7 minute read
From The Principal
mr Neil Carter | Acting Principal (Terms 1 to 3) mr mark Ashmore | Principal (Term 4)
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The diaspora of our Salesian College community embraces over 1100 students, 130 staff members, the Salesians of Don Bosco, countless families and thousands of Past Pupils. Given the heft of these numbers and the heterogeneity of human experience, endeavouring to capture the essence of a year is a daunting exercise. Especially 2021. The year stimulated a whirling skein of emotions where we were variously joy-filled, disheartened, overwhelmed, stoical, optimistic, sad. Blighted rituals undoubtedly blunted hope. But, together, we remained resilient, we endured and we accomplished a great deal. John’s Gospel tells us that ‘God is love.’ So, too, does the Koran, the Buddha and the Hindu sacred texts. We are made in the image of God and we are in communion with God when we reach out in love to one another. The adversity we have encountered over the past two years has taught us that we need others, that it is healthy to rely on others, and that it is profoundly human to help others and to let them help us. Maori have a name for this – kia kaha – staying strong together. We are strong and fully alive when we are together, for community fosters communion with one another and with our God.
Staying strong together enabled staff, students, parents and guardians to radically alter our approach to remote teaching and learning when it became apparent that the processes which had served us so well in 2020 would not be as effective in the face of Lockdowns 3, 4, 5 and 6. The cohesiveness of our community was readily apparent in the way in which we all adapted to new and more rigorous pedagogical practices. It is to the inestimable credit of our students, parents and guardians that these new processes took root so quickly. The triadic relationship of students, staff and parents created a powerful mandala which enabled boys to engage meaningfully with their studies. The essence of a Salesian education is embodied in Don Bosco’s beautiful exhortation,
Always remember that education is a matter of the heart.
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In a particular way, our teaching staff warrant the deep and abiding appreciation of our entire community for the manner in which they worked tirelessly to support our boys, to engage with them, to encourage and cajole. They gave from their hearts and were simply magnificent. It must be stated, however, our teachers could not have done this without the great work of our support staff who cheerfully and skilfully improvised, adapted and overcame the difficulties which beset us.
The Performing Arts Department calmly coped with the cancellations of the joint production with Sacred Heart, the tour to the Gold Coast and the planned production of Oliver to conduct some wonderful events including Massacre at Myall Creek and a truly memorable Solo Music Competition. Instead of responding to lockdowns
DON BOSCO
by jettisoning instrumental music lessons, students and instrumental music staff adroitly switched to remote ‘face-to-face’ lessons so that the boys could play and allow music to transcend the pandemic. In a similar fashion, our Sports Department responded to the abandonment of our much-loved House Athletics Carnival and the cancellation of the ACC program in the second half of the year to achieve some outstanding achievements in the ACC Athletics, Badminton and Triathlon competitions as well as recording encouraging performances in ACC Cricket, Football and Soccer. One of the high points of 2021 stemmed from the tremendous leadership of the College Captain Steven Tran, and his Vice Captains Robbie Miller and Keelan Corcoran. It would have been very easy for these young men to have yielded to the difficulties posed by lockdowns and to have gone through the motions. Instead, Steven, Keelan and Robbie were beacons of hope to their peers. They were consistently upbeat and optimistic. They worked hard to enthuse others. They never gave up. The trio were not interested in the flimflam of tokenistic projects. Instead, by virtue of their presence and determination to succeed and, as a consequence of working together, Steven, Robbie and Keelan animated the Student Congress so that our boys themselves shone a light on hugely important issues such as racism, misogyny and homophobia. The truly notable aspect of the boys’ leadership is that they germinated the idea, they developed coherent proposals and they commissioned their plans. In doing so, Steven, Keelan and Robbie have truly established a rich legacy for our 2022 leaders to embrace. The second half of the year enabled the school community to be introduced to the incoming Principal, Mr Mark Ashmore prior to the formal commencement of his duties in Term 4. The intention of having Mr Ashmore commence in Term 4 was to provide him with a gentle introduction to College life. As Mark relates, the whirligig of 2021 continued in Term 4.
Term 4 presented a new beginning for the College with a new Principal, yet school life in a pandemic continued to present challenges for the community. The increasing COVID cases resulted in a delayed returned to face to face teaching for all members of the community. Year 12s gradually returned with their VCE teachers and welcomed the new Principal. Student and staff morale increased as the relationships that were cherished began to reignite being in person. Student learning was evident amongst our senior students as they embarked on the final phase of preparation for their examinations. After student and staff consultation, a decision was made to relocate VCE examinations to a ‘COVID bubble’, isolated from the returning year levels at our Bosco campus. Our Year 11 and 12 students successfully sat their VCAA VCE examinations without disruption. Our Year 12 students and families had a different looking Valedictory Mass and Dinner, albeit a virtual awards evening and then a subsequent event in the College Kimberley Hall and upper yard with food trucks. Whilst it didn’t have the usual fanfare, it was a fitting celebration for a cohort that has endured two years of studies in the context of a pandemic.
The vibrancy of school life echoed the yard, classrooms and corridors of our Bosco campus with the return of students in Year 7-11, including our Year 9 students who joined the community. Student learning was evident across the campus as teachers and students alike reconnected with one another.
Year 7 Reflection Days provided an important faith experience and time of contemplation for our newest community members. It also provided a time for new friendships to be consolidated considering the time misplaced in the classroom during the year. The joy expressed by the boys from this rite of passage was wonderful to witness.
The return to school ensured students had the opportunity to focus on their learning with the support of their teacher and peers. Final assessments and examinations provided an opportunity for each boy to demonstrate their learning throughout the year. It was valuable practice to embed learning habits and study skills as the academic year drew to a close with culminating assessments. The highlight of Term 4 was witnessing the sense of belonging and school pride during the College final assembly. An unlikely occurrence during 2021, the assembly provided an opportunity to celebrate student achievements and student performances. It also presented a time to thank our much-revered Rector, Fr Greg Chambers sdb, for his enormous contribution to the College. The community has demonstrated resilience during times of ongoing change in 2021, ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines as well as the transition to a new school Principal. Students, families, staff and the community have successful come together to support, nurture, motivate and celebrate amidst the challenges. We look forward with great hope and optimism for what 2022 will bring to our Salesian community as we discover God’s will each day.
