From the Acting Principal – Issue #11, 2023
Acknowledgement of Country
From the Acting Principal
Acting Principal
Dear Parents/Guardians, Friends & Students of SAC,
We had a beautiful celebration with the Primary students as we shared Mass and then Semester One Student Awards in St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral on Wednesday. Fr James spoke about the blessings we enjoy in our lives and the students were quick to comment about their gratefulness for their many blessings, including their family, friends, classmates, education and the earth. Congratulations to all of the students in their outstanding endeavour, application and persistence with their studies across Semester One, and well done to all students also recognised for their outstanding contributions to the Mercy values.
This week we have been celebrating NAIDOC Week and its theme, For Our Elders. This is a fitting recognition and showing of respect to the wonderful contribution that so many have made to community and to the people who have preserved cultural knowledge and are continuing to leave a legacy for future generations. We had a proud group enjoy the NAIDOC Week March and family Fun Day activities at Tarntanyangga (Victoria Square) earlier today.
We currently have 34 students with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture enrolled at the school, and they have been central to leading activities this week and across the year. The work that old scholar Maja Tongerie has been doing to grow the profile of our Nunga Room has been extraordinary, and there continues to be greater conversation and avenues to make a difference through our RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan) Group led by (old scholar) Viv Graney, connected strongly with our JAM (Justice and Mercy) Group led by even more old scholars in Maddie Kelly and Mia Konopka.
Thanks to our JAM students who ran a donut stall on Wednesday lunchtime!
all proceeds from the sales will go towards Tjindu, a foundation supporting young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
The Mercy value of justice just seems entrenched within our students and it is amazing to see it still burn fiercely in our staff and old scholars alike! Continuing in this vein, good luck to our Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Gaby Kinsman, who on Thursday as part of her Mercy Global Action Emerging Leaders Fellowship, will present a keynote address based on her research, Learning Beyond Borders: How can we pave pathways to lifelong learning for forcibly displaced people? Gaby is one of ten women in the world awarded a Fellowship and will present her findings to a live and virtual audience in Dublin at 10am on 13 July (6:30pm local time). Anyone interested can register here to view the research presentations.
This 12 month program has taken Gaby to Cambodia and New York, and will see her presenting next week in Dublin!
Speaking of old scholars, our SACOSA Winter Cocktail Party was very well received and attended by over 50 alumni. The SACOSA choir were a feature of the evening as was the chance to catch up and celebrate with classmates from across many decades. SACOSA’s next event is a High Tea planned for Term 3 so stay tuned for more information.
Our mid-year Reception students have now completed their transition and are ready for the real thing next Term! We are welcoming 16 new Receptions for their official first day on Monday 24 July and we hope that they feel the warm welcome and hospitality that SAC is renowned for.
We say “Bienvenue” to our visiting French students from Lyon; Mahée, Juliette, Lou, Nina, Faustine and Angèle. They will spend another couple weeks with their host families in Adelaide before flying home. Our French exchange students have contributed richly to our classroom dynamics and received a short but vibrant experience of life in an Australian school. Our SAC senior French students are looking forward to seeing their host sisters again when they visit France for their own immersion in November this year. Our students will spend two weeks in a French school in Lyon or Paris, another two weeks with their host families in the lead up to Christmas, and then tour around France with their French teachers. Certainly an experience to look forward to!
“Bienvenue” to our visiting French students!
We are looking forward to welcoming Paddy McEvoy back from leave for the start of the new term. We did get the chance to celebrate with her last week however, as Paddy was recognised by The Australian Council for Educational Leaders with an ACEL SA Educational Leadership Award. This award is in recognition of Paddy’s advocacy for the benefits of all-girls’ education, and leading a community that embraces diversity, promotes excellence for all students, and empowers graduates to pursue careers which challenge gendered thinking. Along with her many accomplishments, Paddy was recognised as a committed Catholic educator who empowers young women to pursue their futures with passion and purpose. On behalf of St Aloysius College, we acknowledge the impact that Paddy has had in leading our school and congratulate her in recognition of this significant award.
I hope that the school holidays present some time for refreshment and recharging for our students and parents and caregivers if you are lucky enough to have some time off too. Once again our students have shone brightly in their academic pursuits and in engaging with the many extra-curricular opportunities that so many have taken up in Term 2. I know the cast of the school production, High School Musical, will be working hard in final rehearsals across the holidays as they prepare for production week as soon as they return. I wish everyone all the best for the break.
Mr Nick Tattoli
Acting Principal
