Principal's Report
![](https://media.digistormhosting.com.au/ac-au-vic-612-website/documents/The-Lighthouse/Staff-photos/Darren-2022.jpg?v=1643931310)
There has been a number of significant whole school events since the last edition of The Lighthouse. They have been wonderful celebrations of our identity as a Catholic school and have further developed spirit in our school community.
Celebrate Excellence Evening
Last Monday evening we gathered as a community to acknowledge students who achieved excellence during 2022. This included those from our graduating class who placed in the top 10 per cent of graduates in Australia; those who excelled in VCAL and VET; and those who received special awards. We also acknowledged student excellence at each year level. It was wonderful to be able to invite parents and guardians to the College to celebrate the success of their young people. Congratulations to the recipients of awards and thank you to those who put in so much work in preparation for this event.
Opening Mass
The focus of our Opening Mass is to welcome the newest members of our community into their first whole school gathering. Father Dispin John presided and set challenging goals in his homily, encouraging the community to seize upon the opportunities that they are provided. On a warm afternoon, Father Dispin commented on the reverence displayed by the students and thanked them for participating as we gathered as a community in worship. Thank you to the Catholic Life Team, our musicians and Ms Grace in particular for her work to prepare our liturgical celebration.
Opening Assembly
Student voice is a huge element at our assemblies and we have very capable public speakers amongst our student body who benefit from the experience to present to their peers. This was evident in the quality of the presentations from our student leaders. All student leaders were presented to the gathering and given their badges as they made a pledge to serve the community to the best of their ability. Our musicians once again showcased their talents and it was lovely to hear our College song sung once again with such gusto.
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday ceremonies were conducted last week to mark the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday. The faithful traditionally receive ashes on their forehead as a visible symbol of penance. Thanks to the students in Year 10 Edge who led our liturgies with thoughtful reflections on the meaning of Lent and applied the ashes to the foreheads of their peers. Aquinas also marks Lent through our Project Compassion campaign in support of Caritas. A program has commenced in the Homerooms to discuss the works of Caritas and how our donations are used to improve the lives of others.
Year 7 Camps
Our Year 7 Camps occur this week and next and it is a great opportunity for the newest members of our community to meet people and start to build friendships. Thank you to the staff who so generously offer their time so that this sort of experience is available to our students. When I visited Camp Adanac this week, there was a great energy on display on the challenge course and a number of staff commented on how kind and inclusive the students were being with each other, which is lovely to hear.
Absence Notification
It is our Duty of Care to inform you when, according to the class roll mark, your young person has not presented at school as timetabled. At 11am each day, an SMS is generated to inform parents/guardians that there is an unexplained student absence.
There is no option to 'opt out' of receiving these SMS messages as they are sent to each parent/guardian that is listed on our system. It is not appropriate to ask our staff to remove you from the list, nor to display frustration at receiving these messages, as our system messages all linked parents/guardians by default.
Notification of absence has been made easier with the SIMON Everywhere app, where absence can be sent via your phone. Alternatively, you can email the appropriate office to inform them of absence - Middle Years: absencemid@aquinas.vic.edu.au and Senior Years: absencesen@aquinas.vic.edu.au
Email @Aquinas
Email is an effective and convenient way of communicating and we rely on it heavily. It should come as no surprise to you that email proliferates in a large community like Aquinas and we are asking staff to schedule send their emails, where possible. We are asking that emails arrive in the recipients Inbox during normal office hours (again, where possible). We want our staff to be able to switch off in the evening, attend to their family and other personal needs, and re-energise ready for the day ahead. You can support us by schedule sending your email (most popular email programs have this function) and expecting that a response may take 24 hours. Matters that are urgent or relate to child safety should not be initially communicated by email and you should phone the College on 9259 3000.
Open Day
Advance notice that on Sunday, March 19 we will have our Open Day from 12pm to 3pm. Tours will be conducted on 20 minute intervals, with the last tour departing at 2.20pm. Bookings are not required. Parents with a child in Grade 5 are reminded that the enrolment period for the 2025 Year 7 class closes on Friday, August 18, 2023. Please note that we do not presume that you are enrolling your child at the College and that an application is required. Should you have any questions please contact College Registrar, Ms Madeleine Kalla on 9259 3008.
Darren Atkinson
Principal