From the Principal

Dear Parents & Carers,

Welcome to Term 2

I hope you had a wonderful Easter break and that those who had time off during the school holidays found moments for rest, relaxation, and enjoyable time with family and friends.

Finish up to Term One

Easter is the pinnacle of the Christian calendar, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a joyful time and an uplifting way to begin the new term. The Easter season lasts for 50 days, concluding with Pentecost. We conducted a whole school liturgy on the Tuesday of the last week of Term One. Many students were involved in preparing and delivering the liturgy, and it ensured that we, as a faith community, acknowledged the significance of Easter.

The final week of Term One was busy yet enriching for our students. In particular, I want to commend the Year 9 Staff Team for providing the Year 9 “Camp Inigo” at the Grampians /Gariwerd National Park and the Sports Team for running the House Athletics carnival.

Overall, all reports indicate that the Yr 9 students experienced a challenging but enjoyable time away together at their camp.

On the final day of Term One, our College held the House Athletics Carnival at Landy Field Athletics Track, South Geelong. We were very pleased with the high level of registrations and, in particular, from the Year 12 students. I commend our students for their participation and cooperation at Landy Field.

The winning House and Age champions will be announced at next week’s Full College Assembly. There were many outstanding performances, and Mr Philp will provide more details soon. Well done!

Commencing Term Two

There is much to look forward to this term; our dedicated staff will provide and support numerous valuable learning and social activities and events. The next couple of weeks serve as a good example.

This week promises to be very busy with the Year 7 camps at Anglesea and the Open Afternoon/Evening on Thursday. On Saturday, May 3rd, we will support the annual Jesuit Missions Maytime Fair at Xavier College, Kew.

The following week, we have the whole school assembly on Tuesday, 6th May, and a professional learning day (student-free, classes by ‘announcements’) on Friday, 9th May. And a variety of sporting activities, performing arts practices, and production rehearsals continue.

Term 2 is a crucial academic term for students, as it is the time to make significant progress in their studies. To help structure their term program and stay on track, every student should utilise their Student Planner tool. Organisational skills are essential for students to develop, and the planner can assist in this development. I encourage parents to monitor their students' use of the planner.

It was pleasing to see so many parents taking advantage of the opportunity to meet online with teachers at the Parent / Student / Teacher conferences held at the end of last term to discuss their son's or daughter's academic progress.

If parents have any concerns about their child's progress, they should contact the specific teacher first. In the case of general concerns, they can reach out to the Mentor Teacher. It is essential to maintain continuous communication between home and the College. To facilitate this, we use 'Xuno', which is our online Student Management System. This flow of information is vital to the success of each individual. You can access 'Xuno' through the parent portal.

Pope Francis R.I.P.

During Mentor Time on Tuesday morning last week, we expressed gratitude for Pope Francis's leadership and prayed for the repose of his soul after his death on last Monday.

Archbishop Peter Comensoli informed the people of the Melbourne Archdiocese in the following way:

“As the Church enters this time over Easter filled with the light and hope of the world, it is with deep sadness that we have received the news of the death of His Holiness, Pope Francis.

We unite with all the People of God in praying for the eternal rest of his soul and entrust him to the tender loving mercy of the Father.

Pope Francis who came from the peripheries of the world has been the father of the poor, and witness to joy and hope. May the Lord, he so faithfully trusted, now welcome him to eternal life.”

ANZAC Commemoration

As you know, last week, we celebrated ANZAC Day on Friday. ANZAC Day is an important Australian commemoration that honours those who have lost their lives in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. It is a time to pray for peace.

As a school community, we gathered for a special ANZAC Commemoration Service on Thursday during period 3 in the Companions Centre. I commend our students for their respectful participation. I am both pleased and very grateful to several of our students, along with some from Bellarine Secondary College, who are members of the Air, Army, or Navy Cadets, for their involvement in this service.

I would like to express our gratitude to our guest speaker, Mr. David Clark, a representative of Drysdale RSL, for his inspiring and thoughtful words.

On ANZAC Day, services were held across our nation to honour the sacrifices of our brave soldiers. I commend our students who attended one of the many services in our region, particularly those who laid a wreath on behalf of our College community.

Many of our students, along with their parents, caregivers, or grandparents, attended a function at the College on the eve of ANZAC Day to hear the President and Vice President of the Drysdale RSL speak about their experiences of war regarding Navy involvement (Vice President) and the Vietnam War (President). The students were then guided through the wreath-making process by a florist. These wreaths were laid at various ANZAC Day services on behalf of the College.

College Assembly

The next full school College Assembly will be held next Tuesday, 6th May 2024 (11:00 am – 12:30 pm) in the College’s Companions Centre. Parents are welcome to attend. Please report to the Loyola Centre Reception at 10:45 am so a seat can be organised for you.

Yr 7 Enrolments for 2026

Parents of current students, please note that the deadline for Year 7 applications at Saint Ignatius College Geelong is rapidly approaching. If your child is in Year Six this year, be sure to submit their application by Friday, 9th May 2025. Even if you already have a child enrolled at the College, a separate application is required for each student. Application forms can be accessed through the College website.

Before and after school supervision

A reminder that the College provides supervision each morning from 8:30 am until the start of the Homeroom class at 8:50 am. Students arriving at school before 8:30 am should gather in the Information Learning Centre, which opens at 8:00 am. In the afternoon, supervision is available for students catching a bus from the College from 3:05 pm until the last school bus departs. Students waiting for a bus should remain in the Basketball court area or at the bus stop. The College Library opens at 8:00 am each morning and closes at 4:30 pm.

Staff Professional Learning Day

Students will not be required to attend school on Friday, May 9th, 2025, as we will be conducting a Staff Professional Learning Day. Students will be expected to undertake work covered in their usual Friday classes at home by following the ‘Announcements’ on the College’s Learning Management System, ‘Canvas.’

Best wishes for Term Two,

Michael Exton | Principal