As we come to the end of a very short Term, one that has certainly flown by, I look back on the many wonderful and varied experiences that our students have taken part in. I must say that after the first week of wearing masks, life slowly returned to our ‘new normal.’ We enjoyed several Swimming Carnivals, Secondary Athletics Inter-House competitions, many excursions, guest speakers, Year group Liturgies, Open Day, Stations of the Cross, whole school Masses and welcoming picnics.
One of the highlights of the Term was our ability to gather together as a whole school to acknowledge the Spirit of Mercy recipients and our 2020 Year 12 High Achievers. We were able to reflect upon the success of the 2020 cohort, and congratulate these students on their achievements. We also congratulated the students who received Spirit of Mercy Awards in recognition of their commitment to the Mercy values in their school life.
SEQTA was made available to students and parents this Term and we are pleased at the relatively smooth transition to this new platform. Of course, behind the scenes there is much preparation and adjustment being made, but Reports were published to schedule and our Parent Teacher meetings have been booked. Thank you to the many families who are to meet with their children’s teachers and receive 1:1 feedback.
As we progress through the year and become more familiar with SEQTA, it is our intention to make more features available to our community. From Term 2, parents will be able to access their Finance information and their child’s archived documents through SEQTA Engage.
Our staff and members of the College’s Advisory Council are currently discussing and planning for the College’s next Strategic Plan. On Wednesday, 5th May, we will invite parents to one of two meetings in order to provide feedback on our vision for the College for the next five years. We hope that many of you will take this opportunity to participate. The Parent Forum will be held at 9.00a.m. on that day and an opportunity to share in the Strategic Planning will take place during this meeting. Furthermore, for those who prefer, a Strategic Planning session for parents will be held on the same day at 6.30p.m. in the College Staff Room.
During this Term we welcomed three new staff members to our College, Mrs Jessica Coolican as College Nurse, Mr Paul Davies who joins our Property and Works team, and Ms Sasha Wells as Aboriginal Liaison worker.
We said farewell to Mrs Cate Mitchell, Mr Ali Shah, Ms Kara Moss and Ms Nicole Kirry as they move on to other positions. We thank them for their time and commitment to our students. We also wish Mrs Jenn McDougall and Mrs Tiffany Morrissy our best wishes as they commence their leave.
School recommences for students on Tuesday, 20th April. Students will return in their winter uniform. The change for 2021 is that female students may choose to wear socks, rather than tights with their winter uniform, on a normal school day. Obviously, when the weather becomes much colder, tights will be the more practical option for the girls. For special occasions, such as College photos, or when representing the College, they will still need to wear College tights. We ask that you spend some time over the holidays ensuring that your child’s winter uniform is in good order.
As we approach Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate the Risen Lord, may we remember Jesus’ sacrifice and give thanks for what he has brought to our world. We wish you a blessed and Holy Easter and pray that God may shower you with blessings, love and peace. Our Archbishop, Timothy Costelloe, has requested that we share his Easter message with you. Please access it here.
God bless,
Carmen Cox
Principal
