Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Dear Saint Ignatius College Geelong community members,
Fr James Puppady has been a tremendous support to the College in his leadership role as President of the Association of Canonical Administrators for the last four years. So it is with sadness that I inform you that the Archbishop has asked Fr James to relocate and lead two parishes in the northwest of Melbourne. Fr James will commence in his new position on June 9.
At Saint Ignatius College, we will miss him. As well as President, he has been a Canonical Administrator, Board member and College Chaplain for nine years. Fr James has celebrated many Masses, spoken at assemblies and significant school functions. His friendly, enthusiastic and generous nature has been greatly appreciated. In particular, his involvement with the student group whom he accompanied to the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Perth in 2019, which was very much appreciated by all those involved.
We will take the opportunity at the Whole School Assembly on June 1 to express our gratitude and farewell to Fr James.
Today, 20 May 2021, marks the commencement of the “Ignatian Year.” The Society of Jesus and the Ignatian family will participate in this worldwide celebration from May 2021 until July 2022.
May 20, 2021, marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of St. Ignatius’ enormous change of life — that fateful day when Ignatius, the soldier struck by a cannonball while defending Pamplona, began his transformation into Ignatius, the pilgrim.
Ignatius’ injury started a process of conversion, which led him to have bigger dreams, no longer centred on himself but instead on God. It helped St. Ignatius to see all things new in Christ.
"To see all things new in Christ" is the theme of the Ignatian Year.
At our next Whole School Assembly on June 1, we will celebrate the opening of this year. We will be honoured with the presence of Fr Quyen Vu SJ (Australian Jesuit Provincial), who will address the assembly.
Main Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) approached schools located near the Drysdale Bypass to ask students to provide some thoughts about inspirational words that could be etched into a wall of the newly completed pedestrian underpass. MRVP wanted students using the underpass to be inspired every morning on their way to school. Two years ago our student leaders were involved in a workshop to develop a list of words to put forward to MRPV.
The uplifting words cast into the walls, include “believe and achieve”, “dream”, “inspire”, “be yourself”, “smile”, and “be the difference”, and were chosen by students from St Thomas Primary School, Bellarine Secondary College and our College.
The underpass is the final piece of the puzzle in the completion of the underpass, which links Drysdale with the education, arts and sporting precinct on Peninsula Drive. All three schools have expressed gratitude for being involved in developing the piece of artwork, giving the students a greater sense of ownership of this important community asset. We are also grateful for the landscaping around the underpass that improves the amenity of the area.
At the recent meeting of student representatives invited to view the underpass wall etchings, MRPV Program Director Tim Price said,
“This is another fantastic example of the local community engaging wholeheartedly in local infrastructure which makes the Bellarine a better place to live.”
Pictured above from left to right, Saint Ignatius College Vice Captain, Florence Noble, a Bellarine Secondary College Captain and Saint Ignatius College Captain, Daniel McInerney Sotomayor
One of our College Captains, Daniel McInerney Sotomayor, who attended the viewing, said,
“I’m gobsmacked, it is incredible, it is so spacious. The words are perfect too, I also love to dream big, I have big plans for the future.”
The underpass is a welcome boost to safety for students entering the busy area and forms part of the 6 km shared walking and cycling path that has been built as part of the project.
Best wishes,
Michael Exton Principal
At the College we explore the life of St Ignatius of Loyola with students in many ways. The primary way in which students do this is in their study of Religious Education.
In Year 7 students come to know St Ignatius within their first unit of study. In Year 12 students reflect upon their formation at the College and examine again the life of Ignatius and what it means to be a graduate of an Ignatian school. What is always interesting to me is the thing every student remembers is the cannonball! Which is not surprising. Getting hit by a cannonball was pretty uncommon, even back in the time of St Ignatius. The anniversary of this significant event in the life of St Ignatius occurs within the week commencing the 20th of May.
At the College we embrace the student’s recollection of the cannonball as a reference point as our students are reminded that this catastrophic incident was the catalyst for reflection, prayer and transformation. This is the key to spiritual growth, and that is the lesson we hope our students have learnt.
In this theme I offer a reflection written by our friend Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ who is an exceptional author and tireless worker at Jesuit Social Services. I hope you enjoy this reflection and find that this illuminates this point.
Most events, even though they seem very big to those who took part in them, are soon forgotten within the history books. Other events, however, are remembered for things that seemed very small at the time but had huge consequences.
Both these things are true of the attack on the Castle at Pamplona that took place 600 years ago. It seemed big at the time. It pitted the Spanish King who was attempting to unify Spain against forces from the local kingdom of Navarre aided by French soldiers. It was, however, a relatively unimportant incident among hundreds of such skirmishes which occurred over a 20 year period, many of which involved Pamplona, and have coloured the subsequent history of this fiercely independent Basque region.
The small event for which the battle is now best remembered was the wounding of a knight defending the Castle of Pamplona. His leg was struck by a ricocheting cannonball. His injury led to the inevitable surrender of the castle. For the wounded knight, Inigo of Loyola, it also led to a long convalescence which changed the direction of his life and shaped the church and world that we inherited.
The key to this change lay in the history and the inner life of the injured man himself. He was representative of his age – with high aspirations, his heart set on life at court, on military prowess, achievement in war, on falling in love, on public esteem and on rising in society. He was a doer and a goer. Being laid up with a busted leg that, out of vanity, he had rebroken, with nothing to dream about but jousting and lovemaking, with nothing to read about but the extraordinary lives of Saints, was not part of his plan. He found himself dreaming about both these opposing ways of life. And crucially, he began to reflect both on his dreams and on his life, and then to reflect on his reflections.
In this process he found God’s calling. As he devoted all his energies to following it, he began to open this reflective way of life to others. He lived as a beggar who in the marketplaces engaged people in conversation that led them to reflect on their own lives. When the religious authorities stopped him from doing this because of his lack of qualifications, he went to Paris to study. There he gathered around him a group of fellow students whom he also taught to reflect on their lives, and to ask where God was leading them. Their shared journey led them eventually to form a religious congregation characterised by its gift for spiritual conversation and by its treasuring Ignatius’ way to a reflective life. He named the congregation after Jesus, whose following was central both to the path he took, and to the reflection he encouraged.
Ignatius’ experience lies at the heart of the Ignatian tradition that Jesuit Social Services has inherited. The reflectiveness that led him to ask what matters is also central to our way of working – of seeking out the people who most need our help, of helping them also to find what they want most deeply in life, and to reflect constantly on our own way of working to ensure that we continue to serve others and not just ourselves.
We do not know what happened to the cannonball which bounced off the castle wall on to Ignatius’ leg. But it's apparently accidental path remains an image of Ignatius’ own change of trajectory, one to which he brought all his natural gifts of leadership and persistence. He harnessed these to the radical new life he discovered through reflection on where God was leading him. In doing that, he left us all indebted to him.
Yours in Christ,
Brendan Nicholls Liturgy Coordinator
From 3-7th May, our Year 7 cohort attended the Anglesea YMCA. Over 2 nights and 3 days, students worked both individually and as a team to overcome personal fears and achieve more than they ever thought imaginable. The students were positive and friendly and the YMCA staff commented on what beautiful young people they were.
The camp could not have run without our fabulous staff, who gave their time to allow this camp to go ahead. After the disappointments of last year, it was so much fun to laugh, get to know students outside the classroom and to watch friendships form.
Leonie O'Brien Year Level Coordinator - Year 7
Here are some of the comments made by our Ignatian Leaders of 2021.
Camp for Year 7s was excellent, everyone enjoyed themselves and I think we all settled in pretty fast. The first camp's weather could've been better and warmer but that didn't stop us from trying our absolute best in the activities. The second camp got better weather and they ripped through the camp amazingly. Camp was probably my Year 7 highlight and I can't wait for other people to experience it.
Amie Crone
Year 7 camp was an excellent experience, it really taught me a lot about my friends and it encouraged me to do things I thought I would never do. I got told that some of the activities you had to do included trust, and it was correct, all activities we did included trusting each other and I'm glad that camp was about getting us closer to new people and also getting to know new people. Overall, camp was wonderful.
Ashlyn Ellingsen
I remember when I was at the top of the giant swing I felt the adrenaline rushing through my body. This is how I felt the entire camp. Camp was an amazing experience that I will definitely not forget. My favourite part was when I felt like I was free-falling down on the giant swing. I loved the experiences and all the activities. I am grateful to the people that made it happen and made it a really memorable experience.
Timothe Garnier
My camp experience was amazing. All the activities were awesome. My personal favorite was the giant swing. I had an amazing leader, Emily. The cabins were good and I had some good friends in my cabin group. The food was ok. I had to have gluten free so mine wasn't as good as everyone else's. Overall I had an amazing camp experience!
Linnea Atkinson
Camp was a huge opportunity for all of the Year Sevens and a massive success. All of the students had a blast and even though many of us were nervous, we all enjoyed it a lot. Camp was a very special experience and one that we will look back on in a few years and be grateful that it helped us create friendships and memories that will last a very long time. Year 7 Camp was lots of fun with exciting and challenging activities that encouraged us to try new things. A huge thanks to all of the Saint Ignatius staff who went along to support us and to all of the YMCA staff for running the activities and cooking us delicious food. This awesome experience wouldn't have been possible without them. Also, congratulations to the Year Sevens who participated and I hope you had a wonderful time.
Harriet Stepto
I had a great camp experience I loved all of the activities we could do and that they were "challenge by choice," which meant that we did not have to do them if we did not feel comfortable, but I made sure to do them all because some things you do you can only do once. My favourite activity was definitely the vertical challenge where I could race my friend and it was so fun. The food was really good and tasty. I also loved the trivia night where I got to dress up in my sumo suit and I almost won! The questions were good and challenged us. Overall, it was a great camp and I was sad when it was time to go!
Austin Gill
The Year 7 camp at the YMCA in Anglesea was a great experience. The activities I did challenged me especially the crate climb because I thought I would only get up to six crates but I got to ten, which I was really proud of. Over the three days, the activities that we did, boosted my confidence significantly. My favourite activity was the giant swing because you could see the ocean from the top of the swing which, was 19 meters in the air. Overall, the camp was serious fun, I would recommend it to the Year 7s in 2022.
Luke Keast
On Monday the 10th of May 2021 the Year 8 Italian language students took off to destination Club Italia.
The lively and enthusiastic volunteers of Club Italia guided our students through various activities. The students excitedly learnt about the traditional bocce technique and enjoyed the healthy competition amongst their peers. Following this, students participated in cooking sessions and the Club Italia master chefs had the students making delicious pizzas and Italian sweets such as Crostoli and Biscotti all’arancia.
The activities also gave the students the opportunity to have conversations in Italian and listen to some life stories from the Club Italia members. At 12.30pm it was time for lunch and after having overfilled our stomachs with pasta, pizza and gelato, the activities continued with the Italian cinema activity and a fantastic ballroom dance session where students joined together to ignite the dance floor.
An amazing dance demonstrations was given by the three instructors, who were wearing traditional clothes. The dancing activity was a real explosion of energy! Congratulations to all of the students for having shown excellent manners, great team work and the courage of showing off their amazing dancing steps...! Special thanks to Saint Ignatius College staff members Deb, Izzy, Donna, Alithea for stepping in and helping out with the activities.
Francesco Melli
Here some student comments:
Amelia Stanic: “My favourite activity on our excursion to Club Italia was making the Biscotti all'Aarancia - otherwise known as 'orange cookies'. I liked this activity because I love to cook, especially sweet foods such as cookies. The staff were so friendly, and taught us how Italians cooked, and even let us taste some of the dough. Overall the day was a blast and the activities gave us a great insight into Italian culture”.
Lachlan Cutajar: “During the excursion to Club Italia I enjoyed eating all the food, such the pizza and the crostoli that we made and the Italian gelato”.
Eliz Ahmet: “Ball room dancing was the best! ”
Charlotte Van Loon: “My favourite part of the Club Italia excursion was being able to meet and have conversations with all the nonnas that helped us cook our morning tea and lunch. Also I enjoyed being able to learn about their past and about moving to Australia."
On the 5th of May, the Year 11 VCAL classes went on a boat around the Port of Geelong where the history of the Port was explained, and we had the opportunity to see the Port from the water – which was new to most of us!
The boat ride was an eventful experience for both boat crew, teachers and students and seeing the ships up close was quite daunting.
After the boat trip, we walked to Royal Geelong Yacht Club for a brief presentation about the history of how Geelong became one of the biggest ports in Victoria, and of the different job opportunities available working in, and around the Port of Geelong. Overall, we had a lot of fun and enjoyed the experience of being out on the water.
Thanks to Mr Martschinke and Ms Purnell for taking us out for Work Related Skills.
Jazmyn Boyd and Holly Thomson
The Debating Association of Victoria Schools Competition is the largest English-language debating competition in the world. This challenging but rewarding ‘sport for the mind’ has proved quite popular this year, with Saint Ignatius College able to field two teams in D grade (for Years 7-9).
In Term One, the College was represented by Year 7 students Isabelle Hewitt and Jackie Hiemstra, and Year 8 student Damon Maffescioni in Round One of the Online Competition. This was the first debate of the year and students were both excited and nervous about delivering their 4-5 minute speeches.
Our topic was ‘That the government should subsidise tourism in regional Victoria’ and we took the affirmative position.
Isabelle opened our team’s case in a strong and confident manner, speaking with real conviction in her first appearance in a debate for Saint Ignatius College. Our second speaker, Jackie, eloquently rebutted the opposition’s key arguments and then proceeded to advance the team’s case with an impressive display of oratory skill. Damon, our third speaker, did a wonderful job countering the opposition’s main points and providing a compelling and pithy summation of our own case.
The adjudicator praised both teams’ competent delivery and enthusiasm, awarding the victory to Saint Ignatius College, with Jackie named Best Speaker in the debate.
Congratulations to our junior debaters for this wonderful performance in what promises to be an enriching and rewarding competition. The support of all parents involved is also greatly appreciated.
Michael Tod Learning and Teaching Coordinator - Debating (Years 7 - 9)
BATYR presented to our Year 10s and Year 11s on the important topic of "how to support a friend who might be experiencing mental health challenges." Two members of their team provided raw and intense first hand accounts of their own mental health difficulties during their school years, which clearly resonated with our students.
They also provided tips on how to approach a friend who might be experiencing difficulties, the importance of that person opening up for the first time, how to implement good self care and options as to where to go for professional help. The sessions were engaging and interactive, whilst also reassuring and informative.
On the 14th May our Year 7 students were given the opportunity to see the Brainstorm Production titled ’The Flipside’.
The engaging live performance promoted messages around online safety and cyber bullying to educate our students on the responsibilities around technology use. Themes that were covered in the show included empathy, personal responsibility, respect, resilience and kindness. The students were really receptive to the show and were really well engaged.
We would like to thank both Brainstorm and BATYR for visiting our school to spread awareness around such important issues.
From the Student Wellbeing Team
Students in Years 7&8 who enjoy and are good at Mathematics are invited to be a part of a Melbourne University programme ‘Micro Mathematicians’.
This is a free virtual after school extension programme. Selected students have been emailed about this opportunity, but all are invited to apply.
It will run online weekly on Wednesdays from 4pm until 5pm from July 21st until September 8th (via Zoom and Google Classroom). There are a variety of activities on offer that promote mathematical investigation at a high level.
If you are interested please contact Ms. Karen Perkins on perkinsk@ignatius.vic.edu.au to get details on how to access the selection test.
Across Years 7-9 we have 15 students who are undertaking the Melbourne University Mathematics and Statistics research competition. Small group meetings are underway as they work collaboratively to undertake a challenge of their choice, selected from a possible 8 questions.
Karen Perkins Learning Enhancement Coordinator
Can you spare an hour or more on Sunday 6th June to help with our Bunnings BBQ?
Are you a master on the hot plate or a condiment connoiseur?
Please help us to make our first fundraiser of the year a great success. We still require volunteers to assist between 10:30am - 12:30pm and 12:30 - 2:30pm.
If you would like to help please click on Volunteer Your Services on the PFA page of the Saint Ignatius College website. Come along and join in the fun!
Do you shop at Rebel Sport? You can support our school every time you shop by linking your Rebel Active Membership to our school. 5% of what you spend is given to PFA to purchase sporting equipment for our school. If you’re not a member it’s free to join either online or ask a team member in store.
Have you sent an item/s to be sold at the uniform shop prior to 1 July 2020 and it hasn’t been sold? Can you please email Kate at sicgpandf@ignatius.vic.edu.au by 30 June 2021 to notify us if you are willing to donate these items. If you do not contact us prior to 30 June 2021 your item/s will be donated back to the school.
Please ensure any item that is sent in for sale has been freshly laundered, if not, it will be returned to you.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday June 8th at 7.00pm in the Food Tech Room. We look forward to seeing you there. Even if you cannot make it to the monthly meetings, but think you might be able to be on call to help at the different things we are involved in, please get in touch with us by emailing sicgpandf@ignatius.vic.edu.au
Uniform Shop Opening Days and Times are as follows:
Wednesday 19th May 2-4pm
Wednesday 2nd June 2-4pm
Do you know the Uniform Shop also sells brand new socks, ties and hats?
Items to be sold or donated can be dropped off on any of the above days or anytime at the front office.
We are always seeking Volunteers to help in the uniform shop. If you are available and have time to help out contact Kate Callaghan by emailing sicgpandf@ignatius.vic.edu.au . Training is provided.
The College canteen menu uses the 'traffic light system' to inform students, staff and parents of the College the healthier choice’s available at the College canteen (See 'Healthy Food @ School Guidelines' in our 'College Policies and Procedures' section for full details).
Canteen duty provides a much appreciated service to the school. It gives you the opportunity to meet and talk with other parents and also enables you to see your child’s school in action.
Five helpers are needed each day. Helpers will need to be at the canteen by 9:00am and will generally be finished by 1:30pm. If you can only be there part of the day, your help is greatly appreciated.
If you are able to assist, please contact Sandra Woodall at the College on 5251 1136.
Week starting May 24th 2021
24th May: L. Hart, C. Kirk, C. Hewitt
25th May: J. Johnson, S. Donaldson, D. Montgomery
26th May: L. Vella, Needed, Needed
27th May: C. Browne, K. James, S. Peters
28th May: J. Payne, E. Stokie, S. Nyga, R. Snowden, S. Vapp
Week starting May 31st 2021
31st May: E. Dear, K. Nailon
1st June: S. Fleet, C. Hughes, Needed
2nd June: C. Holland, L. Vella, Needed
3rd June: M. White, Needed, Needed
4th June: D. O'Brien, K. Royle, S. Nyga, L. Taylor
Family rituals strengthen the sense of warm connectedness in families. This makes sense, given that the number one biological need for every human is the hunger to belong, and to be accepted, valued and loved.
The disruption of life in 2020 saw many families unable to go about their normal activities, and for many, family rituals reclaimed their valuable position. For some, it was simply going for walks together, riding bikes together, baking, or watching movies together complete with home-made popcorn.
So how can families create and maintain small rituals that make such a difference?
Turn routines into rituals
Bedtime routines that include such things as reading to your children, singing special bedtime songs or even just lying beside your child do far more than help them to fall asleep. When these routines are repeated, they create neural pathways which enhance loving connection. As a nanny to several precious little ones, I absolutely love being a part of their bedtime rituals.
Reign in the chaos
Family rituals bring a degree of predictability and certainty into our sometimes chaotic lives. They are important for teenagers as they provide a sense of control at a time of change and challenge. Families who are struggling with any uncertainty and stress should regularly connect with a much-loved board game or family movie and dive into it with enthusiasm. Leave work and worry behind and spend a couple of hours with those you love the most.
Create greeting rituals
Greeting and goodbye rituals within families are also important. How you welcome and reconnect to children after a day away shows them that you have missed them and still love them. With little ones, some parents leave a kiss on their child’s palm. For others there are special handshakes. I can still remember my dad saying goodbye to us with the oldie but goodie “See you later alligator!” To which we naturally replied, “in a while, crocodile!” This is a ritual that happens now with my grandchildren.
As an authorised celebrant, I have conducted many funerals and one of the things that brings joy to broken hearts are the shared memories of family rituals. The repeated nature of ritual helps to anchor memories deeply in our minds. I remember a beautiful funeral for a man where everyone wore a beanie and a scarf, including his youngest grandchild. This simple act was a nod to the fact that whenever this grandfather watched football on TV, he always wore a beanie and a scarf and so did anyone else who was watching with him. A simple but powerful act.
Never underestimate the importance of family rituals in your home.
Michael Grose
Michael Grose, founder of Parenting Ideas, is one of Australia’s leading parenting educators. He’s an award-winning speaker and the author of 12 books for parents including Spoonfed Generation, and the bestselling Why First Borns Rule the World and Last Borns Want to Change It . Michael is a former teacher with 15 years experience, and has 30 years experience in parenting education. He also holds a Master of Educational Studies from Monash University specialising in parenting education.
CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.
If you believe that you may be entitled to this fund, please complete the Application form sent via Operoo or collect a form from the College office.
Please return the completed form as soon as possible.
If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families.
The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child. This payment will be credited to your College fee account. The annual CSEF amount per student is $225 for secondary school students.
The Concession cards that may entitle you to this fund are listed below:
Health Care Card (HCC)
Job Seeker (JSP)
Parenting Payment Partnered (PPP)
Parenting Payment Single (PPS)
Disability Support Pension (DSP)
Carer Payment (CAR)
Newstart Allowance (NSA)
ABSTUDY - Schooling Applicant (ABA)
ABSTUDY - Secondary / Tertiary (ABY)
Age Pension (AGE)
Austudy Payment (AUS)
Bereavement Allowance (BVA)
Non-Agency Payment (NAP)
Partner Allowance (PTA)
Sickness Allowance (SKA)
Special Benefit (SPL)
Widow Allowance (WDA)
Widow B Pension (WID)
Wife Pension Age (WFA)
Wife Pension Disability (WFD)
Youth Allowance (YAL)
Widow B Pension (WID)
Local Community and Sporting groups you may be interested in.
Council Connect: All About Families
Interested in learning more about what the Council has to offer you and your family?
We have a range of services and facilities available to help you and the young people in your life to thrive and enjoy forming connections in the local community now and in the future.
We are holding information sessions on Wednesday May 26th for anyone who wants to learn more about these services. See PDF below for details.
Reconciliation in the Park 2021
More than a word Reconciliation takes action. This event will be held on Sunday May 30th, 10am to 3pm in Johnstone Park Geelong.
See the attached flyer for details of the event.
Headspace Geelong Free Webinar: Supporting Young People During COVID-19
Wednesday May 26th from 7pm-8.15pm
Click here to register or visit headspace.org.au/geelong
Key points covered:
See the PDF below for more details
Regional Parenting Service: Upcoming Free Parenting Forum
The Regional Parenting Service is running a Free Parenting Forum on Wednesday June 23rd called 'The Teen Brain'.
Presented by David Gillespie, one of Australia's most trusted non-fiction authors, who will detail how complicated a teenage brain is and discuss how to set out clear, reasonable and effective rules to help confidently manage your child's use of screens at a critical point in their lives.
Please see attached PDF for booking details.
Lifeboat Geelong: Combined Catholic Parishes Raffle
This year Lifeboat Geelong, a non-profit organisation that supports survivors of Church and Institutional abuse, is again participating in the Combined Catholic Parishes Raffle. The current diminished church attendance due to COVID-19 lockdowns has meant fewer parishes are involved this year, but the prize pool still has a value of $40,000.
1st Prize: Suzuki Balena Hatchback
2nd Prize: $5000 gift voucher
3rd Prize: $2000 gift voucher
4th - 6th Prizes: $1000 each gift voucher
7th - 20th Prizes: $500 each gift voucher
Tickets are just $2, and every ticket sold generates $1.50 for the work of Lifeboat.
Any family that is willing to sell a book of 10 tickets please contact Cath on 0439 199 400 or cath@lifeboatgeelong.com.au
Parent Education Events - Geelong Region: Term 2 2021
All Regional Parenting Services programs are free and will be offered face to face or online via Zoom, however, bookings are essential.
To book visit www.geelongaustralia.com.au/parenting or call us on 5272 4781.
There are a number of events planned for Term 2. Please see attached flyer for details: