From the College Principal

Newsletter 16 2025

Dear Members of the St Andrews College Community,

Welcome back to Term 4. We have hit the ground running with the Higher School Certificate in full flight now and Year 10 completing their final Assessment Block for the year. Year 11 will soon move into their Higher School Certificate year and our Year 8 students will be contacted to move into our Acceleration Program if they are working above an ‘A’ in their learning. We are in the process of planning for the IndoChina History Trip for 2026 as well as a Japanese visit. Keep up the good work and enjoy the opportunities that you are offered at the College.

Gospel Reflection: Luke 16:19-31
Jesus tells the parable of the reversal of fortunes between the rich man and the poor man, Lazarus.

Background on the Gospel Reading

A major theme in the Gospel of Luke is the importance of the care of the poor in the life of discipleship. In the parable found in today's Gospel, Jesus contrasts the life of a rich man and the poor man, Lazarus, who lives in the shadow of the rich man and his wealth. Both die. Lazarus finds himself in heaven; the rich man in the netherworld. The rich man asks for assistance from Lazarus in his torment. But Abraham reminds the rich man of the good things he had in his life and describes the current situation as a reversal of fortunes. The rich man then asks that Lazarus be sent to warn his family, but this is denied with the reminder that Moses and the prophets have warned of judgment for those who neglect the care of the poor.

In the context of Luke's Gospel, this parable, delivered in the presence of a crowd of listeners, is part of Jesus' response to some Pharisees. These Pharisees are described in Luke's Gospel as “loving money.” (Note: The Pharisees were followers of a sect of Judaism active before, during, and after Jesus' lifetime. They taught an oral interpretation of the Law of Moses as the basis for popular Jewish piety. They put less emphasis on Temple worship and more on applying the law to everyday life. Though they are often portrayed negatively in the Gospels, they shared many of Jesus' and the early Church's concerns about the law.) Jesus observed that the actions of some Pharisees betrayed misplaced priorities: they spoke one way, but acted in another. The story of the rich man and Lazarus demonstrates the importance of the care of the poor and is a reminder to those who would follow Jesus of the unimportance of wealth in the eyes of God.

Once Upon a Crime:

Congratulations to all involved in the play. It was a big success due to the hard work of the students involved and the staff supporting them. Special thanks go to Mr Lewandowski, Ms Rujicica, Mr Kolek, Ms Breeze, Mr Riger, Mr Chiappetta and staff supporting the event on the night. Always great to see such a high level of student involvement as well as community support.

Art Major Works 2026 Night:

It was a pleasure to see the twenty five students and their mentors spend the night on Wednesday reflecting on possible Major Work options for their Higher School Certificate projects in 2026. We have a tradition of excellent results in Visual Arts and this process is one of the reasons for that as well as high work ethic expectations from staff.

Fundraising Allocation at the College:

Thank you to staff and students who are contributing to our fundraising efforts through recycling bottles, cans and cartons that have the 10c recycle tag on them. We generate funds to contribute to a variety of charities including The Delaney Foundation, CSPD Fundraising efforts, and the St Vincent de Paul Society through our local Chapter. At present though we are only collecting about 30% of recyclable products, mainly through a lack of understanding or thought when disposing of rubbish. Let’s make a more concerted effort to consider how we dispose of our waste.

Indo China History Tour 2026:

Thank you to Mr Camilleri and his team for organising this trip. The Information Evening last yesterday was very well attended. We are adding a Cambodia leg to the tour this time due to Syllabus changes.

Fidem in Christo

Dr Stephen Kennaugh
Principal