From the Principal – Issue #14, 2024

From the Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians, Friends & Students of SAC,

At this week’s College Advisory Council meeting we visited The Wardlis in the Mitchell Courtyard to hear Maja Tongerie, one of our First Nations Student Support staff, speak about the journey of bringing this project together with local First Nations artist Cedric Varcoe. We look forward to welcoming our First Nations students and their families to the opening of this space early next term and I am proud of the visible and vibrant acknowledgment of country that this installation provides in the heart of the College.

Ranwul – Ngarrindjeri word for Past

Karlo – Ngarrindjeri word for Present

Palai – Ngarrindjeri word for Future

Each year at this time, I engage in individual conversations with the teaching staff. Schools are busy places, and it is important to me to take this time to reflect on the year together. In 2024, the key focus of my conversations has been to explore in depth a paper presented by the Chair of the College Advisory Council, Dr Sue Holoubek. Sue is a past student and staff member of the College who played a key role in bringing together the book Making Space: Women and Education at St Aloysius College, Adelaide 1880-2000. Sue’s knowledge of the history of SAC, combined with a deep commitment to seeing the work of the Sisters of Mercy continue to flourish here, meant that she was able to clearly articulate the essence of who we are. Sue presented this paper to the Advisory Council and to the whole staff. This set the scene for my conversations, enabling me to check the temperature with the staff who are on the ground here each day. I appreciate the insights staff give me into how we are living out our Mercy ethos today and identifying ways in which we might express the ethos more authentically. I am grateful to Sue for laying the groundwork for these rich conversations about our identity.

We were thrilled to welcome so many primary families and friends to our Book Week Parade in the gym last Friday. The theme for 2024, Reading is Magic, captures the transformative power of books in our lives. Teaching and support staff, and especially the wonderful team in the Catherine McAuley Library, bring the magic of reading alive for our students each and every day at SAC, and we are so grateful for the inspiration they provide. Thanks also to the parents, whose many hours of creative endeavour with costumes was on display!

Grandparents and grand friends of our Reception students came out in force for our rescheduled Grandparents Day on Wednesday. The children were so proud to show their visitors around the school and engage in some fun activities with them. Once again, our wonderful Library team joined with the Reception teachers to create this event, and after spending time in the library and the classrooms, they finished the visit with a closing liturgy.

Our Reception students were delighted to welcome their Grandparents and Grand-Friends for a special gathering 💟

And finally, today we celebrated the Dads in our community with a Father’s Day Breakfast in the Auditorium. Serenaded by the primary choir and fuelled with coffee and bacon & egg brioche buns, around 100 parents joined us to celebrate love and family. Wishing all the wonderful fathers in our school community a very Happy Father’s Day this Sunday.