
Dear members of the St Greg’s family,
Welcome back to the second half of 2023! As a staff at our Professional Learning day last week, we reflected on the start of the year and used the analogy of halftime in a sporting fixture. Good teams at the break look to reflect, renew, and refocus. A number of staff have used this scenario with the students on their return.
The academic year gives opportunities to start again, with the start of a new semester allowing all students to reset.
Celebration of Academic Success
It was wonderful to attend these gatherings last Friday. Whilst academic achievement is, and should be, widely celebrated and affirmed, so too should those who have worked to a standard that all of the teachers across the subjects recognised those efforts. In the senior school, boys in Year 7-10 who had demonstrated that, as well as showing marked improvement, met in the Marian Centre to be affirmed for their efforts. Many thanks to the Studies Office and the Academic Care Leaders for putting on the event. The challenge I set for the senior students was to all strive for this as it is not based on grades, rather effort. My hope is we will need a change of venue for this semester’s recognition as the current venue will be too small!
Western Families Dinner
Thank you to Mr Luke Morrissey and Mr Tevita Halaifonua for hosting the Inaugural Western Families Dinner in Orange last Saturday night. In excess of 40 parents attended the function after the fixtures versus Kinross Wolaroi and a great night was had by all. Many thanks to Mrs Tara Bird for suggesting the event at our recent visit to Dubbo. This will continue as an annual event each year, rotating between Bathurst and Orange, coinciding with the fixture against either St Stanislaus or Kinross.
Maroon and Blue Dinner
Thank you to Mrs Ally Buckley and her team of parents for an amazing evening on Saturday night. A sold-out event of 440 parents, friends and staff attended the night with the purpose of bringing our community together and enjoying each other’s company in a fun, circus-themed night. The feedback I received was overwhelmingly positive, both about the event and the experiences both they and their children are having as part of St Greg’s. In typical Mrs Buckley fashion, discussions are already underway for the 2024 event!
NAIDOC Week
As NAIDOC week occurred during our holiday break, this week across K-12 we recognised and celebrated this important event. The theme for 2023 is For Our Elders. Across every generation, First Nations Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families.
They are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and loved ones.
The loved ones who pick people up in their low moments and celebrate in the high ones. Who cook a feed to comfort and pull younger ones into line, when needed.
They guide generations and pave the way for our First Nations people to take the paths that are taken today. Guidance, not only through generations of advocacy and activism, but in everyday life and how to place them in the world.
Strength is drawn from their knowledge and experience, in everything from land management, cultural knowledge to justice and human rights. Across multiple sectors like health, education, the arts, politics and everything in between, they have set the many courses to follow.
The struggles of our Elders help to move things forward today. Their tenacity and strength have carried the survival of First Nations people.
Mr Shaun Humphries did an amazing job organising and coordinating the many events this week, culminating in the NAIDOC Assembly held this morning. As a community, we are proud of our First Nations students and it is a responsibility of us all to work towards positive change, for all members of our St Greg’s family. You can access the recording of the assembly on our YouTube Channel here.
Upcoming Webinar
As part of Council of Catholic School Parent’s ongoing collaboration with eSafety, the Term 3 parent education webinar Online relationships and consent: Sending nudes and sexting will be held on 15 August 2023.
This 30-minute webinar is designed for parents and carers of young people in secondary school.
It will cover:
- the impact of sharing nude images without consent
- practical suggestions for starting the chat about respectful relationships, consent and pressure to send nudes.
- where to get support for a young person who has experienced abuse.
- the impact of sharing nude images without consent
Webinar details Tuesday 15 August 7.30pm – 8.00pm
Register here
I would encourage as many parents as possible to try and attend the webinar.
May St Marcellin. St Gregory and Mary our Good Mother, continue to watch over our community.
Mr Matthew Brennan
College Principal