Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Dear Parents, Carers and Friends of the College,
We have come to the end of another academic year, and not surprisingly, the last two weeks have been very busy. This newsletter is the second last one for the year. The final one will be available on Tuesday 17th December.
Our Year 7-10 students finished their classes on Thursday, and the Year 11 students finished on Wednesday. Over the last week or so, the students have been undertaking final assessments. Years 9, 10, and 11 students sat their exams, and Year 7 and 8 students completed various assessment tasks. After their exams, the Year 11 students participated in the “Kick Start” program to prepare them for Year 12.
As a College community, we have held significant events such as Mosaic and the Year 12 Valedictory Dinner. Our Year Level Coordinators (7-9) have each organised a “final assembly” to celebrate and reflect on their students’ year, thank God for the many blessings during the year, and express gratitude to staff members who have supported the students’ learning and well-being.
Semester Two Parent Reports
Parents of Year 7-11 students will be able to access the Semester Two reports via the ‘Xuno’ portal on Thursday, December 17. These reports will provide an excellent basis for parents to discuss with their daughters and sons the progress made during the year and to begin setting student goals for 2025.
Mosaic Evening
Our annual Mosaic Evening at Costa Hall was again an exceptional and important whole school event. Thank you to all the families who were able to attend. A strong school community enhances positive outcomes for our young people.
As in previous years, Mosaic was a wonderful celebration of impressive student achievement across a variety of areas. I congratulate all students who received awards, presented the results of their learning (Art and Technology Displays), or performed on the evening (Music, Dance, and Drama)—well done!
It was impossible to acknowledge all student achievements, and I congratulate all students who have tried their best throughout the year. However, it is also difficult to showcase some of the aspects of school life that we value. Examples include students supporting each other, going quietly about their learning, making the most of their opportunities to discover and develop their gifts and talents, and serving others.
Thank you to our hard-working staff for organising and running this evening – most staff members played some part in supporting this community celebration. In particular, I thank Ms Elana Cole for coordinating Mosaic.
Year 12 Valedictory Evening
On Friday 29th November, the annual Year 12 Valedictory Dinner/Dance was held at GMHBA Stadium, Kardinia Park, Geelong. The evening commenced with the formal presentation of the graduates and some speeches. A very enjoyable dinner/dance followed this. As in previous years, the evening was conducted in a positive, happy and respectful way.
A special feature of the formal part of the evening was an address by a former student, Mr Sam McIntosh (2008), who provided an inspirational speech about his life’s journey since school. In particular, he shared aspects of his journey as a Paralympian and the value of lifelong learning.
Fr James Clarke (President of the Association of Canonical Administrators) provided the blessing and expressed his congratulations and best wishes to the students. The College Captains, Alana Clark and Curtis McCoughtry, spoke fondly about many aspects of their secondary school journey, expressed gratitude to the staff and parents, and wished their classmates all the best for the next stage of their life journey.
Yr 12 studies 2025 - Unit 3 Orientation Program
Thank you to the Senior School team of teachers for providing a valuable Orientation Program over the last week and a half to prepare the Year 11 students for next year. It is essential that these students use some of the holiday time to prepare for the undertaking of their Unit 3 subjects. Teachers have given guidelines and provided preparatory work. The students are responsible for taking advantage of this and not turning up next year, finding themselves behind the rest of the class. Can I please encourage parents to support this expectation? I expect that our senior students give their academic program the priority it deserves, and other undertakings must fit in with their studies. I want all students, as I am sure parents do, to have the best chance of achieving to the best of their ability, and this will be enhanced if the prevailing atmosphere is one where students encourage each other to do their best with their studies.
Final days of the school year
Next Tuesday, we will conduct the Orientation Day for the grade six students attending Saint Ignatius next year. We look forward to welcoming 260 students to Year 7 for next year.
The College Office will close on Friday 20th December for the year.
The commencement date for the 2025 school year
Please note that Years 7 and 12 classes commence on Friday, 31st January 2025. Students in Years 8, 9, 10 & 11 return on Monday, 3rd February 2025.
Advent Season
Last Sunday, we commenced the Advent period of the Church’s calendar, the beginning of a new Church year. The Advent period is a time of waiting and preparing for Christmas.
The four weeks of Advent symbolically point to God preparing humanity through the Old Testament for the arrival of His Son.
“Lord, you sent us Jesus your Son to bring light to our darkness and lead us to eternal life. As we begin this Advent season, enkindle within us the deep desire to seek him in all things.
Lord, you fashioned our hearts to be satisfied with nothing less than Your love which overflows for us in Christ. As we journey through Advent, rekindle within us your gift of hope, and turn our expectant waiting into readiness to welcome Him in all persons we meet.
We ask you this in his name. Amen”
For many of us, this is one of our busiest times of the year. We have so much to do with finishing up another school and work year and preparing for the Christmas celebration. Advent reminds us to reflect on and prepare for the reason for the season so we can more fully celebrate God becoming one of us, with Jesus taking on our humanity.
Best wishes,
Michael Exton
Principal
As we close out Term 4, it’s hard to believe that the year has come to a close for our Senior School students (Years 10-12). It has been a busy and productive term for all.
Our Year 12 students graduated with style and grace in Week 2, beginning with their final School Assembly and Gratitude Walk, followed by the Valete Mass and Graduation Ceremony that evening. The glitz and glamour of the Valedictory Dinner at GMHBA Stadium last Friday night capped off a memorable year, providing a fun-filled evening of formal acknowledgements and celebrations for students and their families.
Year 11 students have now completed their final assessments and transitioned into the Kickstart program, beginning their preparations for Year 12. It’s been wonderful to see the enthusiasm with which they’ve embraced this next chapter in their academic journey.
Year 10 students have now completed their exams, and I commend them for the dedication and thorough preparation they’ve shown in completing their assessments.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the Senior Mentor Teachers for their hard work and unwavering support throughout the year. Their care and commitment have helped make this year a positive experience for our Senior students.
A special thank you goes to the Heads of House—Brendan O’Brien, Julie Wilson, Amanda DaRiva, and Laura Taylor-Payne. Their leadership, professionalism, and extra efforts to support students in countless ways have been invaluable.
It has been a privilege to serve as Acting Director of the Senior School this Semester. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with so many families and students and am grateful for the opportunity.
I wish all our families a peaceful and joyous festive season.
Warm regards,
Ms. Kristin Williamson
Acting Director of Senior School
Throughout this year, the Fire Carriers have been a part of many different events and assemblies. Many students across various year levels have had the opportunity to go on the Cape York Immersion trips where they were surrounded by elders who taught us a lot about the uniqueness of each mob, in the form of storytelling, language, practices and beliefs.
At the start of every assembly, one or more of the Fire Carriers will present the acknowledgement of the country and discuss various significant symbols such as fire, water and earth (land), and the intertwining connection with Australia’s Indigenous culture.
Moving closer to the middle of the year the Fire Carriers worked together to create fun activities for reconciliation week. There were activities throughout the week such as colouring in, jewelry making, and the decoration of ribbons around the school to signify the importance of reconciliation and justice.
In early June, we were invited to IONA college to be a part of the fire carrier commissioning ceremony, where a group of year 9’s were presented as the 2024 Fire Carriers. We were very honoured to get to see this occur and enjoyed standing around the IONA yarning circle, getting to know the Fire Carriers representing various schools also involved in the Fire Carrier Program.
Finishing off the year we collated many significant items to do with Aboriginal culture, such as from the Immersion trips to Cape York and Top End, creating a display in the Mackillop centre for students to stop and examine some of the interesting and unique artefacts.
Photo at IONA’s Yarning Fire Pit.
The annual College Fees Raffle is back! Support the College Parents and Friends Association with a ticket or 2 in 'The 2025 College Fees Raffle' here --> https://rafflelink.com.au/sicg-fees-raffle
All money raised from this raffle goes towards student resources at the College. Raffle drawn on 12th December, 2024.
Thanks for your support of the '2025 College Fees Raffle!'