From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

I am delighted to share that the start of the school year has been smooth, engaging, and lively overall. By far, most students have settled in well, and it’s been fantastic to witness their enthusiasm as they reconnect with friends and immerse themselves in their studies. The start of each school year brings excitement, and this year is no different. Our staff members have worked diligently to prepare our students for success. The past two weeks have been quite busy and full of variety.

As you may know, much of the local area experienced storm damage on Sunday, February 2. Consequently, two classrooms in the Xavier Centre sustained water damage. Four Year 7 classes from the two affected rooms and those in the two adjacent rooms had to be relocated to spare portable classrooms. The repairs are nearly complete, and we hope to resume using these rooms late next week. I commend the students and staff involved for their flexibility, adaptability, and cooperation. Parents of students from the affected classes will have received a letter with further information from Mrs Deb Hodge (Yr 7 Coordinator).

One of the first highlights of the year was our Connection Week Program. This program aimed to help students better prepare for their studies, build relationships, and foster a sense of community within the school. It enabled students to form friendships, better understand the College’s expectations, and create a positive and welcoming atmosphere for the year ahead.

We were fortunate to come together as a community for the College Beginning of the Year Mass. We sought God’s blessing for all of us for a successful year as companions on our faith and learning journey. The theme of the Mass was the 2025 Year of Jubilee theme - "Pilgrims of Hope." I am grateful to our celebrants, Fr Gerry Healy SJ (a member of the Jesuits and our School Advisory Council) and Queenscliff Parish Priest, Fr Linh Pham. It was a special time to pray together, celebrate our shared values, and set our intentions for the year ahead. The Mass reminded us of the importance of faith, hope, and love in our lives.

Additionally, we held our College Academic Assembly, marking an inspiring start to the academic year. The assembly featured motivational speeches from both staff and students, along with the recognition of academic achievements from the previous year. It was a fantastic way to kick off our commitment to academic excellence and inspire our students to make the most of their opportunities. As has been our tradition, the College Captains announced the chosen student leadership theme for the year – “Dream Discover Do.” Please refer to their newsletter article for an explanation of the theme.

At the assembly, I announced the name of our multi-purpose centre. We wanted a name that reflects its purpose and aligns with our Ignatian identity. We have chosen the name first proposed by Fr Gerry Healy SJ: “Companions Centre.” This is quite fitting, as it is a place where we come together as a school community, companions in our faith and learning journey. We are a Jesuit Companion School. And as our College song says, “We are Companions of Ignatius.”

Recently, I discovered an article by the Australian Jesuit Provincial, Fr Quyen Vu SJ, in which he reflected on what St Ignatius’ first companions can teach us about being companions to one another today.

“From the beginning, Ignatius did not want the Society of Jesus to be named “Ignatian” after himself but instead chose to call members “Companions of Jesus” – directing the First Companions toward Christ Jesus rather than himself.

Companions work together for a common goal. They do more than collaborate; they are friends inspired by the same spirit, principles and charism.

Ignatius and the First Companions understood the importance of coming together to share a common purpose; therefore we, too, are challenged to find new ways of being “Companions” to one another with united hearts and minds in our mission for the greater glory of God.”

You might have heard the saying, ‘better together.’ This phrase suggests that our interactions with one another can lead to something greater than ourselves. We hope to achieve something even more significant if we regard each other as companions. St Ignatius and his companions indeed created something greater than they could have achieved individually.

Another assembly feature was the announcement of this year’s school production. Every two years, the College produces a large musical show. You may recall the previous two productions, which received high praise, ‘Wicked’ and ‘Anastasia.’ This year, generating much excitement in our community, it was announced that the production will be ‘Les Miserables.’ It will be performed in our Companions Centre at school and held in early September. Students interested in being involved should keep an eye on their emails and Xuno messages. Auditions will commence very soon.

Today, Friday 14th February (10 am – 2 pm), we will hold our annual House Swimming Sports at the North Bellarine Aquatic Centre (just across the road from the College). Our Sports Coordinator, Mr Andrew Philp, has emailed all students with information about getting involved. Students must register to participate in the sports. Mr Philp will use the student race timings to select the GISSA squad to compete in the Inter-school competition. Students who do not compete or help out as officials on the day will remain at school for their usual classes. Parents are welcome to attend.

Looking forward, we are eager to continue building on this positive momentum. The year is off to a great start, and we remain focused on providing our students with the tools and environment they need to thrive both inside and outside the classroom. We look forward to all the fantastic opportunities this year will bring and are grateful for the support of our school community as we embark on this exciting journey together.

Thank you & best wishes for the next two weeks,

Michael Exton

Principal