Principal’s Message

by Principal, Mr Steven O’Connor

Welcome to Term 3

It is always a great day at a school when students and staff return from holidays for a new term; it was the same earlier this week as we welcomed everyone back across the Staff Day on Monday and then students back into classes on Tuesday! I hope that all students, staff and SPC families enjoyed a good break over the holiday period.

I want to welcome our new members of staff to the College and trust that their first days have been positive and enjoyable. I warmly welcome the following staff to the College community:

• Ms Narelle Laing: Director of Human Resources
• Mr Shaun Dunstan: Director of IT
• Ms Sarah Castles: Administration Officer – Reception and
• Mr Jonathon Butters: Counsellor

I also welcome Mr Matt Taylor back to the College after a term of long service leave and thank Ms Glenda Morris for the wonderful job she did as one of the Year 10 Coordinators whilst Matt was away.

This term promises to be another busy and productive term and I wish all of our students the very best as they approach the many opportunities awaiting them over the term.

 

COVID Update

A reminder that the College has joined all other Catholic schools in the Diocese of Ballarat in taking a circuit breaker long weekend across Friday, 12 – Monday, 15 August. The College will be closed during this extended long weekend.

COVID and the flu continues to hit hard across the State and in town. We continue to do our very best to provide our students with the best possible educational experiences amidst these challenging circumstances.

Schools across the State have received updated guidelines on how best to manage these circumstances. These guidelines come from the Department of Education and in our case, the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV). The College continues to follow these guidelines and as such, I wish to emphasise the following key elements for the College community:

• Rapid Antigen tests will continue to be provided for students and staff at the College across Terms 3 and 4. Students should continue to use these tests when symptomatic or when they are a family close contact as per the recommendations;
• Those who test positive on rapid antigen tests must let the College know of this;
• All students and staff who return a positive result from a rapid antigen test should also follow the latest advice at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/rapid-antigen-tests.
• All students must continue to wear masks when traveling on public transport or in share rides to and from the College;
• Students and staff are encouraged to wear masks whilst indoors at the College and at other venues. The wearing of masks is not mandated but certainly encouraged;
• If students or staff need to remove masks in class so that they can be heard or understood, this is OK under the guidelines

Our commitment remains to the health and wellbeing of all in our community and via this, to minimising the spread of COVID and the flu and any interruptions to the education of our students.

We will keep the College community up-to-date as best as possible in this important context.

 

Student Sporting Achievements – World Championships!

I am conscious that at this time, three of our students are currently at or preparing to compete at significant sporting events.

 

Cooper Sherman (Year 12) and Lachlan O’Keefe (Year 11) have been selected as part of a 60-strong Australian team for the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22, taking place at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Colombia from 1-6 August.

Cooper will compete in the 400-metre event, Lachlan in the High Jump.

Tom Foley (Year 12) is currently in Italy as part of the Australian Under 19 eights crew preparing to compete at the Junior World Rowing Championships at Varese in Italy from July 27-31.

To be selected to compete at such an incredibly high level is exceptional for any athlete. To have three students from the one school selected to compete at respective World Championships is extraordinary and I wish Cooper, Lachlan and Tom all the very best in their events in the days ahead! I look forward to hearing from these young men about their experiences when they return to the College later in the term.

 

Mr Steven O’Connor

Principal