From the Acting Principal
Acknowledgement of Country
From the Acting Principal
Acting Principal
We celebrated St Aloysius Day on June 21 and we know our namesake as the patron of youth and students. Back in the 16th Century St Aloysius gave up his noble life and inheritance at such a young age as his calling to God was strong, inspiring his mission for justice. Aloysius was considered to be clear-headed, inflexible, unbribable, utterly unself-seeking, all impressive qualities for a man who only lived until 23! It is no wonder that the early Sisters of Mercy working in St Aloysius College chose Aloysius as our patron saint – he embodied so much of what the Sisters did and continue to strive for, in seeking justice, education and opportunity for all, especially for the poor. We carry forward the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy and enjoy the opportunities we have to continue to work with our students and the wider community to strive for justice and mercy in Adelaide and across the world today.
It is fitting to reflect on how the life of the young Jesuit bears witness to many of the Mercy Values at the heart of our school. Our English Coordinator, Genevieve Pelekani, penned a prayer to celebrate St Aloysius Day which I share with you now:
courage
Aloysius was destined for a military career as a nobleman but courageously resigned his inheritance and social status, joining the Jesuit order. We pray for our students, that they may courageously choose their path as scholars and beyond school. Like Aloysius, may they find teachers and mentors who will guide and support them.
God of Mercy, hear us.
God of Mercy, hear our prayer.
HOSPITALITY AND RESPECT
Aloysius quietly and humbly cared for the abandoned, vulnerable and dying. He was clearly devoted to and at the service of others. We pray for all members of our SAC community, especially at the start of Refugee Week, that we will generously and respectfully care for those in need. Like Aloysius, may we welcome and care for others in a spirit of respectful hospitality.
God of Mercy, hear us.
God of Mercy, hear our prayer.
COMPASSION AND SERVICE
When the plague broke out in Rome, Aloysius volunteered to care for the sick and dying. His compassionate service resulted in him contracting the illness, from which he died at the age of 23. We pray for all of us at SAC, that we will compassionately serve those around us, especially those in need. May our love be seen in deeds of service, such as our ministry at Moore Street and our annual Can Drive.
God of Mercy, hear us.
God of Mercy, hear our prayer.
St Aloysius day – celebrating our patron saint
A huge welcome to the newest members of our community, the mid-year Reception students who joined us on Monday for their first transition visit. As expected, there is always a sense of anticipation and some nerves, but already in such a short time the girls have gelled and are looking forward to their remaining visits this term.
I extend that welcome to the family of our Reception students, many of whom are already connected to us via older sisters. As I mentioned to parents, we begin this partnership together in our joint hope for the girls to be happy, safe and confident learners. We look forward to the mid-year students beginning in earnest in Term 3.
This week marked World Refugee Week, a time to come together to celebrate the strength, resilience of forcibly displaced people and the way they enrich our communities. Over the week, students gathered at a lunchtime documentary screening of ‘The Staging Post’ as well as a Q&A with old scholar Zahra Ahsani (Class of 2013) and Mercy Sister and refugee advocate, Meredith Evans rsm to talk about the reality of refugee experiences in Australia and how we can stand in solidarity with refugee and asylum seeker communities. Students of all year levels will also have the opportunity to be involved in lunchtime activities next Monday to learn more about the experience of refugees.
Last year as part of the Year 10 Design course, students created posters for the SA Refugee Week 2023 Youth Poster Awards Exhibition. These designs highlight the themes of the United Nations International Refugee Convention including multiculturalism, human rights, cultural diversity, anti-racism and the welcoming of refugees into Australia. From 370 entries, three of our students’ artworks were chosen to be displayed in the SA Refugee Week 2023 Youth Poster Awards Exhibition at the Children’s Artspace Gallery at Adelaide Festival Centre. A big congratulations goes to Gabriella Baggio, who is the award Runner Up Winner in the Secondary School division! What an outstanding achievement! #WorldRefugeeDayAustralian Migrant Resource Centre
OUTSTANDING POSTERS CREATED BY the 3 finalists of the SA Refugee Week 2023 Youth Poster Competition
Poster designed by Anjali Becker
Award Winning poster designed by Gabriella Baggio
Poster designed by Poshika Magesh
HEART TO HEART – UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE LAW SCHOOL INITIAVITE
It was wonderful to welcome back more old scholars this week to present an education session with students and staff around the upcoming referendum on the First Nations Voice to Parliament. ‘Heart to Heart’ is an initiative of a group of law students from The University of Adelaide. Harper Robb (Class of 2017), Clare Peterson (Class of 2017) and Jordan West (Class of 2021) very generously used their legal backgrounds and research skills to share clear and credible information about the referendum process. Our Year 12 legal studies students found this particularly beneficial, and we will be sharing more information with our community as we approach the referendum this November.
Last week we launched our uniform review with the community – it has been over a decade since our last review so we will be undertaking quite an extensive consultation and feedback process with staff, students and families. We are keen to ensure that any future decisions we make about our uniforms are driven by comfortability for students and that they are something that our students can take great ownership of and proudly represent the school in.
The first stage of the review is seeking feedback via a survey from the staff, student and parent perspective – if you have not had the chance, please complete the SCHOOL UNIFORM REVIEW here. We will have focus groups and other consultation across the next 12 months with a plan to implement a new uniform for the 2025 school year.
Mr Nick Tattoli
Acting Principal
The last major School Uniform change took place in 2008 when both summer and winter uniforms were replaced.
Please complete the SCHOOL UNIFORM REVIEW here
