Year 7

Heidi Englund

It was evident from the very beginning that Year 7, 2021 would be very different from the experience of previous years. COVID regulations meant that each of our new Year 7 students arrived for their first day of high school without parents or grandparents, making their way into the Edmund Rice Centre alone and demonstrating an admirable degree of independence. Our School Captain, Vice Captains and Prefects were on hand to welcome them, handing them an enormous bag of equipment and supplies and introducing them to their Home Room teacher before they were addressed by our College Principal, Mr Bonnici. While I am certain many were somewhat nervous or unsettled, they certainly projected confidence and were quick to adapt to the new routines and rhythms of the high school setting.

This quickly became the motif for 2021 with each change in our routines and traditions offering opportunities to develop greater independence and resilience. Certainly, the year brought disappointments as the annual camp was postponed and then cancelled and other events, such as the swimming carnival, took place at a reduced capacity. This however made the events that were able to go ahead that much sweeter. The athletics carnival saw many boys demonstrating their gifts and talents while others competed solely to gain points for their houses. Our trip to Taronga Zoo was a highlight with the boys particularly excited by the Seal Show and the Free Flight Bird Show and some groups lucky enough to be stalked by lions in the new Lion Pride enclosure. Fortunately, every student arrived back at school with all limbs intact.

Semester One passed quickly and Year 7 reports were excellent with students achieving a record number of merits and awards for excellent behaviour and some outstanding individual results. I was very proud to read the feedback from teachers commenting on Year 7’s self-motivation and positive attitude to their studies. These qualities quickly became imperative as COVID spread

Taronga Zoo

Year 7

across Sydney and the Central Coast sending us into fifteen weeks of Home Based Learning. At this point it became apparent that the time we had invested in developing our students’ computer literacy during Semester One was worthwhile! Suddenly it was imperative that every boy was able to access all of his learning materials online and our laptops became an important point of connection for each of us.

Home Based Learning presented many challenges for students, their families and their teachers and it was important to find the right balance between maintaining our sense of connection and wellbeing and moving forward with our academic goals. Year 7 eagerly embraced the many initiatives including science experiments to complete in the kitchen, physical challenges, art and writing competitions and practical technology projects to offset the increased screen time required in lessons. Many boys enjoyed the freedom to complete schoolwork in an ‘oodie’, make themselves a hot lunch or head outside for a bike ride between lessons. In the reflections students completed prior to their Learning Conferences many identified growth in the areas of organisation, self-reliance and determining their own learning goals.

It was however with much anticipation and excitement that Year 7 headed back to class, reconnecting with peers and teachers. It was delightful to see the Quad full of energetic handball games and crowds of boys laughing with friends. In the classroom teachers provided plenty of group work and practical lessons to rebuild those vital relationships.

While 2021 was not the year any of us anticipated it has been a highly successful one with Year 7 growing in many ways which were unexpected but which I am confident will be extremely beneficial both academically and personally. I am so pleased and proud to have been a part of this journey with them.

Taronga Zoo

Year 7

Abbott, Luke Allen, Jacob Armour, Max Armstrong, Kai Armstrong, Asher Atkinson, Max

Ball, Caden Barry, George Borg, Ruben Boyce, Harley Brown, Owen Buda, Riley

Burgess, Jaxon Butlin, Henry Byrne, Xander Byrne, Oscar Byrnes, Jack Call, Harry

Carmody-Smith, Riley Casey, Flynn Chapman, Nicholas Cipollone, Jereme Coughlan-Berg, Luka Craik, Thomas

Cranny, Charlie Dawkings, Max Derrick, Matthew Diamond, Cody Dodd, Dominic Donafee, Lachlan

Year 7

Farris, Logan Fearnley, Hayden Fennell, Charlie Finn, Keanu Fittler, Harrison Flanders, Kobie

Francis, Ben Gardiner, Meihana Geddes-Brown, Benjamin Gibson, Taj Giddings, Finn Gooley, Taj

Gooley, Reggie Gottardo, Lincoln Graham, Olly Green, Benjamin Griffin, Callum Haanskorf, Logan

Haines, William Hall, Cooper Hall, Archie Hamilton, Tahj Hansen, Andrew Harker, Cooper

Harries, Lennon Harris, Keppel Hawkins, Malcolm Hehir, Max Heinzel, Beau Herden, Owen

Year 7

Hubble, Byron Hughes, Samuel Hunt, David Huybrechs-Chung, Jeremy Jackson, Mitchell James, Max

Jarvis, Jack Johnson, Jarvis Johnson, Nicholas Jones, Cato Jordan, Ronnie Kahler, Riley

Kelly, Joseph Knox, Daniel Kurzydlo, Bray Lavin, Nixon Lin, Jonathan Locke, Owen

Lyons, Oliver Lyons, Daniel Macintosh, Jaxon Mackay, Brady Magill, Ewan Marchant, Jason

Markey, Aaron Martin, Charlie Matthews, Noah McBride, Darragh McBrien, Liam McClelland, Will

Year 7

McRae, Kalani Merillo, Giuseppe Mexon, Broden Minehan, Jack Mogg, Charles Moggs, Jayden

Moggs, Kallum Monteleone, Sebastian Morrison, Bailey Moss, Cameron Mutokoyi, Shumba Nakagawa, Luke

Naylor Adams, Ashton Neilly, Coby Nitsos, Harvey Noble, Ned Norris, Luca Oates, Patrick

O’Brien, Lachlan O’Connor Stewart, Kayn Ottaway, Henry Owen, Murphy Papps, Levi Park, Lachlan

Parkinson, Gabriel Pearce-Maitland, Tristan Pearson, Eden Perham, Thomas Philips, Isaac Pike, Asher

Year 7

Regattieri, Tahj Roach, Lachlan Roberts, Jackson Roth, Max Russell, Jamie Rutherford, Harry

Ryan, Harrison Ryan-Englund, Finn Saley, Nate Sammut, Zach Sands, Billy Sayers, Tyrone

Scott, Quinn See, Jude Sicard, Liam Skow, Marlon Sky, Oliver

Smith, Cooper Smith, Archibald Soares, Emanuel Spokes, Reid Stansfield, Charlie Smith, Ryan

Staples, Oliver

Stewart, Benjamin Stewart, Angus Stingmore, Riley Stitt, Joseph Straker, Kobi Taylor, Jake

Year 7

White, Taihden Willson, Blake Wuest, Hudson Yarnold, Rourke Yates, Ajay Young, Maximilian

Absent: Will Ferrari