Some of our most endearing and enduring friendships are formed at school. Students connect deeply through cooperation and shared experience in sport, drama, music, retreats, and classroom experiences....
Some of our most endearing and enduring friendships are formed at school. Students connect deeply through cooperation and shared experience in sport, drama, music, retreats, and classroom experiences.
Over the last three days, our new Year 12 students have been on Retreat, a chance for them to think about their journeys so far, and how they start the next stage. It is the brotherhood that flourishes at Retreat that underpins our actions and develops a confidence in who our Year 12 students are and what they value. I had an opportunity to visit all of the venues and spend some time with the Class of 2023, reflecting on the things we should be grateful for, the people and situations that influence us, our identity as Augustinian men and affirmations from their families and peers.
At this stage of the year, it is important we take time to reflect on what we have been doing. Without reflection on our actions being a core part of our strive for improvement, we risk having the experience but miss the meaning. It is occasions like this when we get to see the students evoke a powerful pride in the charism of the College, they reflect on their faith and the community they belong to, the Catholic Church. In connecting them to the College’s story, we hope these young men return with their motivations being more generous, more altruistic, and more involved in community and in service to others.
Schools need leadership, particularly the sort of leadership provided by our Senior students, for they have the capacity to influence student values, attitudes and behaviour with an effectiveness of which staff and parents can only dream. Positive enabled leadership voices from the student body are part of the tradition of St Augustine’s College. The response of the students to our request for them to attend Graduation Day in uniform on a public holiday was nothing short of incredible. Over 1,200 boys, nearly the entire school, made the effort to show their commitment to our values of Truth, Love and Community to be part of the Honour Guard. It was humbling for the Graduating Class of 2022, and made us, as a community, incredibly proud. Thank you to all the parents that helped this happen with transport on the day.
This weekend, our new College Student Leaders for 2023 will be involved in a planning day to develop their strategic intent for next year. Post the retreat, the Student Leaders will be well informed about issues and objectives they would like to address in the coming year. As a significant stakeholder, the student body is actively engaged in the development of student goals against the Strategic Plan. Anyone who accepts a leadership role has to reconcile that it won’t always be easy, in fact rarely will it be easy, yet our students continue to take on leading roles in shaping and improving the College.
The College has scheduled two dates to accommodate the students who attended Graduation Day. On Friday 28 October, students from Years 7-11 who attended the Graduation will not be required to attend classes. Any student who did not attend graduation will be required at school. The Years 5 and 6 students who attended Graduation Day will have Monday 31 October. Correspondence regarding the options for that day will be sent from Terry Walsh, Head of Primary School, next week.
Jonathan Byrne
Principal
