Today marked one of the most significant occasions on our College calendar, being the celebration of Magdalene Feast Day. As this newsletter is being circulated, our day of community activities is drawing to a close, which commenced with a wonderful Eucharistic celebration, followed by an afternoon of activities, food and carnival rides, all in support of those in need within and beyond our College community. 

Prior to this morning’s Mass, I spoke to our student, staff and parent community about Saint Mary Magdalene as a ‘follower’ of Jesus. In our modern world, where following someone is often reduced to a click or tap on a personal device linked to social media, our concept of following is often flippant, dynamic and based on whims or fads. Mary Magdalene provided the perfect witness of an authentic follower of Jesus. She risked criticism and abuse in following Him throughout his ministry to the point where she was present at His crucifixion, present when He was taken down from the cross, and present when He was placed into a tomb. Her ultimate reward for such devotion was becoming the first person to witness him following His resurrection. Our intentions today were to recommit ourselves to follow in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene, so that we too can live out our College motto, ‘because I have seen the Lord”. 

A day like today is only possible following a great deal of work by a number of people. I extend my thanks to Fr Michael Williams for his ongoing support of the College and to Fr Josh Whicker who returned to the College today for the first time since becoming the first ex-Magdalene student to be ordained a Priest. I thank the many parents who made themselves available to join us for this morning’s Mass and the P&F who organised the sausage sizzle and logistics for the day. Finally, I particularly thank Mr Bubb, Mr O’Neil, Mr Sligar, Miss Slender, Mrs Phillips, Mrs Forner and Ms Corbett and all the teachers who have coordinated so many aspects of today's celebration and to the students who so enthusiastically involved themselves into the spirit of the day. 

Over the course of the year, as a College we have discussed the placement of our 20mins of Pastoral Care within each day’s timetable. Parents may be aware that this period of time is currently placed at the end of Period 1 each day. There has been an overwhelming sense that the value in this time may be enhanced by placing it before Period 1 at the start of the day so that students can better prepare themselves for the day ahead, in addition to offering a brief buffer between the busyness of preparing and travelling to school, and entering into their first lesson of the day, ready to learn. For these reasons, as of this coming Monday, students will commence their day in Pastoral Care at 8:15am before moving to Period 1 afterwards. I stress the importance of punctual attendance to ensure that this period of Pastoral Care is used effectively in order to prepare each student for the day ahead. 

Finally this week, I would like to thank the many parents and family members who attended one of our Parent/Teacher/Student Interview sessions that were held towards the end of last term. It is our hope that through your attendance, conversations took place at home that encouraged students to set clear, achievable and challenging goals for the semester ahead. 

Wishing you all the best for the week ahead, 

David Cloran

Welcome back to Term 3 where we are blessed with many opportunities to read, write, and talk about the things that matter, including the events that take place around us on a local, national and international level. 

Our previous literacy newsletters have featured reading and vocabulary as essential for operating smoothly at school and well into our adult years. For some of our Year 9 students, reading featured as a holiday activity, with Bruce Pascoe’s nonfiction book “Dark Emu’, William Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’, a book on communication and a narrative by Pat Barker  ‘The Silence of the Girls’ all featuring as selections that were read.

On a recent trip to the Sunshine Coast, for the purpose of attending a 10 Day Cricket Competition, I had the joy of engaging with people I would otherwise not have interacted with, nor come across. What struck me most was the talk around reading, it featured as a topic that people across all ages engaged in. People were sharing experiences of reading to their children, competing to finish a book first, with some reflecting on not reading as often as they wished. 

People shared these insights:

• Reading widely helps interactions when meeting new people,
• Thinking and talking about the challenges of reading opens up our dilemmas and solutions which can be presented in reading material broadens our world view,
• Writing down a key phrase or saying written in a book, reminds people about something they value at a given point in time.

An Australian Under 19 Triathlete said that reading for meaning happens when she makes a connection with an idea, and sometimes this isn’t immediate. So the challenge for her is to connect reading with a goal.’ Then she suggested that selecting the right reading strategy helps her to reconnect with the book. 

Some of her suggestions included: scanning, skimming, rereading, reading for speed, reading for comprehension, reading for interpretation and reflection.

Next time you read, or become unmotivated to read, which strategy will you try?

(Year 7 English silent reading their novel "Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" down by the dam)

Mrs Joanne McMahon

Literacy Instuctional Coach

We are very fortunate to have as our patron saint someone who was there at the beginning, who was a friend and support to Jesus during his earthly ministry, who walked where he walked and listened attentively to his teachings. Mary Magdalene has an interesting Curriculum Vitae. She was there when Jesus healed people and spoke to the crowds. She was there when Jesus and the Apostles needed food or lodging. Mary Magdalene was there at the crucifixion, the burial of Jesus, the tomb of Jesus, and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. She was the first witness to the resurrection and the first person in history to pass on that good news to any other human being. There is no one else who can lay claim to all of these things. By pondering the life, faith and actions of Mary Magdalene we can be guided towards living a life that more closely resembles the example that Jesus gave us.

The Official Mary Magdalene Feast Day, where Mary Magdalene is celebrated as the Apostle to the Apostles, because she was sent by Jesus to bring the Good News to the Apostles, is 22nd  July.

Prayer:

Lord, may we, like Mary Magdalene, be faithful disciples and witnesses to the life-giving power of your death and resurrection.

Mary Magdalene

Pray for us

Amen

As part of our 25th Anniversary celebrations, Year 12 2023 will be selling commemorative pavers that will be placed in a new garden area near the hall.
Each family/child is invited to participate in this lasting commemoration of their time at our school.
The pavers will cost $50 each and will be engraved with the name/names and year(s) of attendance.
If you would like to be included in this commemoration garden, please complete the Opt-in Event on your parent Compass Portal.

Money raised through this fundraising will go to improvement of the chapel (Year 12's project for 2023) and paying for the landscaping of the new garden.
We thank you for your support.