From the Principal – Issue #4, 2023
From the Principal
Principal
Dear Parents/Guardians, Friends & Students of SAC,
It was great to see so many of our Year 12 students take to the pool at the Swimming Carnival. Whether they were swimming the 50 metres freestyle or floating down the pool on an inflatable flamingo, the message to younger students was clear: you are never too old to enjoy having fun with friends and staying active. Thank you to all the house captains for their leadership on the day and to Nicole Wedding and the PE staff for their excellent organisation.
The sounds of the city colleges were in the air on Franklin St last Thursday, as students from St Aloysius, St Mary’s and Christian Brothers Colleges shared their musical talents with family and friends. We were grateful for the hospitality provided by the St Mary’s College staff and students, and appreciated the way the students from all three schools encouraged and supported one another’s performances. Thanks also to the staff and students who set up and ran the SAC Op Shop on the night. The focus was not so much on sales, as on profiling the commitment to social justice and student agency that the Op Shop represents.
The Music Department had no time to rest, as they headed off to Nunyara in Belair the next day for the annual Music Camp. This event enables students and staff to collaborate for an extended period of time on the new musical repertoire. Many of these items were on show last night at our annual Open Night. I am so grateful to the whole team in the Music Department, who go above and beyond to engage students in Music and see the enormous benefits to students in both learning and wellbeing.
Open Night 2023 saw the full range of SAC experiences on show for our prospective families. A larger than usual group of visitors made for a great atmosphere and gave our tour guides and student participants a chance to showcase their talents and our school facilities. Thanks to all our existing families who came along and supported your daughter’s participation.
This week we welcomed the Trustee Directors of Mercy Ministry Companions (MMC) to Adelaide for the first time since their appointment last year. MMC is the Public Juridic Person (PJP) responsible for the governance of the ministries of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea (schools, hospitals, aged care facilities, and community service agencies). Our Mercy identity is at the core of our work here at the College and we were grateful to the Trustee Directors for choosing to come and spend time with us in Adelaide.
This year the Alliance of Girls’ Schools of Australasia took out a full page in The Advertiser to promote the advantages of a girls’ school education. This association unites schools from the Catholic, independent and public sectors in our passion to address gender inequality. With our purple ribbons proudly on display on Wednesday, students were aware of the importance of International Women’s Day in profiling issues of justice and inclusion for women around the world.
Sister Janet Lowe has been supporting students and families at SAC for over 20 years, so it was with a heavy heart that we bid her farewell last Tuesday and wished her the best of luck for a well-deserved retirement. For those of you who have experienced Sr Janet’s compassionate support, you will know how authentically she embodies Mercy in everything she does. We will miss her enormously and we will be forever grateful for the gift she has been to St Aloysius College.
Ms Paddy McEvoy
Principal
