11 minute read
Juanita Kapel Page 20
Having sent our three young children to the French preschool and then to Telopea, we took the opportunity of going to France for a term and settling in to a small French village and local school.
However the French education system is not for everyone and by Year 3 Leo had mounted a compelling argument why he should not be forced to rote learn French history, or even speak French. We offered him St Edmund’s which he proudly and gratefully accepted in Year 4. It was a good choice - he was well supported by many great teachers, was kept very busy with music and drama, and ended Year 12 with a lead role in the 2020 musical Beauty and the Beast and several awards along the way. His association with the school continues this year as he has returned to work one a day a week as an assistant in the Performing Arts Centre. The Old Boys and Friends Association is also a great way to keep us connected to the school.
Juanita Kapel and Sid Marris
Old Boys & Friends President Report Matt de Jongh
Unfortunately, in 2020 due to COVID-19 the entire year was very quiet for the Old Boys & Friends Association (the Association). Since being established in 2015 the Association has grown, and now hosts and co-hosts three annual events to bring the Eddies community together. These annual events are the Blue & White Ball, Heritage Round/Reunion Day and Golf Day. The Association was in the planning phases for the Blue & White Ball which was to be held in May 2020, however as was the case with many events it had to be cancelled.
Although the Association was unable to hold any events in 2020, we have been working with the College on enhancing the contacts database. This will enable the College and the Association to better communicate with the Eddies community, which includes old boys, teachers, family and friends.
Like everyone we are looking forward to a better year in 2021, where we can hopefully continue to bring the Eddies community together. At this stage we are hoping to hold the Heritage Round/Reunion Day on the traditional day of the Eddies v Marist Rugby match, as well as the Blue and White Ball and the Golf Day later in 2021. However, this is of course dependent on COVID-19 restrictions.
For further information on the Association our website can be found through the College website, or look us up on Facebook. You can sign up online as a member for as little as $30 a year, and importantly a portion of funds raised by the Association is donated to those in need through the College Foundation.
Inspired by the charism of Edmund Rice the St Edmund’s College Foundation (the Foundation) was established to give financial assistance to marginalised or disadvantaged families so that the cost of educating their sons would be alleviated.
Since its inception in 1988 the Foundation has supported the education of over 100 young men at St Edmund’s College in Canberra.
The Foundation’s aim is to support families...
How to Donate
• Who are experiencing financial barriers that may limit their ability to provide an Edmund
Rice Education for their sons. • Provide appropriate fee relief to ensure the boys have the quality education that they deserve. • At times tragedy may affect families and during these times of crisis, the Foundation will look to offer support where possible so students are able continue their education at St Edmund’s College without disruption.
Contact foundation@stedmunds.act.edu.au or 6239 0673 and ask to speak to our Finance Staff for more information on how to make a donation.
Donations of $2 or more to the St Edmund’s College Foundation are tax deductible in Australia. Your donation to the Foundation will enable families in need of help in educating their sons leaving a lasting legacy that will benefit current students as well as students for PAGE 23generations to come.
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The St Edmunds College Canberra Foundation is the ‘sleeper’ amongst the activities that happen at St Edmund’s. It is either unknown, misunderstood or under appreciated. In many ways St Edmund’s is a community school. Enrolments are accepted from across Canberra and Queanbeyan and other outskirt areas, and there is no minimum academic or socio-economic entry requirement. It is well known that the sons of diplomats, heads of departments, leaders of industry and academics sit with, enjoy sport and participate in co-curricular activities with the sons of tradespeople, retail workers, single parents and stay-at-home-parents.
During 1988 the then Headmaster, Br Bob Wallace, considered the creation of a financial trust to enable families in the community to send their sons to St Edmund’s when they might not otherwise be able to do so. When St Edmund’s received a substantial bequest, Br Wallace saw the establishment of the Edmund Rice Foundation as an appropriate way to use the bequeathed funds. In his final Headmaster’s report, he wrote:
“It is one of the ironies and tragedies of our present society that whilst so many are reasonably well off or coping adequately, there is a significant group of families who go through desperate times to provide even the basic needs of children. I hope that we will always remain open to helping these families in the true spirit of Edmund Rice”.
On 8 December 1988, just before he left St Edmund’s, Br Wallace called a meeting of suitable persons whom he thought could continue to implement his vision. Br Wallace’s successor Br John O’Shea continued the initiative.
The Edmund Rice Foundation was established in 1988 with the sole purpose of assisting the College to offer places to boys who would otherwise not have the opportunity for an education in the Edmund Rice traditions. Edmund Rice was a successful businessman and the founder of the Christian Brothers in Waterford, Ireland in 1802. Following an accident that killed his wife and after the later death of his disabled daughter, he devoted his life to the education of poor and disadvantaged boys.
Following changes to the constitution of the Christian Brothers in October 2010 the original trust was wound up and all funds were transferred to the ‘St Edmund’s College Canberra Scholarship Fund’. In November 2016 the current name, The St Edmunds College Canberra Foundation, was agreed to.
Donations to the Fund are tax deductible and Fund earnings are tax free.
The Fund is managed by an Advisory Committee, made up of members with a range of experiences and who have a direct current or former relationship with St Edmunds. The Advisory Committee meets four times a year, unFollowing changless an extraordinary es to the constitu meeting is required. tion of the ChrisSt Edmund’s College tian Brothers in has a broad-based
October 2010 the school population original trust was and like the broadwound up and all er society, there are funds were transfamilies who find ferred to the ‘St themselves in diffi-
Edmund’s College cult circumstances.
Canberra ScholarThese families are ship Fund’. In November 2016 the current name, The St Edmunds College Canberra Foundation, was the focus of The Foundation. Consistent with the charism of Edmund Rice, the College is committed to agreed to. the tradition of the education, care and nurture of young men from all walks of life.
Donations to the Fund are tax deductible and Fund earnings are tax free.
The Fund is managed by an Advisory Committee, made up of members with a range of experiences and who have a direct current or former relationship with St Edmunds. The Advisory Committee meets four times a year, unless an extraordinary meeting is required.
Sadly, the demand for financial assistance for disadvantaged families in our community has always exceeded the Foundation’s capacity to provide assistance. The Foundation is managed on the basis that education assistance or sometimes a one-off assistance with a uniform or blazer from the College’s Uniform Shop are made from the income from investments, thus preserving the capital. In 2020 the Foundation was able to offer the College only about $20,000. The Foundation is always on the lookout for additional capital to continue its work. The Foundation is reliant on investment income, donations, gifts from fundraising activities by different groups and benefactors in the form of a bequest or donations. We recognise that we must also do our bit, not just rely on the generosity of others, and in that regard the Committee in 2014/15, undertook the construction of ‘The Eddies House’ in Ngunnawal with the assistance of Old Boys and Friends of the College in the construction industry with the rallying call ‘Build a House - Create an Opportunity’. The house was auctioned in May 2015 and resulted in approximately $45,000 being handed over to the Foundation. That injection of funds assisted in ensuring that the ideals of Edmund Rice continue at St Edmund’s. The gift of property or money now or as a bequest in due course would be very much appreciated and it will be put to very good use. The decision to become a benefactor to the Foundation is a very personal one and potential donors may wish to discuss their ideas with the Principal, the Foundation Chair or the Foundation Secretary. Please contact the College in the first instance.
St Edmund’s College has a broad-based school population and like the broader society, there are families who find themselves in difficult circumstances. These families are the focus of The Foundation. Consistent with the charism of Edmund Rice, the College is committed to the tradition of the education, care and nurture of young men from all walks of life. Sadly, the demand for financial assistance for disadvantaged families in our community has always exceeded the Foundation’s capacity to provide assistance. The Foundation is managed on the basis that education assistance or sometimes a one-off assistance with a uniform or blazer from the College’s Uniform Shop are made from the income from investments, thus preserving the capital. In 2020 the Foundation was able to offer the College only about $20,000. The Foundation is always on the lookout for additional capital to continue its work. The Foundation is reliant on investment income, donations, gifts from fundraising activities by different groups and benefactors in the form of a bequest or donations. We recognise that we must also do our PAGE 25 bit, not just rely on the generosity of others, and in that regard the Committee in 2014/15, undertook
Former Member of Staff
Alumni Profile - Class of 2003 Jacob Knowles
Unofficially, I was an Eddies Boy from a very young age. At three, I was frequently found wandering around the school’s canteen – shadowing my mother who volunteered her time to support the other mothers to serve the student and staff population. Officially, I began at St Edmund’s as a short, stout little 8-year-old in 1995. The youngest of five boys, my mother had chosen the College over a decade earlier to enrol her sons to with the hope that we would be guided by ‘strong’ male role models.
I recall very little about my first day apart from the awe and wonder of looking at an imposing building with such innocent eyes. The first few weeks were lost to the normal fears that come with settling into a new school and making new friends. While I recall little about a lot of things, I do remember my first few weeks with Mr Tony Di Fronzo. I remember his firm but fair approach, his efforts to make learning fun and for all of his students to feel as though we belong and most importantly… his stories. I remember hanging on to his every word about the shark attack that left him scared on his arm and the ‘little old women’ who fooled him to paying for her groceries before he chased her into a waiting car.
Mr Di Fronzo was the first, but certainly not the last, of a number of individuals that had a profound impact on my development as a young person. Ms Doyle, Ms Kitney, Mr Baily and Mr Roberts were also significant in challenging me to be the best person I could David, Jacob, Paul and Mathew Knowles
be. In 2003, as a Year 12 student and towards the end of my time as a student, Ms Craze, Mr Harvey and Ms Gibbs all played their part in
