From the Principal – Issue #16, 2023

Acknowledgement of Country

From the Principal

Dear Parents/Guardians, Friends & Students of SAC,

Term 3 has wrapped up beautifully and there are many success stories to celebrate. Our Music Department has had no time to rest since the Spring Concert, with the Catholic Schools Music Festival taking place at the Festival Theatre this week. I was lucky enough to attend Tuesday night’s performance with Ms Jacqui Mcilroy, and the Year 5 and 6 students were so impressive in the mass choir of over 300 students. A solo performance of With You, by Nia Phillips(11MS) was a showstopper, and the Senior Choir gave a moving rendition of When You Believe. Thanks to the many parents who came out to encourage and support the students and, as always, thanks to the wonderful teachers, whose belief in the transformational influence of music in children’s lives drives them to create these performance opportunities.

This week I attended a celebration for First Nations students graduating from Catholic schools in SA. Staff members Viviana Graney, Maja Tongerie and I were proud to sit alongside India, Teyah, Danica, Keeral, and their families, as they were presented individually with a framed artwork and a graduation certificate. These four young women have worked extremely hard, not just this year but throughout their education, and they have big dreams! We know they will go on to be outstanding leaders in the years ahead.

Our second group of Year 9 campers spent Week 9 in the Flinders Ranges. Experiencing the beauty of the Australian outback is a significant aspect of this experience, along with taking on some challenging hikes and connecting with peers in the great outdoors. Cultivating a sense of wonder and awe in young people can be a supportive factor in promoting student wellbeing, and we thank the staff who accompanied the girls on this journey.

The Mercy Day Mass on Wednesday was a beautiful celebration of the mercy ethos that sits at the heart of this school community. Georgia Gray (Class of 2011) gave a moving reflection on the ways in which mercy shaped her life, both at school and beyond. The Mass concluded with a blessing for a very special staff member who has served the College with pride for 28 years and now looks forward to a well-deserved retirement. Gunars Kargans has been part of the Maintenance Team for as long as most of us can remember — some Old Scholars who are parents of current students remember him from their own days at SAC! Students and staff will miss him greatly, with his generous heart, his concern for colleagues and students and, most of all, his sense of fun! Gunars is always willing to participate in school events, whether it’s Pink Day, Mercy Day or the Can Drive; he understands the meaning of mercy and his many acts of kindness will not be forgotten. We bade him farewell with an Irish Blessing from the choir and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Ms Paddy McEvoy
Principal