Principal's Message
Dear parents and carers,
Last Friday, the College community joyfully gathered to farewell our graduating Year 12 students. On behalf of the teaching and support staff of the College, I would like to express how proud we are of the ‘Class of 2023’. Not just for their sustained academic application and the results they have achieved – and will no doubt go on to achieve – but also for the hard work they have put into who they are as young people wanting to make a difference in our world. We congratulate Year 12 not only for their leadership and example of service to the younger students of the College but also for their wide-ranging talents and many achievements in both learning and co-curricular pursuits.
The Class of 2023 have ensured that the learning culture of Edmund Rice College continues to grow and evolve through enthusiastically sharing an authentic sense of school and house spirit. Thank you to the Year 12 Pastoral Coordinator, Mr Marsh, along with Mr Breeze and the Year 12 pastoral care and class teachers, for their guidance and continued encouragement of our students for their upcoming HSC examinations. In celebrating our great pride in these young men, I also thank the parents and carers of Year 12 for their continued trust and partnership throughout this educational journey.
Congratulations to the following Year 12 students on receiving the following awards:
Year 12 Major Awards:
Elias Logue – ADF Long Tan Leadership Award
Alec Steele – ADF Future Innovators Award
Marcus Meogrossi – David Lear Memorial Award
Mitchell Blackbourn – Sportsman of the Year
Lucas Kirkland – Peter McGovern School Spirit Award
Ben Binoy – Br Oakley Award for Leadership through Service
Cooper Newell-Glaser – Ampol Medal for All Round Achievement
Louis Villella – Leadership Award
Samuel Hall – Pastoral Care Coordinator’s Award
Jake Potter – Inclusive Community
Josh Hayes – Liberating Education
Sean Staniforth – Justice & Solidarity
Zachary Lum – Gospel Spirituality
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As we conclude this Term, it is worth reflecting on the diverse and talented students that make up our community. With students who are currently recognised as the School Based Apprentice of the Year (Aidan Testa), the state champions in soccer (football), and in the ‘Tournament of the Minds’ whilst simultaneously maintaining a focus on our core values of service through advocating and raising money for fair treatment of people from a refugee background – it is little wonder the character of the ERC graduate.
Wishing students and their families a restful spring break.
Best wishes,
Stephen Gough
Deputy Principal's Message
GRADUATION EVENTS
Congratulations to the graduating class of 2023. A significant celebration of events throughout last week occurred, culminating in a wonderful ceremony at the end of the week involving family and friends. Each of these significant events can not go ahead without the tremendous support, generosity of time, effort and hard work of every individual involved. The journey of the fine young men graduating is testament to the investment of love and at times patience of families to get them through as they too often experience the roller coaster of emotions as the students experience the highs (and lows) of schooling. Thanks to the pastoral team for the events throughout the RU OK? Focus week. The diversity of events clearly allowed every student to be involved or ‘onboard the RU OK? Bus’ which was a fitting way to farewell both leaders of our community.
TERM 4 – SUMMER UNIFORM (as per College diary)
At all times the College uniform is to be worn properly by students. This includes travelling to and from school. The ERC uniform procedure not only includes various parts of the uniform by how the uniform is worn. Shirts should be completely tucked in at all times, wearing a black belt with shoes being polished and clean. Students are reminded that they are to be clean shaven, long hair must be tied back with hair not exceeding the collar and should be off the face.
Moving towards the beginning of Term 4, the College summer uniform guidelines are as follows:
Years 11 /12 (All year round)
● College grey trousers (worn with College grey/stripe socks)
● Plain black belt (to be worn at all times)
● Ice blue shirt with current College crest
● College Senior tie
● Optional blazer, ERC red jumper/vest (worn under the blazer in cold weather, not instead of)
● Plain, black, polishable leather school shoes
Years 7 – 10 Summer Uniform (Terms 1 & 4)
● College grey trousers, OR College grey shorts (worn with College grey/stripe socks)
● Plain black belt (to be worn at all times)
● Ice blue shirt with current College crest
● Plain, black, polishable leather school shoes
● ERC red jumper with junior tie and/or ERC jacket (black, red and white) with junior tie
● College Cap ONLY. No alternative caps are to be worn.
In addition to the College uniform, the College requires adherence to its expectations regarding grooming and appearance, including hairstyles (please refer to Page 15 of the Student Diary). Hairstyles that are extreme, outlandish, or attract undue attention in the opinion of the College are not allowed. Styles are expected to be reasonably conservative and guided by common sense.
Mr Walsh
College Deputy Principal
HSC Academic Awards
Student Learning
From the Director of Learning and Teaching
Last week I had the privilege to witness the Tournament of the Minds team win the State Finals at the University of New South Wales. An amazing achievement! Congratulations to Ms Shumack for her facilitation of the team and to the students on this achievement – William Hall (Year 10), Isaac Mitrevski (Year 8), Daniel Morozov (Year 8), Aaron Pasztor (Year 7), Vidath Ranasinghe (Year 7) and Sam Stevin (Year 8). We look forward to hearing about their experiences when they compete at the International Finals in Melbourne next month.
Dr Gerry Sozio
Director of Learning & Teaching
Anzac Day Schools' Awards 2023
This year marked the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. In order to commemorate this, The Department of Veterans’ Affairs conducted a national competition where students were required to create and implement suitable teaching resources that educated their fellow classmates on the experiences of our veterans. The students developed a multi-media presentation that also included an interview with Mr Ian Birch, Illawarra Sub-branch President of the Vietnam Veterans.
Harrison Thelan, William Hall, Ben Moroney, Ali Hadi and Michael Da Silva are to be commended for their outstanding enthusiasm and dedication as they brought to life an important part of our national heritage. Further, these boys were instrumental in promoting and delivering their presentation to all Year 10 students. As a result, they have been awarded with a Certificate of Excellence by the Hon Matt Keogh MP, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister for Defence. This is a prestigious acknowledgement of the commitment and passion these fine young men have exhibited.
Congratulations
Mrs Lothian
Head of Humanities
NSW School of Languages Principal's Award
Congratulations to Christian Yeo in Year 9 for receiving the Principal’s Award for his application and improvement in his studies of Japanese with the NSW School of Languages. This award is a wonderful acknowledgement of Christian’s commitment to his studies and self-discipline as he undertakes the learning of Japanese by correspondence.
Well done.
Mrs Lothian
Head of Languages
“I sit by this pool, the surface glistening,
My ancestors are like an ecosystem,
with rivers flowing down, connecting into one body of water.
Water 5 billion years old,
Water that sustains life on the home we share
Soaked deep in the soil we reside on
It is what connects us all
The blood of our earth.”
This the opening stanza of Year 9 student Oliver Johnson’s poem – “Water is my culture, water is my potential” – which was shortlisted in the 2023 Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards.
Oliver was among several Year 9 students whose poems were recognised by the judges for their use of language in ‘fresh, surprising and original ways.’ The poems were composed as part of the English program which challenged students to write about identity.
Over 2000 entries were received in the secondary section of the Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards – which is Australia’s longest-running annual poetry competition for school students. It is named in honour of Dorothea Mackellar whose poem “My Country’ holds perhaps one of the most famous lines in Australian poetry – “I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains…”
Congratulations to the following students for their wonderful words:
Oliver Johnson – short listed; Christiano Haddad – highly commended; Alfred Hutton – highly commended; Harrison Macdonald – highly commended; Oliver Hasham – commended;
Asher Percival – commended; Christian Yeo – commended.
Mrs Guest
Assistant Head of English
Pastoral Care
From the Director of Pastoral Care & Wellbeing
Last week we marked RU OK Day? with a week of activities promoting positive mental health and wellbeing with a focus on looking out for your mates, highlighting the importance of conversation and connection.
Our Pastoral Team did an extraordinary job in planning and facilitating a variety of activities that captured the diversity of our community in creative, active and fun ways, whilst capturing the essence and importance of this campaign.
Our Year 8 Team facilitated lunchtime Yoga, Year 10 hosted a happy face biscuit decorating competition with a mate, Year 9 ran a team push up challenge, Year 11 a Wellbeing Trivia challenge, Year 12 created the R U OK Bus allowing photo opportunities for the boys and their mates and our Year 7 team encouraged awareness and fundraising for the R U Ok Day? organisation.
Our College Counsellors and newly elected student leaders produced a video to highlight the significance of the day and remind the boys of the importance of looking after themselves and their mates and our staff enjoyed a shared morning and opportunity to chat with one another.
Thank you to all those who wore yellow to mark the day and who contributed to our fundraising efforts for the campaign.
Mrs Hughes
Director of Pastoral Care & Wellbeing