Brother Matthew was playing front row and Kevin Smyth Lock. In concluding this reflection on the life of Obie, the teacher in me asks what can we learn from this great man John O’Brien? How can we live up to the standard he provided many generations of young men who have graced this school? Although it is the end of an era with John’s passing it may be the start of a new era. An era when more men sitting here today pick up the baton which John has passed on. John gave his time and his love to this place and it made me ask the question - have I done enough? Ask yourself the question have you done enough? The best way to honour Obie is to do what he would do! And that is to contribute. He loved Holy Cross and he loved Rugby League so he developed both and made true the saying ‘the only thing worth anything in life is what you can give.’ In honour of his service the College has instituted a few important tokens in appreciation of Obie so his memory and legacy lives on. A framed “13” Holy Cross jersey will hang proudly in the College Gym named after Obie. The Under 13s will also have the best and fairest shield named after him for generations to come.

John’s life at Holy Cross, and in general, can be summed up in a few words – Courage, Sacrifice, endurance and mateship. Obie could barely walk yet here he was every Tuesday and Thursday contributing to a place he loved. He loved Holy Cross and he loved Rugby League. Use Obie as an example and one day if you can spare the time or the means contribute back to the legacy that is Obie. . In conclusion I share with you a poem that Obie shared with me in 2003 -

The Indispensable Man – aka the footy coach Sometime when you’re feeling important Sometime when your ego’s in bloom Sometime when you take it for granted You’re the best qualified in the room Sometime when you feel that you’re going Would leave an unfillable hole Just follow this simple instruction And see how it humbles your soul

Well Obie now that you’re gone we all know you were indispensable and will never be replaced.

Dear John, Holy Cross is a better place that you have been here. But now it is a lesser community that you have gone. Rest in Peace the people’s mentor, menace and mate. Goodbye and God bless you Obie. Mr Tim White YEAR 12 CO-ORDINATOR A-GRADE RUGBY LEAGUE COACH

Take a bucket and fill it with water Put your hands in it up to your wrists Pull them out and the hole that’s remaining Is the measure of how much you’ll be missed? You may splash all you please when you enter, You may stir it up galore But stop and you’ll find in a minute It will look just the same as before The answer to which is quite simple When doing the best that you can be proud of yourself but remember There’s no indispensable man

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Director’s Award CLANCY RELIGIOUS ART PRIZE 2015 Holy Cross College has a fine tradition of participation and success in “The Clancy Religious Art Prize”. This year was the 16th Annual Religious Art Exhibition for Sydney Catholic Schools. Our Year 8 students won “The Executive Directors Award” for their collaborative work “Canticle”. Michael Vamiadakis, Ryan Curtin, Buddy Hajje, Darcy van der Zalm, Leon Gellen, Aiden Michel and Trent Stanmore won $1000 for themselves and $1000 for the College. This award is one of three major prestigious prizes awarded from the Australian Catholic University to students. The students work will be kept for display in the gallery at the CEO Leichhardt Head Office for a year. The Year 8 students are to be congratulated for their efforts and for representing the College with pride. The theme for this year was based on a quote from St Francis of Assisi, “Be praised my Lord for the gift of Life; for changing dusk and dawn; for touching scent and song”. The judges were the noted Art Historian Dr Rosemary Crumlin rsm, Bishop Terry Brady, Mgr Tony Doherty and Lachlan Warner, curator at the McGlade Gallery. As part of the process which began in Term 4 2014, a collaborative workshop was organized on Tuesday 24th of February in the Brother John Thompson Art rooms at Holy Cross. This enabled the Year 8 and 11 students to finish by the deadline and work together on the projects in a studio environment run by Mr Peter Hardy, noted artist and sculptor.

The Year 8 students worked on a collaborative painting “Canticle”. This work responds to St Francis’ care for life and all the earth elements. The painting is made up of 12 canvases in which the Year 8 students tried to capture the essence of St Francis’ love of nature. Nature and animals were used for their symbolic qualities. Year 11 students Joseph Nassif, Alexander Butterfield and Richard Pereira, co-created a painting “Words on Wing” using the words of St Francis in his Canticle of Creation introducing the symbol of a bird feeding it’s young. Thomas Brooks of Year 12 2014 created a work “Song of the Birds”. The work was constructed from cast of literature (books) reflecting humanities’ move to a computer-based society. The work is made up of 5 constructions, each set up as a part of an installation and grouped within a square metre. These works are symbolic of birds in flight, and reflect the natural movement of birds as they rise as a flock, reflecting the togetherness of the creation and a reminder of the divine presence of God. Congratulations to all the students involved. Ms Jennifer Tighe VISUAL ARTS COORDINATOR

Year 8 students painting their collaborative work “Canticle”

rk infront of their wo Year 8 students ize Pr t A number of the Ar s iou lig at the Clancy Re

Year 11 students Joseph Nassif, Alexander Butterfield and Richard Pereira with their painting

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YEAR 12 SUCCESS IN THE AUSTRALIA-JAPAN RELATIONS ESSAY CONTEST FOR NSW AND NT SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS Year 12 Success in the Australia-Japan Relations Essay Contest for NSW and NT Secondary School Students The aim of this essay contest is to encourage and develop a better understanding of Japan and AustraliaJapan relations, amongst secondary school students in New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Year 12 Arts Councillor Darius Dorranian is to be congratulated on his prize-winning essay in the Senior Division of this contest answering the question:

On Wednesday 11 March 2015 at the Awards Ceremony at the official residence of the Consul-General of Japan in Sydney, Darius Dorranian and the other high achievers of the essay contest were presented with their prizes by the Consul-General of Japan, Mr Masato Takaoka. Congratulations Darius on your fantastic achievement. Mr Mark Mustapic JAPANESE TEACHER

Senior Division – 1300-1600 words Australia and Japan enjoy an excellent relationship. What could be done to develop better understanding and friendship between our two countries? Darius’ essay was judged to be Highly Commended, only one of ten essays awarded this status in the senior division. This is a huge achievement considering that there were over 500 senior secondary students who entered this competition in this category from NSW and NT.

Darius Dorranian is presented his award by Mr Masato Takaoka, the Consul-General of Japan

Darius and other high achievers with Mr Masato Takaoka, the Consul-General of Japan

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Family School Partnership (FSP) Holy Cross College Family School Partnership (FSP) is a new and exciting initiative, launched at the Parents in Touch Forum held on 10 March 2015. To date, we have established five Communities of Interest to build on the key themes of: ●● Learning; ●● Well-being; ●● Faith development; ●● Home-school communication, and; ●● Enhancing social connections within the College community. Each Community of Interest is essentially a forum for discussion to develop strategies to build support structures to implement key initiatives over time.

Whilst these Communities of Interest are in the early stages of establishment, we have already achieved ongoing parental support, progressing our discussions to identify three key initiatives for each Community of Interest. In the future, we hope to communicate more about the successful implementation of these initial initiatives, and the progress of longer term strategies. Danielle Cronin & Josephine Smith CO-CHAIRS, HOLY CROSS COLLEGE FAMILY SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP

To find out more, you can follow the conversation on:

Parental support has been enthusiastic - feedback from attendees have found our discussions stimulating and thought provoking as well as a lot of fun. In the future, we hope to build greater participation.

Search: Holy Cross College Family School Partnership

Parental engagement is critical to your children’s educational outcomes.

Here you will find links to tools and resources, parenting links, home work help, news about education, articles on student learning and well-being and raising boys.

The Family School Partnership recognises and values the role that parents and carers play in the education of their children. We believe that quality Catholic education happens in partnership with families and is the shared responsibility of the community. Our primary aims are: ●● To strengthen the partnership between family, school, parish and the wider community for the benefit of their children’s overall development and learning; ●● To better support and encourage parents’ engagement with their son’s learning, well-being and faith development; and ●● To provide opportunities to build the confidence and capacity of members of the school community to collaborate and engage in the Communities of Interest.

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The Family School Partnership can be contacted on the following email address: fsp@holycrosscollege.org

Connecting Generations Holy Cross College, Ryde has been providing quality Catholic education for young men in the tradition of the Patrician Brothers since 1891. In 2016, the Holy Cross community is celebrating its quasquicentennial anniversary. Holy Cross has changed, transformed and evolved over the past one hundred and twenty five years in more ways than I can detail here. My most enduring memory of Holy Cross as an Old Boy is its authentic, tangible and everlasting Catholic mission and identity: Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me; Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me; Christ in every ear that hears me. This will remain with me forever and I remain continually grateful. Perhaps you have an enduring memory of Holy Cross too? To celebrate the 125 years of our College’s proud history, I urge you – our current students and families, our Old Boys and Alumni, our staff and our community – to join together, share your story and let’s honour this significant milestone together. There will be many opportunities to mark this occasion throughout 2016, so stay tuned for more details in future editions of Ár Scéal, the College’s newsletter, the College’s website and our social media channels. The College ought to be very proud to celebrate 125 years of Catholic education and it is my hope and prayer that the College continues to educate young men in the tradition of the Patrician Brothers for many years to come. In Cruce Salus, Zachariah Duke HONORARY ARCHIVIST

ÁR SC ÉAL • V O L U M E 1 I S S U E 5 2 0 1 5

Connecting Generations

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Contribute: Parents, Students and Alumni are invited to contribute to Ár Scéal by contacting the editor: belinda.jreige@syd.catholic.edu.au.

H O LY C RO SS CO LLEG E, RYD E

ÁR SCÉAL • VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5 2015

l a é c S r Á

Snapshots from the Archives

A PUBLICATION OF THE HOLY CROSS COLLEGE COMMUNITY Holy Cross College, Ryde 2

H O LY C RO SS CO LLEG E, RYD E

517 Victoria Road, Ryde NSW 2112 Australia Telephone: (02) 9808 1033 • Fax: (02) 9809 7202 www.holycrosscollege.org

Volume 1 Issue 5 2015 ‘In Cruce Salus’Á R S C É A L • V O L U M E 1 I S S U E 5 2 0 1 5