Principal’s Message

My Dear Friends, It is a privilege to contribute these words for your Yearbook of 2020.

In the light of the COVID crisis, much has been said of the uniqueness and challenges of this year. The challenges have been enormous and there has never been a more difficult or disrupted school year. During this time of great difficulty, your school community has been a beacon of hope for all. I have never been so proud of our schools as this year, when the care and compassion that we espouse in our stated mission, has been so visibly enacted in our school communities. Be very proud of your resilience, your care and compassion, your dedication to what is important. In the face of great challenge, your school has truly been an ornament to the vision of Edmund Rice and the priorities of our Gospel. We are particularly proud of our final year students, whose valedictory year has been greatly compromised. Despite the challenges of off-site learning and restrictions within society, our students have found a way to lead, to learn and to celebrate. This augurs so well for their future success. Our staff have been magnificent! In the face of great pressure and challenge, we must celebrate the extraordinary dedication and creativity of our staff. We are so proud of you and our profession is so much richer for the contribution that you have made. Many of our families have undergone great hardship this year. Thank you for staying with us and please know that we are with you in good times and in times of adversity. Your faith in Edmund Rice education is what sustains us and drives your school to be the best that it can be.

Finally, in my final time of offering these words, I am grateful for and rejoice in the vision that unites us all and challenges us to become more complete human beings through a Catholic education based on compassion, liberation and inclusion.

With much gratitude,

Wayne Tinsey | Executive Director Edmund Rice Education Australia Dear Members of the Ignatius Park College Family, It is always a pleasant experience visiting the College as I have done once again this year. Our Foundation Mass and presentation was of the highest standard and I enjoyed celebrating with you. Without question, the year just gone has been unique, certainly in my lifetime. I did not see COVID-19 coming or its consequences. We will never be the same again. Many adjustments to our lives are probably here to stay. Whilst here in North Queensland we have not experienced the same intensity as other parts of Queensland, or Australia, or in other countries (such as USA with over 210,000 deaths), we have not been completely immune. It wouldn’t take much to ‘tip the scales’ if we were not to remain vigilant. Life must go on, of course, but until there is a vaccine to combat this virus, I suspect social distancing and other measures will remain.

In all this, in all the challenges that come our way, Christians or ‘disciples’ walk by faith, knowing that God in Jesus Christ is the reason for our very existence. ‘Social distancing’, something we are all continuing to practice in this sense, does keep us apart and appears to be in opposition to our call to live together as brothers and sisters. When our Church doors were closed, we also seemed to be sending the wrong message. But closing the doors was necessary to immediately respond to the crisis. The truth is though, long term, those who profess the Christian faith are called to break down barriers and embrace each other with compassion, respect and love. Our responsibility not only through COVID-19, but beyond is to become the ‘face’ of Christ in our community, by living according to his teachings. In this way, we live up to the Edmund Ignatius Rice tradition, a tradition that underpins Ignatius Park College. I pray for all of you as we prepare to celebrate the Christmas Season and to embrace a New Year. What will the New Year bring? That’s unknown, but through faith, we do know Christmas will bring the Christ child into our midst – the one who always makes our darkness bright – our Saviour and our Lord.

With every best wish and blessing,

Most Rev Timothy Harris | Bishop of Townsville

2020 saw new and unique challenges emerge for Ignatius Park College as well as the Board as a result of COVID-19 (the Pandemic). Additionally, matters which regularly take the focus of the Board continued to be dealt with. These matters included: The Pandemic When the Pandemic first struck the broader Australian community in March 2020 it remained a ‘business as usual’ approach for schools. This raised concerns around the safety and well being of staff, students and their families. Shaun shouldered the burden of determining, in conjunction with EREA and appropriate government agencies, how IPC should respond. The preparedness of staff to continue to put students and their learning first during these early weeks was outstanding. It required sacrifice and a willingness to potentially put themselves at risk of infection in so doing so. On behalf of the entire parent body, I thank our staff for the positive and resilient manner in which they approached these early, uncertain weeks of the Pandemic. The Board listened to Shaun’s concerns and supported him through these early weeks. There was a hiatus in Term 2 during which it was not possible to have students at school and lessons were undertaken via a remote electronic platform. Our staff once again worked selflessly to have lessons ready and in a format whereby remote learning was possible. Students and families also embraced this new mode of delivery of lessons. By and large, learning proceeded in a positive manner and moving forward it is possible that elements of remote learning or students learning at their own pace may be incorporated into the curriculum. By the commencement of Term 3 all students and staff were back, physically, at IPC and in that sense lessons resumed a level of normality. The disruption to academic, sporting and cultural activities however has been and continues to be very significant. Limitations upon numbers that can gather and how/ where gathering can occur continue to challenge everyone in our communities. I want to particularly acknowledge our Year 12 men who have, perhaps, suffered the most with these disruptions. Significant events that you would, normally, have enjoyed as well as your opportunity to lead the College in the way you all would have hoped to do at the start of the year have fallen short of what any reasonable expectation would have been. We feel for you whilst congratulating you upon the manner that you have continued to ‘turn up’ with a positive attitude towards your studies and activities at the College. It has been commendable. Our earnest hope is that as 2021 nears life at IPC as well as within our wider community will return to normal levels as we have known it. Master Plan/Plans for Learning Resource Centre The College applied for, but was unsuccessful in securing, funding from the Building Grant Authority (BGA) to build the proposed Learning Resource Centre on the site of the former Brothers' house at the College. Shaun is continuing to investigate alternative financing options so that this initiative can proceed. The Board looks forward to continuing discussions to make this project a much needed reality in the not too distant future. International Women’s Day Breakfast (IWDB) Pre-Pandemic, IPC had the privilege of hosting the IWDB within the Hall. It was a sell-out and sent such a strong, positive message, not only throughout the College, but also to the wider community as to the importance that IPC attaches to women within our society. Pru Goward addressed the Breakfast well but it was the testimonies of the young people who attended and spoke from schools including St Margaret Mary’s, St Pat’s, Ryan College and IPC who drew the greatest applause including a standing ovation for Harrison Keir’s touching tribute to his Mum. With emerging young people of the calibre who spoke that morning, we have every reason to be optimistic for the future and all it holds in this space. ATAR In addition to the challenges of the Pandemic, our Year 12s who hope to go onto University in 2021 will also be the first cohort to complete their education under the new Australian Tertiary Admission Ranking (ATAR) System. There is, understandably, some uncertainty as to how IPC will fare and it will no doubt be an ongoing learning curve for all. We extend our best wishes to those students contemplating tertiary studies. We also thank the Board’s Education Sub-Committee who have liaised with Alison Elcoate and others to ‘de-mystify’ and shed light where possible upon the ATAR System and ready IPC as much as possible in this regard. Finance IPC remains in a strong financial position thanks to the ongoing stewardship of Paul Fanning and others including Glenn Seri and members of the Board’s Finance Sub-Committee. On behalf of the Board, I thank Glenn for his work in this area. We also farewelled Paul Fanning this year and record the indebtedness of IPC to him for his care and concern as Business Manager for so many years. Finally, we wish his replacement, Vilton Crasto, well moving forward. New Board Members Three new members were appointed to the Board in 2020. They are: a. Lee-Ann Barton; b. Kieran Keyes; and c. Jeff Doyle. Each are parents of current students at the College and bring great expertise to the Board. We thank them for their contributions throughout 2020 and look forward to their ongoing contributions in future years. 2020 sees the conclusion of my second and final term as Board Chair. I thank Shaun Clarke for his preparedness to work closely with the Board throughout my tenure and I thank each and every Board Member for their ongoing support and the very significant contributions that each make. IPC is so very fortunate to have a Board with a calibre and competency which is second to none. I know that IPC is in good hands moving forward and earnestly hope, as we all do, that the College continues over the years ahead to be an institution renowned for turning adolescent boys into good young men as they leave its gates – ready to make their contribution to society in whatever role they so choose. Peter Duffy | Board Chair

The term ‘normal’ this year has been redefined as has the notion of ‘community gathering and celebration’. Today we gather for the Awards Day Ceremony, an Iggy Park tradition, absent of the physical presence of those we love and hold dear but, with the aid of technology, and the use of live streaming in spirit we are one, in celebration and gratitude for the achievements of our community and students. This is providing us with an occasion to stop and reflect upon the outstanding successes and endeavours of our boys, irrespective of the numerous barriers and limitations we have had to overcome this year, to remain a community focused on and inspired by the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice and the hope this manifests for us all. Dr. Wayne Tinsey, Executive Director of EREA, who finishes his role this year after fourteen years in the position, stated: “Whenever we gather to celebrate together as people inspired by Blessed Edmund Rice, we are reminded that our inherited charism is one which continues to draw people from all walks of life into a mission of inclusivity, compassion, justice, love and liberation. As part of the broader Church community, our mission response is situated within a diverse and often messy social and cultural context. Our charism’s genius, particularly through our educational endeavour, is our capacity to present a visionary and hopefilled view of the future to our young people and all those marginalised by our society.” 2020 will be a year that we will never forget. The COVID 19 Pandemic has created the most significant disruption to education systems in the history of the world, affecting nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries and continents. Closures of schools and other learning spaces have impacted 94 per cent of the world’s student population. Last month, only four of the seventeen countries around the world that have EREA schools had schools fully open, not including Australia. This crisis is also exacerbating pre-existing disparities education by reducing the opportunities for many of the most vulnerable children, youth and adults in the world to receive a much-needed education. In the words of Nelson Mandela; “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Education is the key to liberation, to reducing intergenerational poverty and inequality, to creating a sustainable planet, to preventing needless deaths and illness, and to fostering peace. It is education, specialized knowledge and understanding that has been foundational to guiding Australia through this pandemic thus far. Here in Australia, we have been fortunate to experience lower rates of infection than what has been experienced globally. It has not been since the Spanish Flu in 1919 that we have seen borders closed and within each jurisdiction restrictions on the freedom to travel, the ability to meet with family, the need for self – isolation, closure of schools and the new vernacular called “social distancing.” The normality that we took for granted has changed and this “new norm” has challenged our society and our College community in remaining connected in ways we have never experienced before. This disruption to our global community has brought with its loss of life and livelihood, separation of families, restrictions on travel and an added strain on people’s wellbeing. Whilst it is easy to focus on the ways the disruption has impacted negatively, it is of critical importance at such times to stay open to the opportunities, to see the light within the darkness, to practice daily gratitude for what we have been gifted; to remain connected and united and to look beyond ourselves to the other. As an Edmund Rice school, our focus has always been to be a hope-filled community. Hope is important for both our spiritual and emotional wellbeing. St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians states that there are “three things that last: faith, hope and love.” These are identified as unique gifts from God that serve as the structuring elements of a spiritual life. The pandemic has presented for our College community at times significant levels of uncertainty, anxiety and apprehension, as we attempted to vision the year ahead, but what this year has taught us is there is nothing we cannot overcome when we work together and how precious we are to each other in times of adversity. Faith is foundational to our Touchstones and calls us to have courage in ourselves and others, to leap beyond reason to put our trust in a compassionate God who provides support in the good and bad times and promises us everlasting life. It is this promise that provides for all Christians the virtue of hope. Through hope we can overcome the suffering, tragedy, conflict and injustice of our world, a world that has a future and endless possibilities. The final virtue of love can often be trivialized. For many in our community it may be seen as being a “nice guy” or “being a gentleman.” However, love is not about being friendly and getting along: true love is about recognising what is best for another person and then concretely doing something about it. This love calls us to be people of action and advocates of justice and peace; to ensure we stand up for the marginalised, ensuring their voice is heard. This is a

challenge as a College community we committed to in 2020. For our students, school life this year has been challenging but I have been touched by their continued sense of optimism, hope and ability to be solution-focused and think outside the square. With remote learning and restrictions, we had to become very creative in the way we continued to nurture our strong sense of community and celebrate our faith and achievements. Thus, turning to a virtual platform as a means of gathering and celebrating our achievements, such as the Edmund Rice Mass, Anzac Day, pastoral care and assemblies. The feedback on these activities has been very positive and highlights the importance of these digital celebrations in maintaining the relational nature of the College. It is a sign for us all that our community is far more than its physical presence, it is a spirit of love and hope that will endure for eternity. It is a powerful and comforting realization for us all, ‘that the spirit of Iggy Park, like the phoenix out of the ashes will rise.’ In the future we will remember 2020 as the Pandemic Year. Despite its disruptions, it has taught us the lesson that we still can be connected while we are physically distanced. This was reinforced this year with our Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders program, where our students had many opportunities through Zoom, to connect with our Edmund Rice family globally, with students sharing stories and gaining important understandings of the impact that COVID 19 around the world. We learned that, some Year 12 students in the Northern Hemisphere, would not experience the opportunity to graduate with their peers. This connection globally within this time of adversity has manifested a wonderful sense of compassion and solidarity within our Edmund Rice Network, promoting for all a deep spirit of hope, a hope that assures all and calls us to be there for the other in times of adversity. We are reminded of the need to reach out and ensure the wellbeing of every student and to renew our commitment to “brotherhood” in these times of uncertainty, social isolation and separation from mates and friends. Being brothers to each other signifies a desire to build community together; it is being hospitable to each other, working through conflicts in a restorative manner and living the Gospel values. Brotherhood is far from easy to practice in daily life. It is not just a term used in the College throughout the year but an expectation as to how students behave and treat each other with dignity and respect – the same kind of respect Edmund Rice had for his students over two hundred years ago. In this pandemic year we have asked students to be brothers, to open their hearts to each other, to focus not on the differences but on the similarities. It is wonderful to hear that during our remote learning this brotherhood was alive, with many students connecting and monitoring the wellbeing of each other with compassionate hearts to those in need in our community. COVID 19 has taught us the importance of being an inclusive community, by providing student workshops on mental health and developing strategies which support us at times of uncertainty and anxiety. Further developing these skills has been our engagement in Mental Health Awareness Week and the ‘Are you OK?’ initiative. Despite the changes this year, what has remained constant is our focus on learning, whether this was remote learning or face to face in the classroom. Learning brings hope. At Iggy Park we see learning as a journey of endless possibilities, where students are energized to seek meaning and explore questions about the world around them, in partnership with parents and the Church. COVID 19 called us to a new partnership in education that required many teachers, parents and students to rapidly adjust to new modes of learning. In a matter of weeks, we had to find and implement viable alternatives to the traditional model of teaching in a physical classroom. With remote learning came a number of challenges such as reduced one-to-one engagement with teachers, determining engagement levels of students, monitoring of individual students, supporting the students with learning needs and increased level of oversight required from families. A sincere thank you to all our parents and carers who embraced these changes. Your partnership and support in the education of our young men was vital during this time.

There were questions to be asked: primarily did we leave the classroom or did the classroom evolve? I believe the classroom evolved. The pandemic has provided us with a gift we could never have imagined, and these positive changes will have lasting effects on our schools and students. Sun Tzu, a Chinese Philosopher who lived from 544 – 496 BC stated, “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” Through the challenges of this year we have renewed our partnership with our parents, the first educators of their sons. We have focused on blended learning, reassessing the role of technology in schools to promote greater levels of engagement, independence and inclusion. We have been prompted to move outside our comfort zone and be a learner amongst learners, exploring teaching and learning beyond the classroom and the role technology can play in a future that continues to vision excellence and equity in education. It is a future that is calling our students to be independent learners who embrace digital technologies to connect globally, to build new literacies, dispositions, cultural awareness and deep levels of understanding as we openly embrace the stewardship of our earth. We are guests, not masters on this planet. We need to value and care for our own lives, the fragility of our earth and the relationships we have for others. We are at a threshold moment; we have the opportunity to allow our new knowings to shape the new “normal” and begin to create a new future.

In 2013 Pope Francis stated:

“Young people call us to renewed and expansive hope, for they represent new directions for humanity and open us up to the future.” The staff of Ignatius Park are highly professional,