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Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Article by Mr Michael Exton
Dear Saint Ignatius College Geelong community members,
Recently I read an article in the “Madonna” magazine by Fr Chris Gleeson SJ entitled, “Spirituality in daily life – A big heart.” Fr Chris has visited our College many times over the years and is a very well-respected and wise educator who makes Ignatian spirituality accessible and relevant to our lives.
His article reminded me about the critical and fundamental role of parents in forming young people’s spirituality. Similarly to the guidance and support parents provide for their children’s physical, social and emotional development. Our College aims to form our students spiritually, as well as in other areas. The College’s ability to do this will be enhanced if we partner with parents and build on parents’ work to nurture their children’s spirituality.
In Australia, similar to many other western countries, the overall numbers of practising Christians and the Church's influence is diminishing. However, Fr Chris notes that there remains an essential search for meaning and purpose by humans. He points to the superficiality of the many contemporary lifestyles and the indifference to or lack of recognition of God’s presence.
Ignatian spirituality is about “finding God in all things.”
“The world is charged with the grandeur of God.” (Gerard Manley Hopkins)
At Saint Ignatius College, we aim to develop the whole person – body, mind and spirit. We hope that our students will know more about God through our programs and their relationships at school.
Christianity is a religion of encounter as well as enlightenment, the latter in common with other major religions. We want our students to have an encounter with Jesus Christ as well as learning about Him and His teachings. In some cases, people feel distant from the institutional Church, and this may not be helping them encounter God. The family is the primary group where children can get to know God.
Family is a community that can nourish spirituality. It is the family where faith formation can happen. Fr Chris says, “Strong and caring families can be a wonderful avenue for building communities where each person is valued and respected for themselves.” The challenge for parents is, “in your daily family life, are you in word and deed developing your children’s faith? Are they learning about God?”
“Young people first learn about community, of course, in the shelter of their family. What they learn or fail to learn in the home they often bring with them to the wider community outside. There is no doubt that a healthy family life runs counter to the ‘supermarket’ morality prevalent in society today.”
Through the love and rich experiences parents provide, their children come to know our loving God. This is such an essential and fundamental role for parents in forming young people. And as the young person matures through adolescence to adulthood, we need to nurture the growth of the young person’s understanding of and relationship with God.
Parents play a vital role in faith formation. The basis is there. The love of a parent is a wonderful reflection of God’s love for us. Prayer, reading of scripture and involvement in the Church can enhance our influence on our children’s faith. Let’s ensure we attend to the spiritual as well as the physical, social and emotional health of our young people.
Best wishes to all Year 10 students as they undertake their Work Experience placement during the week beginning Monday 21st June.
The aims of the program include the following:
By learning to cope with new situations and new people and thus building up self-confidence and independence.
By learning about the changes taking place in society and the workplace.
By learning in a practical way.
Work Experience allows students to explore various career opportunities to decide how these relate to their interests, skills, values and goals.
Work Experience helps prepare students for life after school and gives an insight into the world of work.
Many Work Experience positions were made available through school; however, students and their families were encouraged to use their initiative to secure a suitable and interesting place themselves. Well done to students who endeavoured to secure a placement themselves. When I signed the Work Experience forms, it was interesting to see the diverse range of placements that our students could obtain. On behalf of the College, I express our gratitude to employers able to take on one of our students.
Thank you to Mr Bruce Connor (Work and Further Education Coordinator) for his efforts to coordinate this program and Mr Brendan O’Brien (YLC) for his support in this area, and the Yr. 10 Teachers involved.
Mr Greg Fisher has announced that he will be retiring at the end of this Term. Mr Fisher has been on leave during Terms one and two this year.
On behalf of our school community, I extend our congratulations to Mr Fisher on his retirement. I acknowledge with gratitude his nearly 34 years of dedicated and professional service to the education of hundreds of our students, which included not only Saint Ignatius College Geelong but also Catholic Regional College and St. Mary's Technical College.
Mr Fisher has been a key member of the Health, PE, Sport and Maths Learning Areas. Mr Fisher immersed himself in College life by his generous involvement in many College activities and roles of responsibility. In particular, in such roles as a Year Level Coordinator, Sports Coordinator and Health and PE Coordinator.
I am sure many, many students are grateful for the valuable pastoral support he has provided them as a homeroom teacher over the years. I am also aware that many of his colleagues are very thankful for the encouragement and advice.
I wish Mr Fisher all the best for his future.
As next week is the final week of term two, I draw your attention to the following notices.
Tomorrow, Friday 18th June 2021, will be a ‘Student free day’ for a ‘Professional Practice Day’ day for Teachers.
The last day of this term will be Friday, 25th June 2021. Students will be dismissed at 2:20 pm. This earlier finish is in line with the finishing time of most other secondary schools in the region and as a result of the adjusted bus departure times for the school bus network.
The first day of classes for next term will be Tuesday 13th July 2021. Our teachers will be involved in a professional learning day on Monday 12th July 2021.
Semester One Statements of Results will be available via the parent portal for Years 7-12 on Tuesday 29th June.
As the Term draws to a close, I again thank all parents for your ongoing support of the College. I commend my colleagues for their dedicated efforts to ‘pivot’ to and from remote working during the term to ensure the learning continuity of our students during these very challenging times. I hope all students can have a relaxing and enjoyable time with plenty of physical activity and quality family time over the holiday break.
Best wishes,
Michael Exton Principal
Feature
Events
Our News // 17 June 2021
Article by Mr Michael Exton
Dear Saint Ignatius College Geelong community members,
Recently I read an article in the “Madonna” magazine by Fr Chris Gleeson SJ entitled, “Spirituality in daily life – A big heart.” Fr Chris has visited our College many times over the years and is a very well-respected and wise educator who makes Ignatian spirituality accessible and relevant to our lives.
His article reminded me about the critical and fundamental role of parents in forming young people’s spirituality. Similarly to the guidance and support parents provide for their children’s physical, social and emotional development. Our College aims to form our students spiritually, as well as in other areas. The College’s ability to do this will be enhanced if we partner with parents and build on parents’ work to nurture their children’s spirituality.
In Australia, similar to many other western countries, the overall numbers of practising Christians and the Church's influence is diminishing. However, Fr Chris notes that there remains an essential search for meaning and purpose by humans. He points to the superficiality of the many contemporary lifestyles and the indifference to or lack of recognition of God’s presence.
Ignatian spirituality is about “finding God in all things.”
“The world is charged with the grandeur of God.” (Gerard Manley Hopkins)
At Saint Ignatius College, we aim to develop the whole person – body, mind and spirit. We hope that our students will know more about God through our programs and their relationships at school.
Christianity is a religion of encounter as well as enlightenment, the latter in common with other major religions. We want our students to have an encounter with Jesus Christ as well as learning about Him and His teachings. In some cases, people feel distant from the institutional Church, and this may not be helping them encounter God. The family is the primary group where children can get to know God.
Family is a community that can nourish spirituality. It is the family where faith formation can happen. Fr Chris says, “Strong and caring families can be a wonderful avenue for building communities where each person is valued and respected for themselves.” The challenge for parents is, “in your daily family life, are you in word and deed developing your children’s faith? Are they learning about God?”
“Young people first learn about community, of course, in the shelter of their family. What they learn or fail to learn in the home they often bring with them to the wider community outside. There is no doubt that a healthy family life runs counter to the ‘supermarket’ morality prevalent in society today.”
Through the love and rich experiences parents provide, their children come to know our loving God. This is such an essential and fundamental role for parents in forming young people. And as the young person matures through adolescence to adulthood, we need to nurture the growth of the young person’s understanding of and relationship with God.
Parents play a vital role in faith formation. The basis is there. The love of a parent is a wonderful reflection of God’s love for us. Prayer, reading of scripture and involvement in the Church can enhance our influence on our children’s faith. Let’s ensure we attend to the spiritual as well as the physical, social and emotional health of our young people.
Best wishes to all Year 10 students as they undertake their Work Experience placement during the week beginning Monday 21st June.
The aims of the program include the following:
By learning to cope with new situations and new people and thus building up self-confidence and independence.
By learning about the changes taking place in society and the workplace.
By learning in a practical way.
Work Experience allows students to explore various career opportunities to decide how these relate to their interests, skills, values and goals.
Work Experience helps prepare students for life after school and gives an insight into the world of work.
Many Work Experience positions were made available through school; however, students and their families were encouraged to use their initiative to secure a suitable and interesting place themselves. Well done to students who endeavoured to secure a placement themselves. When I signed the Work Experience forms, it was interesting to see the diverse range of placements that our students could obtain. On behalf of the College, I express our gratitude to employers able to take on one of our students.
Thank you to Mr Bruce Connor (Work and Further Education Coordinator) for his efforts to coordinate this program and Mr Brendan O’Brien (YLC) for his support in this area, and the Yr. 10 Teachers involved.
Mr Greg Fisher has announced that he will be retiring at the end of this Term. Mr Fisher has been on leave during Terms one and two this year.
On behalf of our school community, I extend our congratulations to Mr Fisher on his retirement. I acknowledge with gratitude his nearly 34 years of dedicated and professional service to the education of hundreds of our students, which included not only Saint Ignatius College Geelong but also Catholic Regional College and St. Mary's Technical College.
Mr Fisher has been a key member of the Health, PE, Sport and Maths Learning Areas. Mr Fisher immersed himself in College life by his generous involvement in many College activities and roles of responsibility. In particular, in such roles as a Year Level Coordinator, Sports Coordinator and Health and PE Coordinator.
I am sure many, many students are grateful for the valuable pastoral support he has provided them as a homeroom teacher over the years. I am also aware that many of his colleagues are very thankful for the encouragement and advice.
I wish Mr Fisher all the best for his future.
As next week is the final week of term two, I draw your attention to the following notices.
Tomorrow, Friday 18th June 2021, will be a ‘Student free day’ for a ‘Professional Practice Day’ day for Teachers.
The last day of this term will be Friday, 25th June 2021. Students will be dismissed at 2:20 pm. This earlier finish is in line with the finishing time of most other secondary schools in the region and as a result of the adjusted bus departure times for the school bus network.
The first day of classes for next term will be Tuesday 13th July 2021. Our teachers will be involved in a professional learning day on Monday 12th July 2021.
Semester One Statements of Results will be available via the parent portal for Years 7-12 on Tuesday 29th June.
As the Term draws to a close, I again thank all parents for your ongoing support of the College. I commend my colleagues for their dedicated efforts to ‘pivot’ to and from remote working during the term to ensure the learning continuity of our students during these very challenging times. I hope all students can have a relaxing and enjoyable time with plenty of physical activity and quality family time over the holiday break.
Best wishes,
Michael Exton Principal
