From the Principal

Dear Members of the St Andrews College Community,

With the year coming to an end quickly, it is timely to reflect on the many achievements we have accomplished as a College throught. One initiative we have introduced in 2020 is the Year 9 Acceleration Programs for Mathematics and Science. We have a number of students progressing through to Year 11 in both of these subject areas. We will be expanding this program in 2021 to include our current Year 8 students who are demonstrating a standard above the A in each subject area. The students have been challenged, extended, and achieved beyond their expectations through both hard work and the dedication of their teachers.

I take this opportunity to wish all staff, students, and families a very happy and safe Christmas, and look forward to seeing you all again in 2021. Thank you for your support throughout 2020.

‘It’s All About Learning’

Advent Reflection:

Press Pause for ADVENT

Have you ever considered the Season of Advent a period of anticipation? The whole season if we are open to it, is preparing for the entry of a tiny baby, who is Christ, entering into our hearts. This happens in a manner similar to the excitement of the gift giving and food sharing and the annual ‘sameness’ of the season that stays traditionally the same every year, despite the changes that we may have encountered in the year preceding the event. It is as though by not changing and by being consistent that we somehow console our hearts. Consistency does offer consolation to the heart.

Our lives are constantly changing, none of us is the same person we were in 2019, pre-COVID, we may be grieving a death in our family, community or the deaths of the many known and unknown people in our world. Life has changed this year. We are not the same, but is this such a bad thing? Ought we not change each year in some way?

Some of the changes we experience that change each of us personally and spiritually may be in the opportunities that we encounter through our work, community and financial worlds that we live in.  The responsibility changes that come about through changing circumstances in our lives; our aging parents, the sudden death of a family member or lifelong partner or friend, the illness of a child, the diagnosis of a terminal condition – through all of these challenges, we are no longer the same.  Our increasing or diminishing capacities for coping create many variations and changes, so as this year is not the same, our Advent preparation may not be the same either.

‘Doing Advent differently’ does not change Christ’s coming to us, but it may change how we receive Christ.  Christ meets us where we are, in our fear, messiness, despair, fatigue, hunger, grief, loneliness, illness, health, joy, celebration and anticipation.  Will you meet Jesus with an open, honest, authentic heart this Advent?

The honest, open Christmas story and the message it brings is the one constant we can be sure of.  In this honesty will we meet Jesus as we really are, with our deepest hopes, needs and yearnings?  As you reflect in the second week of Advent and we light the second candle of peace, I invite you to ‘do’ Christmas honestly this year.  Bring yourself to the story, be vulnerable, honest and open to the Spirit of Christ, the joy in the welcoming of new life through the birth of a baby, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus. 

Student Leaders Induction:

Congratulations to all our new student leaders who were inducted on St Andrew’s Day. Thank you to St Andrews College 2018 School Captain Larissa Isakov who gave an impassioned speech about what St Andrews College meant to her and what opportunities it has given her in life as she pursues her course in Commerce/Law at Sydney University. It was wonderful to see all the parents and relatives present to pin the leadership badge on their son/daughter/sister and grandchild. In positions of leadership the family is often challenged to support, so it is fitting they play a part in the induction.

Student Leaders Initiatives:

I have really enjoyed seeing the student leaders hit the ground running with a number of initiatives being brought forward to myself and the College Leadership Team. Keep up the great work.

Year 7 2021 Orientation Day:

Congratulations to all staff and students involved in the Year 7 2021 Orientation Day. The way the students came into the College, and the way they conducted themselves throughout the day is a testament to the good year that is to come. Thank you to the many Peer Support Leaders who assisted in the tours of the College as well as any other area requested. We are so blessed to have a culture of giving and assistance that is the envy of many schools. Thank you to Ms Symmonds and Mrs Cooper for their work in organising the day as well as Mrs Welch and Mrs Xuereb. 

Enrolment for Year 7 2022 NOW OPEN

If you have a friend or family member looking to enrol for Year 7 2022 (students currently in Year 5) please contact the Office ASAP for an enrolment pack to avoid disappointment. We have a substantial waiting list already for Year 7 2021.