Principal's Report
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It is difficult to know where to start in reflecting on the year that has passed for this last edition of The Lighthouse in 2020. There has been ample written about the adverse impact of Covid-19 in my communications this year and, in an effort to finish the year on a positive note, I intend to try and avoid reversing over that same territory again. Victorians feel rightly proud of our collective response to the virus and the fact that we have finished the year almost back to normal was unthinkable only a couple of months ago.
One observation would be that since school resumed in face to face mode in October, most of our young people have found the return to school enjoyable and, generally speaking, they feel like they made good progress when learning remotely. To the large extent that families played a most crucial role in facilitating remote learning by supporting both the endeavours of their children and the outstanding efforts of our teachers, there is, deservedly, cause for congratulations and thanks. Of course, some students found remote learning difficult and we are compiling data to help identify students who will benefit from an intensive program of school tutoring in the new year in an effort to close gaps that have widened.
To put a particular Aquinas twist on my observations, I will take this opportunity to reflect upon this year from the perspective of our own College values:
Belonging: the isolation of our extended lockdown has reinforced to us the value of human connectedness. Last week, our breakfast TV was dominated by images of families reuniting amidst tears of joy as borders reopened and, Im sure, most families will have their own story about the impact of being apart from loved ones. Similarly, our student feedback indicates that while there were many positives about being in lockdown in terms of building relationships with family, they missed the social aspects of schooling too.
Stewardship: our environment has been one of the beneficiaries of the shutdown of transport networks and those famous photos of blue skies over Mumbai in September seem to have resonated with many. That they occurred in the week of the first International Day of Clean Air appears serendipitous, but clearly demonstrates what could be. Locally, many of us rejoiced when we received permission to leave our homes to return to the places of natural beauty that are so important to our feelings of wellbeing. SEB (Year 9) has provided an opportunity for students to get back into our College vegetable gardens this week and give them a long overdue tidy up and we look forward to resuming the kitchen gardens for both Caf矇 N9ne and for charity when school resumes next year.
Perseverance: of all our core values, it could be argued that this one most distinctly captures the challenge faced by many students and staff forced to learn and teach in new modes this year. Remote learning has promoted a need for high levels of self-reliance and self-motivation and it is clear that the students with these traits already well established have continued to flourish. But there has also been much talk about resilience - how well we are able bounce back from disappointment. It's been pleasing to read the reflections from students who have found themselves to be more resilient than they thought. Id like to make special mention of our Year 12s here. While every year is an important one, it is our Year 12 cohort who have the outcomes of their year most intensely scrutinised. Yet, throughout the exam period I saw diligent students with smiling faces and they should all feel rightly proud of themselves.
Justice: Covid-19 appears quite indiscriminate in whom it infects, although it became apparent that it impacts on our elderly more severely and with outcomes that are often catastrophic. To this extent, it put some of our attitudes to our elderly, especially in relation to aged care, under a spotlight and highlighted systemic deficiencies. Over recent years we have witnessed the mutual benefit for both students and residents from partnerships we have established with aged care homes. We continued to write this year, but let's hope we can resume visits in the not too distant future.
Compassion: we will all have stories of someone who has done it tough this year. Hardship can take many forms, but one obvious consequence is that mental health has become of growing concern in all walks of life. Agencies, like Headspace, are reporting a notable increase in cases of poor adolescent mental health, which further highlights the protective role that schools play in this space and we value more than ever the allied services Aquinas offers through our pastoral care system, Youth and Family Centre and Health Centre. While we are proud of our resources, it is important to add that they are no substitute to the professional medical services that you should seek through your GP.
Spirituality: our religious practices have been disconnected from our normal places of worship this year and many of the ceremonies that help create the rhythms of our life were instead beamed into our homes virtually. Fortunately, we managed to celebrate our Opening Mass in February and those new to our community were able to witness the joy of our whole community in worship. Some retreats have continued, albeit in modified form, and class liturgies have allowed for sharing of our Catholic beliefs in praising God and offering thanks. Prayer, while a positive part of our day, took on special meaning this year as we called upon God for strength.
A second observation is that many experts are suggesting that we learn from this disruption and see it as an opportunity for looking at our practices with a fresh set of eyes. Articles like A Catalyst for Change provoke thought about the notion of a new normal and, while much of this years response has been undesirable because it was motivated by an emergency, it has demonstrated that schools can change and educators can be change makers. We finish this year with our tanks on empty, but the new year will hopefully provide us the opportunity to look back and identify the changes that we were forced to adopt that have actually resulted in improvement and should not be lost in moving to a Covid normal.
As we enter our Advent Season we wait expectantly for the birth of our saviour and the joy this brings. I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and safe holiday.
Celebrate! Excellence at Aquinas
As announced in the last edition of The Lighthouse, our excellence evening that normally occurs around this time has been postponed until Term 1 2021 in a hope that we will be able to host parents/guardians at the event. At this time, we have put a placeholder in our calendar on the evening of Monday, 15 February and will confirm this date with award recipients as it gets closer.
atEast Awards
Congratulations to the recipients of atEast Awards this year. It has been very difficult to coordinate placements in workplaces during Covid-19 and our appreciation goes out to the employers who have facilitated these opportunities. Thanks also to the team at Aquinas who support the students in finding suitable pathways.
Premiers VCE Awards
We received notification this week that the 2020 Premier's VCE Awards Ceremony has formally been cancelled and that recipients will receive their certificates by mail instead. Id like to congratulate Lucas Clarke for his award in Computing:Informatics and also acknowledge his Teacher, Mrs Judy Zuccon.
School Photos 2021
Photos occur very early again in 2021 (February 1 for Years 9-12 and February 2 for Years 7-8) and this note serves as a reminder that for this event we want boys in full winter uniform (including blazer) and girls in full summer uniform plus blazer. As the weather is often hot at this time of year there is no expectation that the blazer will be worn outside of the official photograph time.
VCE Results 2020
Results for this year will be later than normal due to the timing of exams and not published until December 30. As is our usual practice, the College will send an email to all families on this date outlining the achievements of our students. VCE and VCAL Certificates will be mailed to students when school resumes in 2021.
Commencement Dates for 2021
Friday, Jan 22 - Middle Years and Senior Years Office opens
Wednesday, Jan 27 - Year 7 Parent Information Night
Friday, Jan 29 - Year 7 & 12 commence
Monday, Feb 1 - Years 8 - 11 commence
Term Dates 2021 - Students
Term 1: Monday, 1 February (29 Jan Year 12 & 7) to Thursday, 1 April
Term 2: Tuesday, 20 April to Friday, 25 June
Term 3: Tuesday, 13 July to Friday, 17 September
Term 4: Tuesday, 5 October to Friday, 3 December
Darren Atkinson
Principal