Principal's Christmas Message

Principal's Blog

Dear Parents and Carers

This is the final newsletter of the year and I thank those of you who have read it each fortnight. As things changed rapidly during this year we needed to put out additional communications but the newsletter was, and remains, our chief means of communication with families. The next communication we plan to send will be on December 30 informing you of the VCE results.

As always at the end of the year we farewell some staff, thank them for their contribution, and wish them well as they move on to new challenges:

Teachers

• Damian Harrington – to Iona College

• Lauren Flint – to Iona College

• Marnie Lunnon-Johnson – to Newcomb Secondary College

• Erin Norman – to Loreto College Ballarat

• Peter Grant – retirement

• Chris Lahey – to Kardinia International

• John Stephenson – Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association – Brisbane

• Tanika Richards

Support staff

• Julie Cole – to Iona College

• Sarah Klein

• Gabby Eckhardt

• Hailey Haynes

• Lucy Luo

• Anne Papke - retirement

• Ryan Birthisel

• Charlie Walter

We also thank and wish well those staff who have been working with us in short term replacement roles: Grant Byrne, Noel Kelson, Thanh Le Rodda and Grace Wiedemann.

Last week the College Board held its final meeting for the year. After months of online meetings it was good to gather face to face, particularly as it provided the opportunity to thank and farewell retiring Board members James Crough, Mark Nicholls and Br Roger Cripps.

Br Roger’s departure from the Board is quite significant. In 1878 the Christian Brothers arrived on our school site and took over the care of 78 orphans at St Augustine’s orphanage. The Brothers have had a continuous presence in some capacity on the school site since that time, initially in the orphanage and later as part of the College from 1935. Farewelling Br Roger, while sad in that it is the end of an important element of our school, it was also an opportunity to give thanks for the contribution of the Christian Brothers to the St Joseph’s Community.

As we reach the end of this quite remarkable year it is timely to reflect on all that took place. Our community has been challenged by the events of the year. We have grieved together, learnt together and been there for each other. The author Christina Engela writes about the effect of adversity and suffering on people stating “You are strong, tempered like steel in the fire and by the blows of the hammer of life. Nothing will break you again, only make you stronger and more whole”.

The ‘fire’ that was 2020, while it has been awful and difficult in so many ways, has had this effect on us. As well as making us stronger, it has taught us resilience and flexibility. I think it has also made us all more aware of the needs of others, more attuned to helping them and more prepared to ask for and accept help when we are in need. We are a stronger community than we were a year ago.

With the focus on COVID-19 and the constant changes, there doesn’t seem to have been much time to think of Christmas this year, yet it is only 2 weeks away. At Christmas we celebrate the presence of Christ in our world and our lives. Scripture tells us that this was marked by a bright star over the stable at Bethlehem. In 2020 St Joseph’s College has been that star for many of our students and families and the broader community. Thank you for all that you have done in support of the College this year.

I wish you and your families a very safe happy and blessed Christmas.

Stay well and God bless