Acting Principal's Reflection
Welcome to Term 3! It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through the year already. Last Monday we were delighted to welcome fifteen new students and eleven staff to the Shalom community. Each one will bring with them unique gifts, experiences and perspectives that will enrich our college. We are truly blessed to have them join us and hope their first week has been enjoyable and affirming. Of course, with change also comes some challenges.
Staffing… for reasons beyond the control of the College, we have had more teaching staff than we expected moving onto different roles, States and jobs. This has led to a lot more juggling of our timetable than we have had before. Everyone here truly hopes this is a ‘blip’ and will not continue or be repeated. I am very apologetic to the students who have had multiple teachers in the first half of the year. Shalom, like many other employers in all industries, is facing greater difficulty in ensuring we are fully staffed. Many other Colleges have had far worse experiences than we have in securing staff. I hope this will significantly settle down and thank you for your continued support as we journey together through the second half of the year.
On Thursday’s Assembly I had the opportunity to share the story behind our new sculpture, Common Ground – Education is the Key. Created by artist Jenny Steiner, this piece brings together the legacies of two of our House Patrons (Catherine McAuley and Edmund Rice), both founders of religious orders who dedicated their lives to education and serving the poor. The sculpture is positioned between our two newest buildings: Waterford, named after the Irish city, where Edmund Rice founded the Christian Brothers, and Coolock (soon to be completed), named after the estate where Catherine McAuley lived. Catherine later sold Coolock to fund her first school for disadvantaged women and children in Dublin.
Although Catherine and Edmund likely never met, both were contemporaries, who shared a common mission. Their work through the Sisters of Mercy and Christian Brothers helped bring Catholic education to Australia in the1840’s.
This sculpture is a powerful reminder that education remains the key to a better future. The values and vision of Catherine and Edmund continue to live on and inspire our community today.
Upcoming event……. we would like to extend a warm invitation for you to join the Berry Street Parent Webinar on Trauma Informed Practice. Please see the attached flyer for your opportunity to participate in this practical trauma-informed information session.
Don’t forget …… Catholic Education Week will be held from 27th July to 2nd August, with the theme “Communities of Faith, Hope, Love.” It’s a time to celebrate what makes Catholic education special: strong values, faith, belonging, and a commitment to nurturing the whole child. To begin this week, we warmly invite you and your family to join us for Catholic Education Week Mass on Sunday 27th July at 5:30pm at The Holy Rosary Church. This is a chance for our school and parish community to come together in gratitude and hope. We hope to see you there.
Mrs Gail Norris
Acting Principal
Gail_Norris@rok.catholic.edu.au