Newsletter 8 2021

Dear Members of the St Andrews College Community,

The last two weeks have made me very proud of the efforts that staff and students have been putting in with all the learning activities that have been occurring at the College. We never have a shortage of staff or students that put their hands up to be a part of the community. It speaks of the work ethic, the love of the College, and a need to provide an opportunity for growth. Keep up the great work. Your efforts will be rewarded.

Thank you to all the staff and students for the way they have entered into Kindness Week and Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week activities. This is an excellent lead into our College Unity Day in the second last week of Tem.

‘It’s All About Learning’

Reflection on the Ascension:

Ascension Not Absence

We are created for relationships, and when relationships that have moulded us into the person we are come to an end, for whatever reason, we can quickly lose faith in ourselves and our ability to survive. It’s a natural human reaction to want to cling to who and what we know, but sometimes letting go can empower us to move forward with our grief into a different relationship with the person we love, may have loved or quite possibly have never experienced any loving relationship with, but have unresolved feelings around.

This grief, associated with this new absence, can easily lead to doubt. Doubt if living life without this particular person is possible. The most uttered words after losing a loved one, not only through death but also through unexpected separation, or the unexpected break-up of a relationship, is the doubt that coping and carrying on without them, without the one lost, the one who will no longer be present are: “How will l live without my … mother, husband, child, wife, sister, partner, etc.?”

It can be challenging for us to imagine how we will live without the person who has physically left us. We have to reimagine our lives, and with the love and support of others, help lessen the doubts emerging in our hearts. We survive and learn to live with our loss.

Reflecting on the Ascension of Jesus, I felt a connection between the ‘grief’ the Apostles must have been experiencing and the grief we experience through death, loss and separation. Jesus physically leaves his disciples, for the second time, plunging them into another wave of grief that has torn their hearts apart not once but twice; at the Cross and now after he meets, speaks, and eats with them in His Risen presence.

We experience bouts of repeated grief and loss in our lives—a near-death experience, followed by a brief recovery only to be followed by permanent death; the life of a loved one being celebrated only to be heart-wrenchingly removed through a sudden unexpected accident or illness; or the recovery from an illness; the celebration of an all-clear result only to hear the gut-wrenching news that another symptom has caused a life to end suddenly. These turbulent emotions connected me with the Apostles, and I found solace in the fact that they were doubting and worshipping at the same time. Doubt was not so much about their faith or their belief in God, but about confidence in themselves and their ability to continue the mission Christ was now entrusting into their hands.

How often is this thought and feeling experienced as we wrestle with our lives in the wake of a death, loss or change in our relationships? Will we cope and make the right decisions? Will we survive alone? Who can we turn to?

This is an opportune feast for us to ponder on how we are reflecting the presence of Jesus Christ to others. How are we living as his disciples and continuing the mission Christ has entrusted to us? Are we ‘there’ for the recently bereaved, those separated in any way, those feeling the absence of human contact? Are we ‘there’ also for ourselves? Do we know where to go or from whom we can seek help, a listening ear, support and understanding? Are we actively the Body of Christ in the world?

The temptation is to let go of the very gifts of family, friendship, parish and community, which hold us together during times of loss. Love and friendship are often most challenged during these times, and the absence of our everyday world can create division or feelings of isolation and loneliness. Knowing that we support one another brings to life the Ascension of Jesus, the empowerment to be with, supporting more fully through our presence and in not being absent to one another.

We give thanks for the gift of the Ascension, which empowers us for our mission: to bring Christ’s salvation, his presence, beauty, justice, extravagance, truth and unconditional love into every nook and cranny of this world. 

A Blessing

In the leaving, in the letting go, let there be this to hold onto at the last:

the enduring of love

the persisting of hope

the remembering of joy

the offering of gratitude

the receiving of grace

the blessing of peace.

Jan Richardson

200 Years of Education in the Diocese Mass:

Thank you to Mr and Mrs Tomas and Sabrina (Junior Campus School Captain) for accompanying me to the Mass celebrating 200 years of Catholic education in the Diocese and the country. We have shared a link on Compass if you wish to view the Mass and associated ceremonies. The Diocese gave the College a plaque commemorating the occasion.

Laudato Si Week:

As we move into Laudato Si week, we focus on the environment and our obligation to live sustainable lives. It is an opportunity to reflect on how we live and what we can do better. We will be engaging in activities throughout the College that enable both students and staff to engage with this topic.

Congratulations to Wasim Rahman:

Wasim has been selected as one of 25 young Australians around the nation to be a diplomat for the country. This is an opportunity where he will learn about modern democracy and the evolution of diplomacy. He will also meet UN representatives, European politicians, diplomats, embassy officials, leading thinkers, NGO’s personnel, and grassroots organisations. Congratulations Wasim.

We look forward to hearing about this significant leadership opportunity.

Congratulations Georgia Green Year 12:

Georgia completed her 24 hour MS Mega swim last weekend. Starting Saturday at noon and finishing Sunday at noon.

The team of 12 had a goal of 100 km in 24 hours. They started their challenge with 1 km rotations, and when they needed to make up time, they did 100m sprint relays.

By the early hours with lack of sleep, they were all very fatigued and felt like their goal was an impossible task. However, with determination, will and heart, they dug deep, supported and encouraged each other to keep pushing forward.

I am happy to announce that they reached their goal with 16 minutes to spare and had completed 100.9 km.

We are so incredibly proud of Georgia and her team. They have shown strength and determination and raised over $8000 for MS. The team was very humbled when they were awarded the MS community award for their tremendous effort.

Year 7 2022 Interviews:

Thank you to all the College Leadership Team, Middle Leaders, and Mrs Kalogjera for the organisation and execution of the second round of interviews. We are looking to move to 8 streams in Year 7 next year, having a growing waiting list. Thank you to our Student Leaders who assisted on both evenings being guides and enrolment assistants. They were great role models.

Year 11 Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences:

Thank you to the parents who supported the Conference opportunity. This is an essential part of our joint commitment to learning.

Debating Successes:

Congratulations to all teams for their performances so far this Term in Debating. I have enjoyed watching all students debate and seeing the excitement in their eyes when they are successful. It makes me so proud to see the number of students who also help with Debating or come to support their friends. We have a unique culture in our Debating and Public Speaking communities. Many schools struggle to get any teams and assistants. Thank you to Mrs Pett and the teaching staff and ex-students who come back to adjudicate and support.

Sporting Successes:

Andre Dera took part in the NSWCCC Opens Football/Soccer team this week. Congratulations on this significant achievement. 

Enrolment for Year 7 and 11 2023 

NOW OPEN