Dear Parents and Carers,

Honouring Pope Francis: A Legacy of Hope, Encounter and Compassion

As a Jesuit Companion School, at Tuesday’s whole school assembly, we reflected on the remarkable life and legacy of Pope Francis—the first Jesuit Pope—whose recent passing marked the end of an extraordinary chapter in the life of the Church and the world. I share some of the points I raised in my address as follows.

Pope Francis reminded us that hope is not wishful thinking—it is a choice. In his words, “Fear is a cage… but it can be overcome—if we stop closing ourselves off.” Hope is the key that opens it. At a time when many feel isolated or uncertain, he called on us to bring light, joy, and hope to others, especially to those who are excluded or forgotten.

A core part of his message was the idea of a culture of encounter. This means truly seeing and listening to others—building real relationships marked by kindness and compassion. As he beautifully said, “Whenever we encounter another person in love, we learn something new about God.”

Francis believed deeply in the power of small gestures—a smile, a sincere “how are you,” an act of welcome. These are not trivial. They have the power to heal wounds, to build bridges, and to change lives.

His vision of leadership was also grounded in humility. He famously urged Church leaders to “smell like the sheep”—to lead by walking with others, not above them. This calls all of us—staff and students alike—to lead with empathy and presence.

One of his most moving metaphors described the Church as a field hospital—a place of healing, inclusion, and belonging. That’s the kind of school we aim to be: where everyone feels valued, seen, and supported.

Already this year, we’ve seen our students live this mission through sport, the arts, service, and day-to-day kindness. These are moments of encounter and connection—foundations for a thriving community.

As Pope Francis once wrote, “We are all born to help each other. Life is better when others are happy because of you.” Let’s take that challenge into this term—to be a source of hope, joy, and compassion for those around us.

In honouring Pope Francis, we don’t just remember his legacy—we live it.

(Acknowledgments: Educate Magis website & Michael O’Connell’s review of Pope Francis’ autobiography, Hope: The Autobiography.)

Yr 7 Enrolments for 2026

Please note, parents of current students, that the deadline for Year 7 applications at Saint Ignatius College Geelong is fast approaching. If your child is in Year Six this year, remember 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 found on the College website.

We have provided four Open Afternoon Information Sessions and many Guided Day Tours during Term One and early Term Two to assist families who are considering applying for enrolment at Saint Ignatius. Our Community Engagement Team, with the support of staff and students, has done an excellent job in organising and running these opportunities. I want to commend the many students who volunteered to help showcase their College. All reports indicate that they were tremendous ambassadors for their school. The number of registrations for attending these sessions was the highest we have ever received.

Year 7 Camps

I was delighted to be able to visit the Year 7 camp last week on Tuesday evening at Anglesea. I was very impressed by the positive and enthusiastic responses I received from the students about their camp experience and how they were settling into secondary school life.

I took some of the College Captains with me as in previous years. These Senior Student Leaders were uplifted by the warm welcome they received. They did a tremendous job meeting as many Year 7s as possible, talking about their experiences of camps and school and encouraging the young students to make the most of their opportunities.

Thank you to the team of dedicated staff for making this a valuable and enjoyable experience for the students. In particular, thank you to Mrs Deb Hodge (YLC) for her overall coordination of the camp and thank you to all staff involved.

College Assembly

We conducted the Term Two whole school assembly on Tuesday. As is our practice, the student leaders ran this assembly. Most of the captains of each area reported to the assembly about their activities to date and what the students could look forward to. The College Vice-Captains did a great job as emcees for the assembly, and the College Captains provided an inspiring address to their fellow students. Each leader affirmed the students who had involved themselves in one or more of the many activities to date and promoted many of the opportunities that students can be involved in during the remainder of the term.

Other features of the assembly were:

A very impressive performance by the cast of “Les Misérables”;

Presentations of Bronze Loyola Award badges to many students;

An entertaining performance by the Yr 10 student band;

Announcement to the House Shield winners for the Swimming and Athletics carnivals; and

Presentation of medals to the swimming and athletics year-level champions.

Well done to all students involved in running the assembly!

Jesuit Mission Maytime Fair

Saint Ignatius College Geelong was again very pleased to be able to support the Jesuit Missions Maytime Fair at Xavier College on last Saturday. The proceeds will assist the Jesuits in their work with people in India, Myanmar, Africa, China, East Timor, Cambodia and the Philippines.

Well done to the Senior Student Leaders who, with some staff help, ran a “Tastes of the Bellarine” stall. In addition to raising valuable funds, the students were great ambassadors for our College and strengthened our connections with the network of Jesuit groups. In particular, thank you to Staff members Carmen Ahearn and Michael Tod.

Mother’s Day

Finally, best wishes to all Mothers for a special day on Sunday, 11th May.

Best wishes for the next fortnight,

Michael Exton

Principal

May the 4th 2025 - the second Sunday of Easter, within the 50 days of celebration, reflection, and revelation that occurs leading up to Pentecost.

For many who chose to celebrate, it was also international Star Wars day… I think with every opportunity that I get to address you lovely people, I will bring up Star Wars.

Contentiously, my favourite film is Gareth Edwards 2016 Rogue One. So it is no surprise that I have really been enjoying the second season of Andor - which is currently airing. Tony Gilroy and his team have crafted an astounding piece of media, with dazzling visuals and masterful script-writing.

If you are unfamiliar with the series Andor, it follows a cabal of insurgent spies, slowly building and fomenting a resistance movement to expel the tyrannical Empire. I appreciate the slow burn; the quiet, slow, unseen, yet constant and unrelenting march towards ultimate triumph… there is sacrifice, and pain, not every plan goes through; yet there is a bubbling hope and optimism that their actions, great or small, are building something bigger.

It reminds me of the work we do here at Saint Ignatius College - reflecting upon the day-to-day, it can be hard to identify and acknowledge the slow, quiet toiling of staff and students; difficult to see the impact of a single day of work and learning.

It is really only when we consider the grand picture, such as the pathway of a student through 7-12, or the growth of initiatives such as SELF, Cura Personalis, Our World over many years, that we can truly appreciate the amazing triumphs - the BIG wins. Moments that are a consequence of a collection of small, day-to-day wins, form a team of dedicated people.

With this in mind, if you would like to join me in making the sign of the cross - In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - AMEN.

Heavenly Creator, we give you thanks for calling each and every one of us towards a greater mission; one beyond the confines of the individual-self. We pray that we might notice the large impacts of our small actions. We pray that with each new idea, each challenge we face, each obstacle we overcome, that we might have the courage to pause, reflect, and identify all the small things we do daily that bring our students closer to success and satisfaction. Give us the strength to do your will, as we co-create in the futures of our young people.

We ask this prayer, in Jesus’ loving name - AMEN.

Saint Ignatius - Pray for us

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - AMEN.

God bless, and may the force be with you.

Week 3A Staff Briefing Prayer 05/05/25

Jarryd Atkinson

College Youth Ministry Coordinator

While this Sunday, the 11th of May, is a day to celebrate mothers and mother figures, it is also a day when the Church around the world celebrates World Day of Prayer for Vocations. At this time we unite to pray for those discerning a call to the priesthood, religious life, or other forms of service within the Church. This day invites us to support and encourage vocations by creating a culture where young people can freely explore God’s call in their lives.

At Saint Ignatius College, we are proud to nurture the spiritual growth of our students, planting seeds of faith, service, and discernment. Fr Robin Koning SJ, the Jesuit Provincial Assistant for Vocations, recently visited the College to meet staff and students and celebrate Mass with Journey students. He spoke of vocations and being called to serve, deepening student understanding that every vocation, whether to the priesthood, religious life, married life, or single life, is a unique and beautiful way of following Christ.

In his final weeks, Pope Francis prepared this message for young people:

On this, the 62nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, I wish to extend to you a joyful and encouraging invitation to become pilgrims of hope by generously offering your lives as a gift.

A vocation is a precious gift that God sows in our heart, a call to leave ourselves behind and embark on a journey of love and service. Every vocation in the Church, whether lay, ordained or consecrated, is a sign of the hope that God has for this world and for each of his children.

This week we invite you to pray for young people so that they may be open to God’s call to vocation.

Maytime Fair

Last Saturday we were thrilled to join our Jesuit family and the wider community in joy, generosity, and shared purpose at the Maytime Fair in Melbourne. The vibrant day was filled with fun, connection, and heartfelt support for the vulnerable communities we walk alongside. Our leaders were wonderful ambassadors of the College, enjoying the day selling products at our ‘Tastes of the Bellarine’ stall and exploring all that the Fair had on offer.

The spirit of community was truly alive, with schools, parishes, teachers, students, and supporters all uniting to uplift those in need around the world. Alongside our own student leaders, a large army of volunteers make this event possible and their service to others is a positive example to those within our Saint Ignatius College community.

We are grateful for the support of local businesses who supplied food, wine and experience vouchers, all of which enabled us to raise money for Jesuit Mission. We encourage families to support the following businesses as an expression of gratitude for their support of us, and Jesuit Mission.

How house captains and vice captains – Lucy, Jacob, Stella and Addison have been working very hard this week on three really significant events that are upcoming for Glowrey House.

Next Tuesday May 13th we have a Glowrey House assembly which will be student run. This assembly will build on house spirit, encourage participation and recognise our class Ignation leaders with the presentation of their badges.

On May the 20th – we have our Glowrey House Mass – held in St. Thomas’ church with Fr. Gerry Healey the celebrant. The purpose of this mass is to acknowledge and pay tribute to Sr. Mary Glowrey who continues to inspire us with the amazing things she did in her life and the incredible sense of social justice and helping others in need that she showed. Again students will be heavily involved in the running of this mass. Post mass students in Glowrey House will be provided with a pizza lunch to share in their mentor rooms.

The other thing that our leaders are working on is our Feast Day performance. Having produced a sensational act last year there is a lot to live up to, so some serious practice will need to occur later in the term to keep up our high standards but I am confident with our talented cohort we will once again produce a personal best effort but most of all have fun.

With all three of the above mentioned events I continue to be inspired by students showing confidence in speaking in front of their peers, hassling myself to be involved and basically wanting to make a difference in their own House community.

It is a pleasure to work with all Glowrey House students

Brendan O’Brien

Head of House

MacKillop House Captains Report

As we approach the halfway mark of the school year, MacKillop House is proud to reflect on a vibrant and meaningful start to 2025. Inspired by the values of compassion, service and dedication emulated by our very own Mary MacKillop, our house has been a driving force across the school, from sporting events to community initiatives.

House Spirit in Action

The MacKillop House has embraced 2025 with overwhelming energy, enthusiasm and unity. Our presence at the Swimming and Athletics Carnivals were certainly not subtle, full of cheering, fabulously yellow outfits and courageous efforts across all events. Whether winning races or encouraging others from the sidelines, we could not be prouder of the MacKillop House’s demonstration of house spirit and courage.

The Uno Competition was another highlight, bringing students together across all year levels. While MacKillop’s very own Aldrin S could not secure the win in the finals, it was pleasing to see the competitive fun and laughter of all participants, which would not have been possible without the immense support of the ILC Staff. Keep your eyes peeled… the Paper Aeroplane Competition is coming soon!

Serving the Community

Last Term’s ‘Hot Cross Bun Drive’ was a wonderful example of the collective generosity of our School Community. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude towards all of the families who supported this initiative to raise funds for Caritas. This would not have been possible without the ongoing support of all the House Captains, Vice Captains, Ignatian Leaders and Heads of Houses, who worked tirelessly to deliver all of the Hot Cross Buns!

Leadership and Growth

The Year 12 Renewal in Dromana was another stand-out moment. With the support of Companion Groups, students were able to take the time to reflect on their values, build friendships, and set personal goals for the year. Many personal highlights include the African Drumming, the Gondolas at Arthurs Seat, and the time spent at sunset on the beach.

We are also pleased to announce our 2025 MacKillop House Ignatian Leaders. It takes courage to put your hand up and lead, and we are very proud of those who have stepped forwards to serve our community.

Da Riva - Emily Baensch, Jenet Saju & Astrid Leonard-Smith

Kiely - Abby Chapman & Grace Elliot

Kier - Jade Cowdery & Jackson Dejong

Lis - Eden Bainbridge & Chloe Dodds

Losi - Evie Zurawel & Angus O’Keefe

Nash - Percy Anderson & Paige Mackenzie

Scott - Georgia Griz & Emily Rjabenko

Looking Ahead

As we look towards the second half of the year, there is plenty to be excited about. We will be on the hunt for performers for the best ever House Talent Show performance for Feast Day next Term, and cannot wait to review the creative entries for our much awaited House Crest Competition. There is also the Paper Aeroplane Competition coming up on the 29th May. 

And of course, we’ll be cheering on our runners at House Cross Country on the 15th of May. We can’t wait to see your house colours and spirit once again!

Go MacKillop!

The MacKillop House Leadership Team

From the moment our Year 7 students eagerly boarded the buses on Monday, April 28, there was a strong sense that something special was beginning—not just a camp, but a journey into community, connection, and belonging. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Anglesea, the camp offered more than outdoor adventure; it became a space where new friendships were formed, confidence grew, and every student found their place within the St Ignatius family.

Upon arrival, students explored the campsite, settled into their bunk rooms, and shared in the excitement of discovering their new environment—especially locating the dining room. Surrounded by bushland and the distant sound of waves, this setting created the perfect atmosphere for building trust, taking on challenges together, and supporting one another.

Each activity offered on camp —from the Vertical Climb to the Giant Swing and Mountain biking— was more than a personal test; it was an opportunity to cheer each other on, offer a hand when someone hesitated, and celebrate together no matter the outcome. Students stepped outside their comfort zones not alone, but uplifted by a group that believed in them. It wasn’t about being the fastest or climbing the highest; it was about showing up for each other, being brave together, and knowing you belonged.

A highlight of the camp was the visit from Mr. Exton and our senior student leaders on the second night. Their heartfelt stories of their own Year 7 beginnings reminded us all of how far one can come with support, gratitude, and participation. Their message—that every student has a place, a role, and a contribution to make—was powerful and uplifting. They warmly welcomed our newest students into the wider College community and reminded them that help and friendship are always close at hand.

Evening games, a movie, and shared meals brought even more opportunities to connect and create lasting memories. Despite the brisk nights, a buzz radiated from the friendships being formed as students learnt more about each other in their cohort and opened themselves up to discover who their peers actually are.

As camp drew to a close on Day 3, it was clear that our students had not only taken part in activities but had also embraced the deeper meaning of the experience. They showed kindness, respect, and a readiness to include others—living out our camp theme of Dream. Discover. Do. - in every way.

A heartfelt thank you goes to the staff who made this experience possible, especially Ms. Anderton (Assistant YLC) and Ms Baker for their diligent organisation and support, and Ms. Falconer and Ms. Edmonds for their attentive care as First-Aid officers. Your dedication and compassion created the conditions for our students to thrive. Special thanks also to Mr. Exton, Ms. Brown, and Ms. Ahearn for spending time with us and welcoming Year 7s into the heart of our school.

As we return back to the routines of daily school life, we carry with us the Ignatian spirit of courage, hope, and compassion that was so alive at camp. Thank you to our families for your support, and to our wonderful Year 7s—you reminded us all what it means to truly connect and be, as St Ignatius said, “men and women for others”.

Deb Hodge | Year 7 Coordinator

Parenting adolescents can be a significant challenge, especially when families are juggling a multitude of competing demands. Here are some useful resources currently available in our area:

Relationship Matters is about to launch a 6 week online course called Tuning in to Teens to support effective communication with teens, responding to difficult emotions and supporting the management of conflict in healthy ways. https://relationshipmatters.com.au/programs/tuning-into-teens/

A new feature length documentary has been released called Seen which explores parenting from different perspectives. Their website also has useful resources and support for parents.

https://seenthefilm.com/

The Barwon Orange Door located in Geelong welcomes self-referrals from families who wish to access local parenting and adolescent support organisations.

https://www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au/

For specific one on one mental health support for your teen you can contact Bellarine Community Health who have a Drysdale Office located next door to Saint Ignatius College.

https://bch.org.au/youth-services/ 5253 0400

Your family GP is also a good starting point to accessing mental health support.

For any further information or resources you can contact your Wellbeing Team at Saint Ignatius College by emailing wellbeing@ignatius.vic.edu.au

Students: Ruby Swinton and Edward Pink Student: Jordon Robinson

Year 11 VCE VM Work Related Skills / Potato Shed Native Animal Welfare Habitat’s

During Term 1, Year 11 VCE VM students have been working on designing and making native animal nesting boxes. These include habitat for native Australian birds in the Bellarine area such as Crimson Rosella, Parrots and the Tawny Frogmouth. Did you know that Australia is home to 830 species of birds, nearly one-tenth of the world's bird species?

Upon completion, these boxes will be donated to the The Potato Shed Theatre and will be erected in the Potato Shed Wetlands areas to encourage and promote bird number growth.

This complex initiative focuses on students developing and consolidating their Employability Skills such as Teamwork, Communication, Problem Solving, Self - Management, Creativity and Leadership. Students are to be congratulated for their enthusiasm and engagement during this hands-on project and for identifying a community focused initiative.

The VCE VM team want to thank the SICG technologies department for their support with access to the workshop, tools and equipment.

The VCE VM Staff and students

Saint Ignatius College is delighted to announce that the 2025 keynote address, and Q and A for Men's Health Week will be delivered by Geelong great Tom Hawkins.

This evening, to be held on Wednesday June 11th is a 'Companion Evening,' and is complimentary to attend, however registration is required via this link --> https://www.trybooking.com/DAWXF

The College Community can also go into the draw for a chance to win a signed guernsey and book by Tom via this link --> https://www.trybooking.com/DAWXF with all proceeds from the raffle going towards the College PFA. 

The College looks forward to welcoming our students and their parent/carers to this Companions Evening, an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about men's health.