Newsletter 8 2022

Dear Members of the St Andrews College Community,

Congratulations to the student body on how you are all responding to the opportunities placed before you. You always have a choice as to how you will participate and I am pleased to see many of you are taking up these opportunities. Over the past few weeks we have seen a number of Geography Field Trips take place as well as immersion/social justice/faith experiences. I particularly enjoyed the Year 10 students recalling the impact their ‘Faith in Action’ day had on them at Assembly today and the corresponding call to action. The number of Principals Awards I presented today was also a highlight coupled with Art Awards and Writing Awards. Keep up the focus, maintain the high standards, and continue the quest for growth. Well done.

‘It’s All About Learning’

Gospel Reflection - John 20:19-23:

1. The gospel reading above happened on resurrection day. The apostles were still very afraid of the Jews who killed their Master so they huddled themselves in a room with doors locked. Suddenly Jesus appears from nowhere. Yes He is alive yet He is not like any human being anymore. His resurrected body is not like His former physical body. He can now appear anywhere though doors are locked but He is not like a ghost either, for He can talk like a human being and He can be touched!
2. The first word of Jesus is PEACE! He repeated again. Perhaps the disciples were feeling guilty for having abandoned Jesus during the time when He needed them most. Yet they were happy to see Jesus again. All their fears and guilt are gone in an instant. More so when He did not rebuke them for what they did and instead granted them peace. Before they could ask for forgiveness, they already felt it in their heart that Jesus has no grudge against them. He is a compassionate Master and He understands human weaknesses.
3. Jesus is sending His disciples to continue His still unfinished mission of building the Kingdom of God. After training them for three years, it is time for them to apply what they have learned. Were they ready? At that moment of course they were still in a state of shock and were still trying to figure out what is happening. Yet their work is now laid out before them. No worries. The Holy Spirit is there to empower them.
4. Jesus spoke to them about forgiveness of sins. He has already forgiven them for their grave sin of leaving Him during His hour of need. Now they need to forgive one another. It is not easy to forgive but with the power of the Holy Spirit, they can do it. Anyone can do it. With man, it may be impossible, but with God the Holy Spirit, it becomes possible (Matthew 19:26).
5. June 5 is Pentecost Sunday for the year 2022. It is supposed to be the 50th day after Easter Sunday. We celebrate the outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. To some people, it is the celebration of the foundation of the church.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, send forth the Holy Spirit and renew the face of the earth. Amen.

Junior CaPA Night:

Congratulations to all the students and staff who conducted a wonderful evening last week. The celebration of Music, Art and Drama was of the highest quality. We are looking forward to the event being repeated in Term 4.

Cyber Academy Launch:

Congratulations to the students who represented us at the Cyber Academy Launch.  Specialist Senior Manager in Cyber Attack and Response Pieter Westein from Deloitte ran the day. He explained what he does in his day to day work as an ethical hacker for various companies. The students then completed some CTF (capture the flag) challenges which required students to think outside the box and use investigative skills to find clues to complete the challenges.

After lunch Pieter launched a final challenge in which Nikshay Nand came second and as a reward he got offered a day at Deloitte to see how they operate on a daily basis (this will hopefully be organised for the holidays). Congratulations Nikshay and the student group who attended. Thank you to Mrs Flaihan who accompanied the group.

Year 11 Parent/Teacher/Student Evening:

Thank you to all the parents and students who attended the evening last Tuesday. Face to face conferences like this serve as a valuable supplement to the regular contact via Compass, email, or phone. Year 11 are at an important stage of their Higher School Certificate with choices to be made soon regarding what subjects they take through to the Higher School Certificate Examinations. The parent/teacher/student conferences serve to assist in making the best decision possible.

CSDA Debating Progress:

The Debating season is into Week 5 now and we have dominated our opposing schools in the first four rounds. Congratulations not only goes to the competitors but also to the many students who attend in support roles such as Time Keepers and Chairpersons.At present we have four teams who are undefeated. They are the Year 7A, 9A, 9B and 12A teams. We have had over 50 students assist each week we have hosted which demonstrates a great deal of school pride and commitment. We appreciate it immensely. Thank you to Ms Pett for her organisation and all staff who assist in preparation and adjudication. We wish the students the very best as they take on Bede Polding and St Agnes College this evening.

HSC Visual Arts Process Night:

Congratulations to our Year 12 Visual Arts students who presented where their projects are to a group of highly experienced HSC Markers for feedback. Parents and family members were also invited. The works to date are exceptional and by far exceeding expectations. Congratulations to Mrs Kemal who has guided the class so well. We are looking at some excellent results again in Visual Art.

Diving Representatives:

The following students will be competing in the NSW All Schools Diving competition this Friday 3rd June. If you see them, please wish them good luck.

Year 7 - Xavier Borg, Chelise Fernandez, Emily Ridout, Ruby Scicluna

Year 8 - Gabriel Narayan

Year 10 - Marley Kozak, Holly McLoughlin

Toilet Renovations Senior Campus:

They are well underway with both toilet blocks due for completion before the Higher School Certificate commences. I have shown the Senior Student Leaders the proposed layout and we have made some minor additions based on their feedback. We are hoping for the first block to be finished in a couple of weeks.

Enrolment for Year 11 2023 NOW OPEN

Year 7 2023 already has a significant waiting list

Fidem in Christo

Dr Stephen Kennaugh
Principal