It was a delight to welcome our students and staff back onto campus after the delayed start to the College year. Students were clearly pleased to be back at school with their friends and teaching staff have enjoyed the relationship building that face-to-face contact provides.
We have approached 2022 with a sense of optimism and enthusiasm. It has already been a busy week as we commence our more “normal” college activities. We commenced the week on Monday with an Assembly that was streamed to Homerooms. On Tuesday we celebrated the Year 12 Commissioning Liturgy, our re-imagined Opening Eucharist. We were pleased to be able to give Year 12 Parents and Caregivers the opportunity to join the livestream so that they could see their student receive their badge. Thank you to Ms Simpson for organising this liturgy and you can read more about this liturgy in her article in this newsletter.
Our students have settled in remarkably well given the unusual start to the year on-line. Our Year 7 Students are transitioning well to the secondary school environment and after two days of enjoying lunch together in the Sophia Centre, they are now confidently moving around the campus at lunchtime. We hold our Year 12 students in our prayers as they enter their final year of their studies at MSM. Our Year 11 students have commenced their QCE journey, and I thank the parents, caregivers and students that joined the Year 11 Information Evening on Wednesday. Thank you to Ms Crothers (Dean of Teaching and Learning), Ms Howe (Program Leader – Senior School) and Ms Lennon (Year 11 Pastoral Leader) for their presentations. Students in Years 8, 9 and 10 are immersed in their new subjects and I encourage them to make the most of every opportunity that MSM offers this year.
We are blessed with an amazing community. A new year brings with it fresh starts, new challenges, new dreams, and expectations. We can draw inspiration from our role model, Venerable Mary Aikenhead, Foundress of the Sisters of Charity as we approach this year. In the publication Voices from the Heart, we are reminded of the qualities of Mary Aikenhead and I invite you to select one of these that speaks to you and focus on developing it throughout 2022.
Mary Aikenhead had an unshakeable faith, compassion for all, and tirelessness in the face of her own physical burdens. She wrote that “prayer from a tired heart will be very powerful”, and that we should “try not to allow undue anxiety to weigh [us] down. She would encourage her co-workers to: reach out to those in any kind of need – material, spiritual or intellectual; trust in God’s providence; value education in the broadest sense; learn from each other and benefit from those more experienced; be conscious of the bigger picture and have a universal vision for all; have a great sense of humour; build great relationships; treat with respect and reverence all that God has created.
In faith and love
Sharon Volp
Principal
We came together as a community in our assembly on Monday and although we could not all be in the Sophia Centre, it was lovely for our Principal and College student leaders to be able to address the girls from familiar surrounds. Our student leaders were warm and impressive in their confidence and enthusiasm, with some of them presenting from isolation! The tone was a positive and promising one for an exceptional year to come.
Tuesday saw the Mt St Michael’s community celebrate the commissioning liturgy for our senior class of 2022. Congratulations to our Year 12 students who were beautifully presented and engaged meaningfully in the event.
As we continue to gain momentum and move through Term 1, I would like to highlight the following dates to put on the family calendar:
· Friday 4 March - Photo Day
· Friday 25 March - Year 7 Immunisations (round one) please return forms asap
Have a restful and wonderful weekend.
Chookas to our music students who will perform in Music Soiree 1 on Tuesday evening. The girls have been working hard in rehearsals and look forward to sharing their talents via a livestreamed event to our community.
Term 1
Monday 31 January – Friday 1 April
Term 2
Wednesday 20 April – Friday 17 June
Term 3
Tuesday 12 July – Friday 16 September
Term 4
Tuesday 4 October – Friday 18 November (Year 12)
Tuesday 4 October – Friday 25 November (Years 7-11)