Oremus let us pray - St Aloysius
Oremus let us pray - St Aloysius
Oremus let us pray - St Aloysius
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Friday, 3 February You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being immersed in a Issue 01/12<br />
human experience. – Teilhard de Chardin SJ (1881‐1955), priest & palaeontologist<br />
THE RECTOR<br />
A warm welcome to the new school year. I hope you had a grace<br />
filled Christmas break and are looking forward to all that 2012 has to<br />
offer. A special greeting to the staff, students and families who join<br />
<strong>us</strong> for the first time. I hope you may find here a community of<br />
friends and experience a real sense of being part of a mission that<br />
calls <strong>us</strong> to love and serve throughout our lives. May your time with <strong>us</strong><br />
at <strong>St</strong> Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ College be one which changes <strong>us</strong> all for the better. The<br />
beginning of a school year is important filled with possibility and<br />
promise. It is 133 years since <strong>St</strong> Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ College was founded by<br />
Fr Joseph Dalton in 1879 and over those years the hearts and minds<br />
of so many students and families have been shaped by the<br />
commitment and passion of people like you, and the tradition in<br />
which we serve.<br />
In many ways when you come to a Jesuit school, you join a family.<br />
You become part of a broad network of Jesuit schools in A<strong>us</strong>tralia<br />
and around the world. The Jesuits (Society of Jes<strong>us</strong>) is an<br />
international order of over 18,000 priests, brothers and scholastics<br />
with ministries in over 120 countries. Internationally we have a wide<br />
scope of works. These include educational endeavours (universities,<br />
secondary and primary schools, and popular education initiatives);<br />
social ministries (work with refugees, indigeno<strong>us</strong> peoples and the<br />
economically excluded, as well as policy roles in globalisation<br />
disc<strong>us</strong>sions); parishes; prison, hospital and migrant chaplaincies;<br />
spirituality and formation ministries; communications (print, film and<br />
web media) as well as other ministries.<br />
Last week the Superior General of the Society of Jes<strong>us</strong>, Fr Adolfo<br />
Nicolás visited A<strong>us</strong>tralia to attend a meeting of the Jesuit Superiors of<br />
our Asia Pacific Assistancy. Many of <strong>us</strong> had an opportunity to meet<br />
him in Sydney at a gathering at Saint Ignati<strong>us</strong>’ College, Riverview.<br />
The visit by Fr Nicolás was an occasion for <strong>us</strong> to reflect on our<br />
mission today, and to remember that we are part of a global<br />
community that is seeking deeper meaning. Fr Nicolás was born in<br />
Spain and has spent most of his life working in Asia. In 2008 he was<br />
elected the thirtieth Superior General of the Society of Jes<strong>us</strong> since<br />
Fr Ignati<strong>us</strong> in 1540. This was his first visit to A<strong>us</strong>tralia since being<br />
elected Superior General. Many have commented on the similarities<br />
between Fr Nicolás and former Superior General Fr Pedro Arrupe.<br />
Blessed with a warm and engaging personality, Fr Nicolás is humble<br />
and down to earth possessing a good sense of humour. His presence<br />
exudes a calmness and at the same time, a contentment in life which<br />
is clear to all he meets. When he speaks it is like he is having a<br />
conversation with you rather than giving an address. In response to a<br />
question about his childhood he described himself as a slow and shy<br />
boy – a wonderful self-perception given the position he now holds. It<br />
gives meaning to the phrase “nothing is impossible with God”.<br />
Fr Nicolás in his address reminded <strong>us</strong> of our responsibility to the<br />
young people of today. “God has much to do with youth and their<br />
joy”. He noted that in schools, there can be a danger of becoming so<br />
concerned with administration that opportunities for relationships are<br />
neglected. He continually <strong>us</strong>ed the word “presence” in his address<br />
highlighting the importance of good relationships. He invited <strong>us</strong> to<br />
consider this call to be “present” with young people, to accompany<br />
them on their journey. He encouraged a type of companionship that<br />
is emotionally attuned which tries to guide rather than decide for<br />
others. Only if we have their confidence may we be able to discern<br />
with them how they make their choices. “Young people need some<br />
guidance to discern their direction in life and our spiritual<br />
accompaniment is so important. Our first concern will be to help<br />
them become free; from the decisions made about and for them by<br />
others.” He reminded <strong>us</strong> that young people learn best when they<br />
discover things for themselves. “We need to learn to accept that they<br />
want to swim and be willing to <strong>let</strong> them swim in troubled waters,<br />
rather than j<strong>us</strong>t instruct them on dry land. When we are willing to<br />
swim with them, then they will learn from <strong>us</strong>.”<br />
Young people may have a hard time making well-founded decisions.<br />
“They know that they will not remain young forever. That is why<br />
they seem to be in a hurry to make the most of their youth. We have<br />
to understand this and work to accompany them in this adventure.”<br />
Fr Nicolás encouraged <strong>us</strong> to reflect together on the “how” question<br />
rather than simply respond to the “what”. This is an interesting<br />
reflection on language – ‘how’ helps <strong>us</strong> to look deeper. Enquiry is<br />
sometimes like a tree where we should search for the strength of the<br />
roots rather than be captivated by the superficial r<strong>us</strong>tling of the<br />
leaves. His educational vision is broad. Education is not j<strong>us</strong>t about<br />
helping our students pack content into their baggage but also to<br />
understand the processes of learning and play. In our measures of<br />
‘success’, he encouraged <strong>us</strong> to find ways of evaluating service, the<br />
quest to love and serve, to participate and inquire deeply, rather than<br />
place too narrow a foc<strong>us</strong> on ATAR scores or sporting premierships.<br />
In response to a question about how we find our equilibrium amidst<br />
our continual strivings for success, he spoke about failure. “Failure is<br />
something we don’t talk about a lot but it’s something we all<br />
experience at one time or other in our lives. We need to spend time<br />
teaching the young that it is OK to fail - that failure is a chance to<br />
begin again”. He asked “what is the quality of our presence among<br />
the young who are poor, excluded, or vulnerable, the young who are<br />
most in need?” Given the universality of the Jesuits, he is confronted<br />
with the problems of the world more than most. Where many of <strong>us</strong><br />
would look at crisis as a negative, he sees it as a positive – an
opportunity to face the reality with creativity, to understand<br />
experience and go to the deeper parts of life. “That is how<br />
transformation occurs.”<br />
Fr Nicolás’ view of faith is incl<strong>us</strong>ive and welcoming. At one point he<br />
suggested that it is better to be an agnostic who is still searching than<br />
a Christian who has stopped searching. He asked <strong>us</strong> to consider how<br />
we can be “real bridges between the young and the Church”. He<br />
spoke of his relationship with Pope Benedict XVI and of how the<br />
Pope appreciates the spiritual depth and intellectual rigour of the<br />
Jesuits, especially their mission “to go to the frontiers.” Fr Nicolás<br />
challenged <strong>us</strong> to find these frontiers. During question time Chris<br />
Chan (SAC 2009) asked Fr General how can you dedicate yourself to<br />
a life of service, amidst your professional career? In Fr Nicolas’<br />
response he commented that rather than commit yourself to a service<br />
that you undertake only once a week or once a month, try to find a<br />
way in your workplace or your profession where you can make an<br />
ongoing commitment to helping the disadvantaged, the marginalised<br />
– those most in need. Of course there can be a tension between a<br />
genuine presence with people and the challenge to go to the frontiers.<br />
Jesuits and their companions, who include so many of you, often<br />
have to live that tension. However Fr General also reminded <strong>us</strong> not<br />
to get so b<strong>us</strong>y that we lose our sense of purpose or presence. It is a<br />
good thought as we begin a new year.<br />
Peter Hosking SJ<br />
THE PRINCIPAL<br />
A very warm welcome to all in the school community as we<br />
commence the 2012 school year, in this the 133rd year of the College!<br />
We welcome especially our new boys and their families to the College<br />
community. We also welcome our new members of staff: Eliza<br />
Collins (Junior School), Suzana Juric (Science), Deanne Kyriacos<br />
(English) and Elizabeth Sheehy (English). David Comito (PDHPE)<br />
will join <strong>us</strong> at the end of February. A young Polish Jesuit scholastic,<br />
Kamil Mrówka SJ, has joined <strong>us</strong> for his Regency and will be working<br />
in camp<strong>us</strong> ministry.<br />
As reported in my January <strong>let</strong>ter to the parent body, we were<br />
delighted with the HSC results for the Class of 2011. The Class<br />
included a record seventeen boys on the Premier’s All-rounder list.<br />
There were 287 merits (individual subject results over 90).With<br />
regard to the ATAR mark, nine boys received an ATAR over 99.<br />
The median ATAR was j<strong>us</strong>t over 90. Five students featured in the<br />
Top Achievers list.<br />
The 2011 cohort’s results were impressive in all respects. The median<br />
mark is important beca<strong>us</strong>e it records the success of the cohort as a<br />
whole and that it is not only the boys at the very top who have<br />
achieved so well. We were also delighted with associated results in the<br />
creative arts, combining both strong academic performance and<br />
standout expressions in the vario<strong>us</strong> disciplines acknowledged with<br />
their nomination and incl<strong>us</strong>ion for <strong>St</strong>ate exhibition.<br />
At our first College assembly, we<br />
acknowledged our four Top Achievers, the<br />
seventeen boys on the Premier’s All<br />
Rounders’ list and our top students in terms<br />
of the ATAR rank. Luke McAlpin was<br />
acknowledged as the College Dux. In<br />
acknowledging the academic efforts in such a<br />
way at the beginning of the year, as we do at<br />
the Annual Prize Giving in Term 4, we are<br />
not only marking individual achievements<br />
but also giving appropriate recognition to the<br />
core work of students and staff alike. In<br />
recognising individual academic excellence by members of the Class<br />
of 2011, we celebrate the gifts of these young men, j<strong>us</strong>t as we<br />
celebrate on many occasions the gifts of our sportsmen, m<strong>us</strong>icians,<br />
actors and the like. And j<strong>us</strong>t as those performing at high standards in<br />
sport or on stage are able to make best <strong>us</strong>e of their gifts through<br />
training or rehearsing, so too these young men have worked hard<br />
over a number of years to achieve such fine results. We hope, too,<br />
that their effort and achievement will serve to encourage and inspire<br />
those who follow in their footsteps.<br />
At the same time it is always important to remind ourselves that<br />
academic results are only part of the picture, even as far as the<br />
academic picture. <strong>St</strong>udents who achieve to their potential deserve our<br />
praise no matter what the rank. Learning to learn, the desire to<br />
understand, the experience of cooperative learning, a love of learning<br />
itself, are all deeper elements of the education we seek to give. Other<br />
elements of school life were also recognised at the Assembly – it is<br />
never j<strong>us</strong>t about academics. Achievements in the co-curricular area<br />
over the holidays are acknowledged. The SRC representatives for the<br />
coming year received their badges – these boys play a role of service<br />
and leadership that help shape the school. The School Captain, Tom<br />
Morgan, also addressed the assembly.<br />
In all that we do, generosity in involvement is undoubtedly a mark of<br />
the Aloysian as further evidenced by the many comings and goings of<br />
staff and students over the holiday period. The benefits, I believe, go<br />
beyond the particular activities into shaping and moulding an ethos<br />
here at <strong>St</strong> Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ that celebrates participation and the genero<strong>us</strong> <strong>us</strong>e<br />
of one’s gifts in building community.<br />
The holiday period, as <strong>us</strong>ual, saw much school activity. Thirty-seven of<br />
our Seniors participated in our twenty-eighth Kairos retreat in Bowral,<br />
with the student leaders being Matthew Jepson (Rector), Patrick<br />
Furlong Alexanderson, Cameron Gray, Paddy Morgan, Mitchell<br />
Arnold and Matthew Cosgriff . Two groups of Year 11 boys went on<br />
the Philippines Immersion experience, where they lived and worked<br />
with the homeless, the prisoner and the indigeno<strong>us</strong> tribal peoples. The<br />
impact of such experiences can be seen in two groups of the Class of<br />
2011 who undertook immersion experiences in Vietnam in December<br />
and January. Nine will work for 6 months or a year in remote villages,<br />
teaching English, and two other young Old Boys will be working in the<br />
Jesuit school in Micronesia for a GAP year.<br />
A group of our students also undertook the biannual French tour<br />
accompanied by Ms Robinson and Mr Caillard. This tour, along with<br />
the similar Japanese tour, is an integral part of the Language<br />
programme at the College. Later this term a group of French<br />
students will be with <strong>us</strong>.<br />
In December, the College Water Polo squad competed in the Trans-<br />
Tasman Schoolboys Cup in Melbourne, an invitational event for the<br />
best school teams in both countries. The team of Andre Anderson,<br />
Marc<strong>us</strong> Anderson, Matthew Jepson, Jordi Nikopoulos, Antony<br />
Peronace, James Reid, Jackson Scott, Paul Sindone, Eliot<br />
<strong>St</strong>untz, Rhys Thompson, Harrison Williams (C), Max Whelan-<br />
Young and Ciaran Wolohan defeated the much-fancied Newington<br />
9-8 in the tensest of encounters to reach the final for the fourth year<br />
running, against Melbourne High. Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ went down 8-14 to this<br />
traditional powerho<strong>us</strong>e of the game. Congratulations m<strong>us</strong>t go to<br />
young Old Boy coaches, Michael De Gail and Mark Sindone, and<br />
Mrs Margaret Loomes, Mr Geoff Schneider and a group of boys who<br />
have performed so well at the highest level.<br />
In Tennis, Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ ran out comfortable winners in the Jesuit<br />
Schools Tennis carnival, hosted by Riverview. The team consisted of<br />
Harry Kelleher, Matt Rowland, Ben Lalic, Jack Evans, Nick<br />
Mytkowski, Scott Murray, Patrick Furlong Alexanderson, Liam<br />
Roberts and Zachary Mytkowski. This was the fourth consecutive<br />
title for Aloys, a first in this competition. Harry Kelleher, Ben Lalic<br />
and Matt Rowland were named in the A<strong>us</strong>tralian Jesuit Schools’<br />
team, while Zachary Mytkowski was acknowledged with an Ignatian<br />
spirit award.<br />
<strong>St</strong> Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ hosted the Jesuit Schools’ Cricket carnival. Our First XI,<br />
under Grant Jansson, took out the carnival for the first time,<br />
undefeated in the rounds against Riverview, Xavier and Saint<br />
Ignati<strong>us</strong>’ Adelaide, and convincingly defeating Xavier in the final.<br />
Opener, Luke Vevers, had a real purple patch (more an ermine<br />
patch really) with three centuries (114, 136 and 143 not out in the<br />
final) in an extremely dominant performance, and was named Player<br />
2
of the Tournament. Sam Mathias also stood out with some<br />
devastating bowling performances, especially with 6/10 against<br />
Xavier. Luke Vevers, Grant Jansson, Jordan Daly, Mitchell<br />
Baumgart and Sam Mathias were all selected in the A<strong>us</strong>tralian<br />
Jesuit Schools’ Cricket Team. My thanks too, to the staff and parents<br />
who helped with the organisation of the carnival, and providing<br />
traditional Aloysian hospitality.<br />
Luke Vevers – Player of the Tournament<br />
In Duke of Edinburgh, two expeditions of 30<br />
and 15 boys, for bronze and gold respectively<br />
braved the elements in December. Apart from<br />
a mortally wounded spider, the expeditions<br />
witnessed to the vitality of the programme<br />
under Mr Catchpoole. In January, it was the<br />
turn of the Cadets with a group of boys,<br />
fathers and staff going on a three-day b<strong>us</strong>h<br />
walk. At home, though with similar<br />
enth<strong>us</strong>iasm, rehearsals are already under way<br />
for the much-anticipated return of Gilbert and Sullivan. The Mikado<br />
will play in Week 8 of this term. A number of our Year 12 thespians<br />
are also preparing a production for Week 7.<br />
Some other individual achievements since our last news<strong>let</strong>ter deserve<br />
mention:<br />
Ciaran Wolohan represented A<strong>us</strong>tralian Schoolboys in the test series<br />
against New Zealand in Water Polo.<br />
Sean O’Shea was selected to compete in the A<strong>us</strong>tralian U14 Water<br />
polo Club Championships in Perth.<br />
Our Chair of the SRC, Declan McCarthy, was selected as one of<br />
three Mosman Young Citizens of the Year for 2012. Declan was<br />
presented with his award at Mosman Council’s A<strong>us</strong>tralia Day<br />
Ceremony.<br />
Liam and Sean Thomson, Joshua Hertz and Jackson Scott have<br />
qualified for National Open Water 5km championships in Perth later<br />
this month.<br />
At our first Assembly, the <strong>St</strong>udent Representative Council was<br />
presented to the school. In addition to the SRC President, Declan<br />
McCarthy and Ned Latham the Vice-President, its members<br />
include students from Year 8 – Matthew Dainton, Liam Gilroy,<br />
Jonathan Curulli, Gerard Hughes; from Year 9 – Matthew<br />
Fadhil, William Halliday, Lloyd Collins, Martin Menendez;<br />
from Year 10 – Jack McClatchey, Nicholas Slaven, James<br />
Holloway, Joshua Hertz; from Year 11 – Harrison Boudakin,<br />
Tom Kennedy, Anthony Spiteri, Tim R<strong>us</strong>sell, Liam Thomson,<br />
Ben Fong; together with the College Captain and Vice-Captains. The<br />
Year 7 representatives will be elected later this term.<br />
Another aspect of student leadership in the College is the attachment<br />
of Prefects to classes in Years 3-8. The Prefects may act as mentors<br />
and guides to the younger boys. In some cases, they assist in the<br />
classroom. They can play a role in our pastoral care, and in Years 7<br />
and 8, lead an anti-bullying programme with the boys. The Prefects<br />
attached to Year 6 assist in running the Year Leadership Day. They<br />
represent the commitment of our Seniors to the younger students<br />
and the importance we give to the community nature of the school.<br />
This year the following are attached to classes:<br />
Year 3.1 Brendan Suffield and 3.2 John Booth; Year 4.1 James<br />
McLennan and Year 4.2 Ben McCann; Year 5.1 Oliver Knox, Year<br />
5.2 Alexander Perkins, Year 5.3 Dan Ferrari and Year 5.4 Tom<br />
Goh; Year 6.1 David Quaglia, Year 6.2 Tim Wheatley, Year 6.3<br />
Antony Peronace and Year 6.4 Rohan Hora; Year 7 Blue 1 Paddy<br />
Morgan and Federico Anca; Year 7 Blue 2 Harrison Williams and<br />
Adrian Sims; Year Blue 3 Gabe Koumarelas and Chris Anderson;<br />
Year 7 Gold 1 Claudio Trovato and Chris Mullarkey; Year 7 Gold<br />
2 Ryan Mitchell and Billy Hade; and Year 7 Gold 3 Ollie Masters<br />
and Joe Mastrangelo; and in Year 8, Ben Crumpton, Fred<br />
Giannone, Tim Humphreys, John O’Toole and Michael Paton.<br />
May I wish all members of the Aloysian community a happy and<br />
fruitful year.<br />
Chris Midd<strong>let</strong>on SJ<br />
The summer break saw the commencement of a programme of<br />
maintenance work on the façade of parts of the main building;<br />
particularly the Jeffreys <strong>St</strong>reet elevation. The original plan was to correct<br />
some age‐related cracks and minor dilapidation but, in the course of<br />
doing this, some other issues emerged. It is not uncommon to find<br />
additional concealed problems when working with buildings of this age.<br />
The issues are structural in nature and have required <strong>us</strong> to take the<br />
north/western wall down and rebuild it. This will take approximately six<br />
weeks, weather permitting. It is a slow, labour‐intensive, sometimes<br />
noisy and dangero<strong>us</strong> job. Safety risks have been identified and, as a<br />
precaution, North Sydney Council have closed the road on Jeffreys <strong>St</strong>reet<br />
between Pitt <strong>St</strong>reet and Kirribilli Avenue until further notice.<br />
<strong>Orem<strong>us</strong></strong><br />
<strong>let</strong> <strong>us</strong> <strong>pray</strong><br />
For those who have died:<br />
Rev Fr Ron Joseph SM, uncle of Maryan Wills (College<br />
Archivist)<br />
Dr Michael Logan, grandfather of Tim Manion (Year 12)<br />
Julian Rice, uncle of Max Cornwell (Year 12) and Henry<br />
Cornwell (SAC 2008)<br />
Dereham Scott, grandfather of Declan Scott (Year 10) and Felix<br />
Scott (Year 5)<br />
Maurice Toohey, grandfather of Rhys Michelis (Year 6)<br />
Elizabeth McGee, mother-in-law of Alison McGee (SAC staff<br />
member)<br />
Ask and you shall receive … knock and the door will<br />
be opened unto you.” (Matt 7:7)<br />
If you would like someone to be <strong>pray</strong>ed for by the College community<br />
(even anonymo<strong>us</strong>ly), please pass the details to the Rector<br />
WHAT’S COMING UP<br />
9 February Junior School Commencement Mass<br />
New Parents’ Morning Tea<br />
Your Son in Year 7<br />
12 February Year 12 Mass & Supper<br />
THE HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL<br />
The long wait and the butterflies in the tummy (for parents and boys<br />
respectively) are out of the way and hopefully settled, as we head<br />
towards the end of the first week of a brand new year. On behalf of<br />
the Junior School, it’s my great pleasure to welcome back “old”<br />
(experienced) boys and parents, but a special word of welcome is<br />
reserved for our new boys and their families. It’s a very special time<br />
for you – mostly exciting – but one that can be tinged with some<br />
anxiety and anticipation of what might lie ahead. I <strong>pray</strong> that your time<br />
at <strong>St</strong> Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ College will be an exciting adventure of happy<br />
moments, fulfilment and pleasing growth for your boys. Right at the<br />
outset, I would like to assure you, on behalf of the Junior School<br />
<strong>St</strong>aff, of our commitment to the welfare of the boys in our care, their<br />
safety and happiness. New or old, I would like to encourage all that<br />
we keep all communication lines fully open between the school and<br />
the home. Please feel free to ring, write or email with concerns and<br />
issues, in particular those that would assist your boys to settle into<br />
their new environment and enjoy their new experiences. On that<br />
note, it would assist <strong>us</strong> greatly if you would keep <strong>us</strong> informed with<br />
any previo<strong>us</strong> reports that highlight your boys’ strengths, weaknesses<br />
and special needs, if any. It’s best that your son’s class teacher has<br />
access to such information in the first instance. At all times, please<br />
keep me informed and I will ensure that staff take appropriate action<br />
on such advice.<br />
3
It’s a hectic start of the year for the boys. As if meeting their new<br />
teachers, getting to know their classmates, learning about the merit<br />
system, getting <strong>us</strong>ed to the school diary, new routines, and be<br />
introduced to the concept of regular homework (... very slowly, I’d<br />
like to assure you) wasn’t enough, there have been two major<br />
sporting events that will have occupied your boys’ time, and your<br />
attention and patience, within the first five days of school this year<br />
prior to receiving this news<strong>let</strong>ter.<br />
The first of these was the Junior School inter-ho<strong>us</strong>e twilight<br />
swimming carnival at SOPAC (Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic<br />
Centre), Homeb<strong>us</strong>h. This is generally a most exciting day for the<br />
boys, and for families to be able to see their boys swim in the same<br />
pool where so many of their heroes and world champions have<br />
swum. I hope the boys, as well as those parents who were able to join<br />
in, enjoyed this carnival and the spirit in which everyone participated<br />
in this event. You can expect to hear more about this event in this<br />
column as well as in the Sportsmaster’s column in the next issue of<br />
The Gonzagan. Thank you in advance to the many parents who were<br />
able to assist <strong>us</strong> in so many ways.<br />
The second sporting event, namely Summer sports trials for Cricket<br />
and Basketball and gradings for the Tennis teams, are being held on<br />
Friday and continue this Saturday at vario<strong>us</strong> times and venues between<br />
8.00am and 1.00pm. Beca<strong>us</strong>e of the late finish due to the carnival on<br />
Thursday, you have the option of sending your boys to school at later<br />
commencement time of 9.35am on Friday. If you choose to send them<br />
in at the regular time, supervision will be available from 8.00am in the<br />
school grounds. Boys are asked to come to school on Friday in their<br />
sports uniform (Colour ho<strong>us</strong>e-shirt, shorts and hat) with plenty of<br />
sunscreen, water, morning tea and lunch. Sunscreen lotion is also<br />
available at school, but please encourage your boys to bring their own,<br />
and some spare, and remind them to apply it liberally whenever they<br />
are out and about in the hot sun. On Friday, boys will be transported to<br />
and from school to different venues and dismissed from school at the<br />
<strong>us</strong>ual time of 3.00pm. Since not everyone that trials on Friday will be<br />
guaranteed a place in the team and/or sport of their preferred choice,<br />
at the concl<strong>us</strong>ion of Friday trials, they will be notified if and where<br />
they should be turning up for the Saturday trials. Please impress upon<br />
them to bring home that information to you on Friday afternoon. At<br />
the start of Week 2, team lists will be displayed on the sport notice<br />
boards outside the glass doors j<strong>us</strong>t off reception, and after school<br />
training will also commence during the week. Information regarding<br />
training days and times and venues, as well specific sport uniform<br />
requirements, will be sent home on 6 February once the team lists are<br />
published.<br />
On 9 February we will celebrate the opening of the New Year with<br />
the Junior School Commencement Mass at 9.00am, followed by<br />
morning tea to welcome new parents into the Aloysian community.<br />
Please come along to <strong>pray</strong> for God’s blessings on the New Year and<br />
all our endeavours on behalf of our boys and your sons. The Mass<br />
will be held in the Boys’ Chapel (in the Senior School) and morning<br />
tea will be held in the foyer outside the Great Hall. Week 3 promises<br />
to be an exciting one, especially for boys in Years 3, 4 and 5, with the<br />
camp and get away programme. If any parents have not returned the<br />
permission and medical forms required for the Year 5 camp, we<br />
would like them to be returned urgently by Monday next week.<br />
We congratulate the following Junior School boys who have j<strong>us</strong>t<br />
celebrated their birthdays in this month of January:<br />
1 January James Dettre, Alec Elhindi<br />
4 January Edward Happ, Andrew McClintock<br />
7 January Flynn Sloan, Ang<strong>us</strong> Allen<br />
13 January Daniel Geokjian<br />
14 January Rafael Colinares<br />
15 January Joshua McGillicuddy<br />
16 January Kieran Dean, Daniel Tandany<br />
18 January Nicholas Sywak<br />
19 January Miles Branagan<br />
22 January Brendan Kell, G<strong>us</strong> Morton<br />
24 January Ewan Cooper-Frater, Tomas Esteban, Harry<br />
Lidbetter<br />
26 January Xavier Tafft<br />
27 January Ted Conlon<br />
28 January Joe Byrne, Joseph Mayer<br />
29 January Kieran Gorman, Jasper Hudson<br />
30 January Samuel Kember, William Senior<br />
Martin Lobo (martin.lobo@staloysi<strong>us</strong>.nsw.edu.au)<br />
THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE<br />
On behalf of the College Development Office and the College<br />
Foundation I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Aloysian<br />
Family to all the new boys and families who commence their<br />
Aloysian education this year and a hearty welcome back to all our<br />
existing families. I tr<strong>us</strong>t that the Christmas Holidays were relaxing<br />
and that you have all started the year refreshed.<br />
January has certainly been a b<strong>us</strong>y start to the year.<br />
The New Year was warmly welcomed by over 1,300 members of the<br />
Aloysian Family at the annual SAC New Years’ Eve Family Picnic on the<br />
roofs of the school. The events raised $49,350 which has been<br />
directed to the College Bursary Fund. Tickets for the 2012 event will<br />
go on sale in Week 1 of Term 4.<br />
3 January marked the 60th anniversary of the ordination of<br />
Rev Fr Tom O’Donovan SJ. Father O’Donovan was the seventeenth<br />
Rector of the College serving from 1968-1973 and remains a great<br />
stalwart and supporter of the College. After leaving the College,<br />
Father O’Donovan served as Rector of our brother school,<br />
Saint Ignati<strong>us</strong>’ College Riverview, but it was his many years as<br />
Director of the Jesuit Mission that Father O’Donovan is perhaps best<br />
known. Father now lives in retirement at Canisi<strong>us</strong> College Pymble.<br />
3 January also marked the 50th anniversary of the ordination of<br />
Father Bob Walsh SJ. Father Walsh has been a member of the<br />
College Jesuit Community for a number of years and is a former<br />
Chaplain to the Mater Misericordiae Hospital and Parish Priest of<br />
<strong>St</strong> Joseph’s Neutral Bay and <strong>St</strong> Francis Xavier Lavender Bay. In<br />
February Father Emmet Costello SJ (SAC <strong>St</strong>aff 1956-1970 and 1980-<br />
1987) celebrates 70 years in the Jesuits and Father Joe O’Mara SJ<br />
(SAC <strong>St</strong>aff 1983-1989) celebrates 50 years as a Jesuit. The College<br />
warmly congratulates these men on their anniversaries and thanks<br />
them for their support of the College and their ongoing <strong>pray</strong>ers.<br />
On 28 January the College celebrated the 133 anniversary of its<br />
founding in 1879. On the day the College opened 45 boys were<br />
admitted, the number growing to 115 by the end of the first year.<br />
Now on our third site (Woolloomooloo 1879-1882, Darlinghurst<br />
1883 and Milsons Point 1903-present), the College now educates<br />
1,200 boys from Years 3-12 and is one of the leading boys’ schools in<br />
the country. The College is the oldest Jesuit School in NSW and the<br />
oldest Independent Catholic boys’ day school in the <strong>St</strong>ate. We as a<br />
family have much to be proud of and much to look forward to in the<br />
months and years ahead!<br />
Over the Christmas break a number of new signs have been erected<br />
throughout the College. New signs adorn the entrance to the Junior<br />
School and main building in the Senior School, whilst a new College<br />
crest has been placed on the front of Dalton Hall and the Ho<strong>us</strong>e<br />
Crests have been mounted on the verandah of Dalton Hall facing the<br />
grass area of Wyalla. All the new signage has been designed and handmade<br />
by Danthonia Designs and certainly adds colour and vibrancy<br />
to the exterior of the College. New signage will be progressively<br />
rolled out over the coming years across the entire College.<br />
Mr Terry Gabbedy, the Deputy Director of Development, retired on<br />
13 January and has returned to live in Brisbane with his wife Moira.<br />
Terry served the College for nearly four years and his valued support,<br />
sage advice and energy for all things Aloysian will be missed. The<br />
College wishes Terry and Moira a happy, healthy and long retirement<br />
in sunny Brissy!<br />
Terry’s retirement has enabled the College to re-structure the<br />
Development Office. I am delighted to announce that Melinda Meyer<br />
has been promoted to the newly created position of Fundraising<br />
Manager at the College. Melinda has been on staff for the past three<br />
years serving as Development Officer and has proved to be a great<br />
asset to the Aloysian Family. In her new role, Melinda will take on<br />
4
the strategic and day-to-day management of the New Parents Appeal,<br />
the Aloysi<strong>us</strong> Annual Fund and the College Bequest Programme.<br />
Mrs Sandra Favaloro will continue in her part-time role (two days per<br />
week in Term time) as Accountant to the College Foundation and the<br />
Co-curricular Committee.<br />
In coming weeks the College will be advertising for two new staff to<br />
join the ranks of our expanding Development Office. A full-time<br />
Development Officer (Old Boys and Special Events) and a part time<br />
Administration Officer (three days per week) will be appointed<br />
bringing the staff of the office to five (four full-time equivalent<br />
positions).<br />
Of course later this year the College celebrates the 100th birthday of<br />
the Chaplain to the Junior School, Father Geoff Schneider SJ. Father<br />
Schneider has been on the staff of the College since 1965 (apart from<br />
three years with the Catholic Education Office and one year at Xavier<br />
College Melbourne) and is a much loved character of the College. We<br />
look forward to celebrating this great milestone in due course. In an<br />
interesting side note, we believe that Father Schneider is certainly<br />
A<strong>us</strong>tralia’s oldest full-time teacher, if not the world’s!<br />
So it has been a b<strong>us</strong>y start to what promises to be a very b<strong>us</strong>y year.<br />
So please strap yourself in for what will be an exciting and fun filled<br />
journey!<br />
2012 The Year Ahead: The Development Office is working on a<br />
number of exciting major fundraising events for 2012. These<br />
activities include, but are not limited to:<br />
• A major launch of the College Foundation Bursary Endowment<br />
Fund – planned for the first half of the year, we have already<br />
secured one of our two major guest speakers (a former Prime<br />
Minister) and await confirmation of our second guest speaker –<br />
more details to come<br />
• A Gala Cocktail Party in the second half of the year – along the<br />
lines of the highly successful Gala Cocktail Parties held in 2009<br />
and 2010 – this popular event will be back, bigger than ever.<br />
• We are also looking at holding a Rugby Lunch mid-year as well as<br />
the <strong>us</strong>ual Class Reunions and Aloysian Reunions being held at the<br />
College, interstate and overseas.<br />
The final phase of the three-phase College Masterplan may<br />
commence at the end of 2012 depending on the availability of funds.<br />
This work will see the construction of a new Canteen and casual<br />
dining space in the Senior School, the renovation of the Level 4 & 5<br />
M<strong>us</strong>ic Department including the creation of a two story Recital Hall<br />
and the construction of a Design and Technology Centre.<br />
This final Phase of the Masterplan follows on from Phase I of the<br />
Masterplan which saw the extension and renovation of the Junior<br />
School in 2010 at a cost of $3.5 million and the construction of<br />
Dalton Hall in 2011 at a cost of $12 million and is expected to cost<br />
about $4 million.<br />
With the active ongoing genero<strong>us</strong> support of the Aloysian Family to<br />
the College fundraising programme we hope that construction will<br />
commence in December.<br />
With best wishes and every hope that the Chinese Year of the<br />
Dragon is a great year for the College and the entire Aloysian Family.<br />
Murray Happ (SAC 1985)<br />
Director of Development (9936 5561 / Murray.Happ@staloysi<strong>us</strong>.nsw.edu.au)<br />
CURRICULUM NEWS<br />
MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT<br />
Early morning Mathematics tutoring will recommence<br />
on 3 February, in a new location (Room 243) and will<br />
continue every Tuesday and Friday morning during<br />
term, until further notice. For further notice, please<br />
contact Ms <strong>St</strong>ella Robinson, on Ext 608.<br />
<strong>St</strong>ella Robinson<br />
Head of Maths<br />
PASTORAL NEWS<br />
THE DIRECTOR OF PASTORAL SERVICES<br />
I am certain that, as you gracefully grow older, time seems to gather<br />
speed and the holidays appear to go even faster. I am also sure that<br />
the time goes quicker if you participate in activities that keep you<br />
b<strong>us</strong>y. My family and I experienced a number of memorable events<br />
during the holidays. We were very fortunate to spend a week of the<br />
holidays with my wife’s parents, her siblings and their families at the<br />
Central Coast, and a week with my siblings and mum in Albury. This<br />
was the first Christmas without my dad. I also spent a considerable<br />
amount of time at home gardening and all the family were delighted<br />
with the comp<strong>let</strong>ion of our new swimming pool. I read three books<br />
which, coincidentally, were all biographies. My favourite being Ahn<br />
Doh’s book, The Happiest Refugee. However, perhaps the most<br />
fulfilling activity was spent at a gathering last Wednesday with Father<br />
Adolfo Nicolas SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jes<strong>us</strong>.<br />
Fr Nicolas addressed a packed Ramsay Hall at Riverview. This<br />
presentation involved Fr Adolph Nicolas speaking and then six<br />
people posing questions to which Fr Nicolas responded. Fr Nicolas is<br />
a very humble man. His speech and responses were inspiring and I<br />
was touched by a number of key points. I loved how he reinforced<br />
the importance of the role of Christians in educating our young about<br />
matters to do with the heart. It is only through our good modelling<br />
and educating the hearts of our young ones that a positive message<br />
can be sent to those who may be struggling with their own faith.<br />
My two oldest daughters, Claire and Rachel, participated in a threeweek<br />
Philippines Immersion, very similar to the ones that our<br />
students were part of in December and January. I was delighted when<br />
they returned safely and, especially on the first day back, were so<br />
animated in sharing with all the different stories. This year is a unique<br />
one for our family. My youngest child, Luke, started Kindergarten<br />
meaning that all my six children will now be at either primary or<br />
secondary school – the oldest, Claire, in Year 12.<br />
I hope that the 2012 journey will be a time for all members of the<br />
Aloysian community, especially those new to the school, to<br />
experience many happy and rewarding moments. Borrowing from<br />
Fr Nicolas’ address, even if some of the events of this year end up being a crisis<br />
we hope that we will end up being stronger for the experience. Most<br />
importantly, I hope that all may be drawn to be more like Jes<strong>us</strong>: full<br />
of endless love, kindness and patience.<br />
The following extract was taken from the Rite of Commitment that<br />
was read at the afternoon with Fr Nicolas:<br />
We believe in God<br />
Whose love is the source of all life<br />
and the desire of our lives,<br />
Whose love took flesh<br />
in Jes<strong>us</strong> of Nazareth,<br />
Whose love was crucified by the evil<br />
that wants to enslave <strong>us</strong> all,<br />
and whose love, defeating even death,<br />
is our glorio<strong>us</strong> promise of freedom.<br />
Therefore, though we are sometimes fearful<br />
and full of doubt,<br />
In God we place our tr<strong>us</strong>t<br />
and in the name of Jes<strong>us</strong> Christ, we recommit<br />
ourselves to Ignatian communities<br />
that form women and men for others,<br />
that seek j<strong>us</strong>tice and live in peace,<br />
that care for the earth and share the<br />
commonwealth of God’s goodness,<br />
that live in the freedom of forgiveness<br />
and the power of the Spirit of love,<br />
and in the company of the faithful<br />
for the greater glory of God.<br />
Amen<br />
5
Important Senior School Mass dates to remember for this term:<br />
7 February Senior School Commencement Mass<br />
12 February Year 12 Family Mass<br />
22 February Ash Wednesday<br />
13 March <strong>St</strong>udent Mass<br />
School Masses are j<strong>us</strong>t one way of encouraging the students’ faith<br />
development while at the College. We take great pride in preparing<br />
varied and engaging liturgies for the students. We encourage student<br />
participation in our liturgies and ask that if any boys would like to<br />
volunteer to assist as altar boys, readers or as part of the m<strong>us</strong>ic<br />
groups, please feel free to contact myself, one of the Chaplains or the<br />
M<strong>us</strong>ic Department.<br />
Day of Belonging: A <strong>let</strong>ter will be sent home shortly to Year 7<br />
parents, via your son, with details of the upcoming Belonging Day to<br />
be held on 10 February. This one-day, activities-based program aims<br />
to encourage the Year 7 boys to become more familiar with those in<br />
their year and the Senior Leadership Team. The program is designed<br />
to allow students to explore Chowder Bay, have fun safely in and on<br />
the water and to enjoy each other’s company.<br />
Chris Gould<br />
THE COLLEGE COMMUNITY<br />
THE PARENTS’ & FRIENDS’ ASSOCIATION<br />
Welcome to another school year. I tr<strong>us</strong>t you had an enjoyable and<br />
restful Christmas and New Year holiday with your family and friends.<br />
2012 promises to be another great year in and around our College,<br />
with a series of events and activities organised where “friend-raising”<br />
is our main aim and interest. I’d like to extend a particularly warm<br />
welcome to our new parents. We tr<strong>us</strong>t your experience as a parent at<br />
<strong>St</strong> Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ will be both rewarding and fulfilling.<br />
By now, you all should have received (by email or post) detailed<br />
information highlighting ways in which you can get involved in<br />
activities at the College. If you did not receive the <strong>let</strong>ter, you can<br />
access it on the Parents & Friends’ area of the College’s website<br />
(http://www.staloysi<strong>us</strong>.nsw.edu.au/associations/pnf/default.asp). I<br />
would encourage you to save this area to your Favourites, and check<br />
in from time to time to receive information on upcoming events or<br />
to access those all-important forms that may not find their way into<br />
your hands after being “collected” by your sons.<br />
We are still on the lookout for those of you who are interested in<br />
become Year Co-ordinators or Class Parents. Please serio<strong>us</strong>ly<br />
consider getting involved. We know from past experience that those<br />
who actively participate in the life of the College get far more out of<br />
the experience than they put in. You’ll find the form at<br />
http://www.staloysi<strong>us</strong>.nsw.edu.au/associations/pnf/Letter2012/Clas<br />
sVolunteer.pdf, if you’d like to register your interest.<br />
I would also strongly encourage you to keep 25 February free (from<br />
7.00-9.30pm) for our annual Commencement Cocktail Party. Once<br />
again, it promises to be a great night. Entry this year will be by ticket<br />
only. For bookings, go to www.trybooking.com/18600.<br />
Something to ponder, from SAC Old Boy philosopher, Brian<br />
Churchill (SAC 1976): “It is not what we get, but who we become<br />
when we contribute.”<br />
Regards, Bryan Jenkins<br />
President<br />
UPCOMING EVENTS<br />
New Parents Morning Tea – 9 February at 10.15am: To be held<br />
in the Great Hall Foyer, following the Junior School Commencement<br />
Mass in The Boys’ Chapel. This is a perfect way to meet the parents<br />
of your son’s future friends and a great start to your year at<br />
<strong>St</strong> Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’.<br />
DIARY DATES<br />
The following functions are scheduled early in Term 1:<br />
New Parents Welcome Morning Tea: 10.15am, 9 February [Great<br />
Hall Foyer]<br />
Years 3&4 New Parents’ Ignatian Evening: 8.00pm, 13 February<br />
[Miguel Pro Playho<strong>us</strong>e]<br />
Year Co-ordinators’ Information Evening: 7.30pm, 15 February<br />
[Juana Mateo Room – 4th Floor]<br />
Year 12 Mass & Supper (Year 12 only): 6.00pm, 12 February [Boys’<br />
Chapel & Wyalla Grounds]<br />
Years 5&6 New Parents’ Ignatian Evening: 8.00pm, 20 February<br />
[Miguel Pro Playho<strong>us</strong>e]<br />
<strong>St</strong> Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ Commencement Cocktail Party: 7.00pm, 25 February<br />
[Senior School Courtyard]<br />
Years 7-11 New Parents’ Ignatian Evening: 8.00pm, 27 February<br />
[Miguel Pro Playho<strong>us</strong>e]<br />
CONTACT DETAILS<br />
Chairman Phillip Cornwell 0414 223 765<br />
President Bryan Jenkins 0414 355 255<br />
Vice-President Merin Boyd 0419 969 111<br />
Vice-President/Pastoral Care Michael Morgan 0419 679 591<br />
Secretaries Ann & Alex Paton 0412 250 551<br />
Assistant Secretary Jacqui <strong>St</strong>ene 0408 969 766<br />
Treasurers Cate & Greg R<strong>us</strong>sell 0405 100 463<br />
Assistant Treasurers Marie and Chris D’Cruz 0413 255 400<br />
Logistics Co-ordinator (JS) Jo Marchione 0488 230 198<br />
Logistics Co-ordinator (SS) Catherine Verschuer 0404 050 673<br />
Oval Canteen Co-ordinator Bruno Moscaritolo 0414 365 511<br />
Prayer Group Co-ordinator Edwin Lapitan 0410 463 517<br />
THE SENIOR SCHOOL CANTEEN<br />
The following parents have kindly offered their services in the Senior<br />
School Canteen for the week commencing 6 February:<br />
Monday Leigh Carroll, Doreen David, Louise Kelly, Sue Neely<br />
Tuesday Marisa Anderson, Randa Sleiman, Cathy De Mestre<br />
Wednesday Marie D’Cruz, Kay Jamieson-Kell<br />
Thursday<br />
Friday<br />
Nadia Lorenzutta<br />
Canteen Manager<br />
Petra Mazaraki, Lynne Shearman<br />
Erin Buckley, Kylie Craig, Barbara France, Eleanor<br />
Noonan<br />
THE UNIFORM SHOP<br />
Normal trading hours: The Uniform Shop operates Tuesday and<br />
Friday (open through lunch on both days) from 8.00am to 3.00pm<br />
during school term.<br />
Trading hours in February: 3 February: 8.00am-3.00pm;<br />
7 February & 10 February: 8.00am-3.30pm. Normal trading hours<br />
recommence on 14 February.<br />
Embroidery of Colours: For those who handed in their blazers<br />
before school concluded last year, you may pick it up from the<br />
Uniform Shop.<br />
Delivery to Junior School Only: Orders can be made via email,<br />
phone (9.00-11.30am) or by leaving a message on our answering<br />
machine. Items will be delivered to Junior School Reception for<br />
collection before lunch. Please inform you son to collect your purchase<br />
from Reception.<br />
Bob <strong>St</strong>ewart Credit Accounts: I urge that, if you have not yet<br />
opened a Credit Account with Bob <strong>St</strong>ewart, kindly please do so; as it<br />
helps to process transactions much faster and gets the boys back to<br />
their classes. For more information, please go on to the College<br />
website, under Uniform Shop, to download the form. If you do not<br />
wish to open a Credit Account, please obtain a form of payment for<br />
your son to make a purchase.<br />
6
* If you would like to send your son to the shop for a uniform<br />
purchase, we are happy to fit him for your convenience. We accept<br />
cash, cheques (payable to “Bob <strong>St</strong>ewart Pty Ltd”), credit cards,<br />
EFTPOS or Bob <strong>St</strong>ewart Credit Account.*<br />
Irene Lau<br />
Supervisor (staloysi<strong>us</strong>@bobstewart.com.au /9955 4193)<br />
CO-CURRICULAR NEWS<br />
THE DIRECTOR OF CO-CURRICULA<br />
I hope that all Aloysian families had a wonderful Christmas and New<br />
Year. I would like to welcome back all students to school, especially<br />
our new Year 7s, and wish all students the very best this year with<br />
their studies and co-curricular pursuits. I would also like to take this<br />
opportunity to thank both Sportsmaster Sinclair Watson and Kathy<br />
Fitzgerald for running the Sports Office so efficiently during my<br />
absence in Term 4.<br />
Undoubtedly, 2011 was our most successful year with our<br />
involvement in A<strong>us</strong>tralian Jesuit Schools’ Carnivals. For the first<br />
time, we won both the cricket and basketball carnivals and won the<br />
tennis for a record fourth occasion. Earlier in the year, both our<br />
football and debating teams narrowly lost their respective finals.<br />
The College hosted the A<strong>us</strong>tralian Jesuit Schools’ Carnival in early<br />
December. The 1sts played outstanding cricket over the week,<br />
winning all games impressively, including the final against Xavier<br />
College. In the 35 over final, Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ scored 1/232 and dismissed<br />
Xavier for only 106 runs. Luke Vevers stood out with his tremendo<strong>us</strong><br />
batting displays. Luke scored three centuries from four innings,<br />
including 114, 136 and 143 not out in the final. Other batsmen to<br />
stand out included Mitchell Baumgart with innings of 57 and 65,<br />
Jordan Daly 77 and Grant Jansson 46 runs. Sam Mathias and Grant<br />
Jansson were the pick of the bowlers. Sam took 6/10 in his game<br />
against Xavier College. Luke Vevers, Grant Jansson, Jordan Daly,<br />
Mitchell Baumgart and Sam Mathias were all selected in the<br />
A<strong>us</strong>tralian Jesuit Schools’ Cricket Team. It was a very fitting way for<br />
coach Andy Quinane to finish his time with the College after many<br />
year of dedicated service as 1sts coach. Andy leaves <strong>us</strong> to go the<br />
Shore School as Director of Activities. We wish him the very best.<br />
My thanks also extend to all those people behind the scenes who<br />
made the carnival such a success, including MIC Paul Luchi, scorer<br />
Caroline Linschoten, curator Paul Chalmers, parents Deb Jansson<br />
and Cathryn Thomson, and other parents and gap students who<br />
provided excellent catering and service each day.<br />
Whilst on cricket, three of our boys represented North Harbour in<br />
their close win over South Harbour last Saturday at Trinity. Both<br />
Luke Vevers and Tom Goh were amongst the runs, whilst Sam<br />
Mathias bowled well on the day.<br />
Saint Ignati<strong>us</strong>’ College Riverview hosted the A<strong>us</strong>tralian Jesuit<br />
Schools’ Tennis Carnival at Riverview in early December. As<br />
previo<strong>us</strong>ly mentioned, our 1sts tennis team won the carnival for the<br />
fourth year in succession. The team won five out of six matches,<br />
losing only its first match in four years. Harry Kelleher, Matt<br />
Rowland and Jack Evans won all their singles matches. Three of the<br />
team were selected in the A<strong>us</strong>tralian Jesuit Schools’ Tennis Team,<br />
including Harry Kelleher, Matt Rowland and Ben Lalic. Zac<br />
Mytkowski was awarded the Ignatian Spirit Award. My thanks extend<br />
to MIC Terry Watson who attended the carnival whilst still on Long<br />
Service Leave.<br />
Last December, our 1sts water polo team competed in the Trans<br />
Tasman Cup in Melbourne. This competition brings together the best<br />
schoolboy teams from A<strong>us</strong>tralia and New Zealand. Once again, our<br />
team did tremendo<strong>us</strong>ly well to make the finals for the fourth<br />
consecutive year. After a thrilling and drama packed 9-8 semi final<br />
win over Newington College, the team lost the final 8-14 to host<br />
school Melbourne High. Little separated the teams at half-time, but<br />
Melbourne High finished too strongly. My thanks go to coaches<br />
Michael De Gail and Mark Sindone, and staff members Margaret<br />
Loomes and Geoff Schneider, for accompanying the boys on tour.<br />
Our 1sts basketball team competed in the Trinity Cup last week with<br />
mixed success. Pitted against very strong competition, the team beat<br />
only <strong>St</strong> Joseph’s College, but competed very well against top schools.<br />
Tae Kwon Do and Fencing resumes next week.<br />
This weekend, the CAS sporting competition resumes with games<br />
against Waverley College. Details of Saturday’s games appear in this<br />
news<strong>let</strong>ter. A season’s draw can also be accessed through Manresa<br />
under co-curricula. Good luck to all coaches and players this<br />
weekend.<br />
Paul Rowland<br />
THE JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTSMASTER<br />
Welcome back to all families and boys in what promises to be a very<br />
exciting year for sport in the Junior School. A special welcome to<br />
those families who are new to <strong>St</strong> Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ in 2012, but you will be<br />
very settled in no time at all. While your involvement with sport may<br />
seem at first to be quite daunting, after careful digestion of notes and<br />
through questioning of your son of what he was told about sport at<br />
assemblies and in PE time, your worries will subside in no time at all.<br />
I have included in this notice a timeline table, which was also sent<br />
home with your son earlier in the week. This is up to date and can<br />
assist you in preparation for this term and the weeks ahead.<br />
I hope you have an enjoyable year, and look forward to meeting you<br />
at upcoming sporting events but, for the time being, we’ll concentrate<br />
on the first weeks of training and getting <strong>us</strong>ed to the process of<br />
travelling to and from sport.<br />
J<strong>us</strong>t so you can keep up to date with notes that have been given to<br />
your son this week (check the bottom of his bag), your son should<br />
have received and passed on the following notes to you this week:<br />
• Summer sport trail note (multiple pages)<br />
• Timeline note (single page)<br />
• Swimming Carnival note (blue colour multiple pages)<br />
• Wet weather update note (single page)<br />
Congratulations to the following boys who were elected 2012 Colour<br />
Ho<strong>us</strong>e leaders. We wish these boys the best of luck as they embark<br />
on this leadership role this year, with their first role being the<br />
Swimming Ho<strong>us</strong>e carnival next week.<br />
Ho<strong>us</strong>e Captain Vice-Captain<br />
Campion Darcy Hampton Louis Esteban<br />
Ogilvie Miles Branagan William Greenland<br />
Southwell Zach Ienco Matthew Fogarty<br />
Owen Paddy Dawson Fintan O Shea<br />
Dalton Hall Swimming Program – Waiting list now in effect:<br />
Applications are now closed and a waiting list is in place. Forms can<br />
still be submitted and when a place becomes available parents will be<br />
notified. Thank you to all families for your assistance in this initiative.<br />
The Term 1 program will commence on 15 February and will run<br />
each Wednesday and Friday from 7.15am to 8.15am at our new pool<br />
located in Dalton Hall in Kirribilli. This program is not a learn-toswim<br />
class but rather a Junior School swimming squad. Boys are<br />
asked to meet the coaches at 7.00am sharp outside Dalton Hall each<br />
Wednesday and Friday, and they will be walked back to school once<br />
training is over that morning.<br />
3 February<br />
• Summer sport trials 10.00am-2.30pm vario<strong>us</strong> venues trial #1<br />
• Team grading #1 vario<strong>us</strong> venues<br />
• Training timetable and 2011 summer sports draw sent home<br />
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4 February<br />
• Summer sport trials #2 vario<strong>us</strong> times and selections (see separate<br />
note)<br />
• Basketball sing<strong>let</strong> numbers allocated<br />
6 February<br />
• Squad lists displayed on sports notice board<br />
7 February<br />
• Team training commences vario<strong>us</strong> times and venues<br />
8 February<br />
• Team training commences vario<strong>us</strong> times and venues<br />
9 February<br />
• Team training commences vario<strong>us</strong> times and venues<br />
10 February<br />
• Whole school training commences vario<strong>us</strong> times and venues<br />
11 February<br />
• Round 1 commences vario<strong>us</strong> times and venues (refer to separate<br />
note)<br />
Healthy Lifestyle Year 6: In some exciting our Junior School<br />
students involved in the Healthy Lifestyle Program offered each<br />
Friday will be participating in a ten-week training program. The<br />
program will incorporate skills and drill sessions for a variety of<br />
sports and disciplines in Term 1, which will incorporate the<br />
following:<br />
Boxing basics: Non-contact, similar to school PE lessons (Weeks 1,<br />
3, 5, 7, 9)<br />
Wrestling: Sports specific (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)<br />
<strong>St</strong>rength & conditioning circuit: Foc<strong>us</strong> on body weight (Weeks 1,<br />
3, 5, 7, 9)<br />
Cycle class (Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)<br />
Each Friday, students will enjoy two different 45-minute classes with<br />
a different instructor, each time totalling 90 minutes. Platinum<br />
Extreme is a new gym in McMahons Point and is looking to build<br />
relationships with local schools, with Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ being their first.<br />
Parents are most welcome to tour the facilities outside school hours<br />
and see what programs they offer to adults and teenagers. For all<br />
information regarding the gym, please contact Richie Cranny,<br />
Operations Director.<br />
Wet Weather Twitter System: In 2012, notice for cancellation or<br />
amendments for both midweek sport training and Saturday matches<br />
will now be available on Twitter. This notification system will replace<br />
the previo<strong>us</strong> system of each team having a wet weather boy who would<br />
only have access to the phone line. Please note the Junior School wet<br />
weather phone line (9936 5590) will remain only as a backup system<br />
and a message will only be recorded there if Twitter fails.<br />
Midweek Sport Training: Notice for ground closure by local councils<br />
for the same day is <strong>us</strong>ually communicated to me by 1.00pm, where<br />
grounds may be closed. When this is the case, I will leave a ‘tweet’<br />
online and may include ground changes if applicable. If training venues<br />
are changed as a result of grounds being closed and others open, I will<br />
try to include all this info on the same ‘tweet’. Also this information<br />
will also be available through Debbie Edwards in reception.<br />
Saturday Sport Matches: Due to the nature of Junior School sport<br />
(where we play over 11 different schools in any one round) compared<br />
to Senior School sport (one school per round in major sports),<br />
sportsmasters communicate with each other at 6.00am on Saturday<br />
mornings. This is after we hear from local council rangers in regard<br />
to their grounds being open or closed. This timeframe tied in with<br />
some games starting at 7.30am, with travel time not included, does<br />
not allow for a large window for all parties. A tweet will be placed<br />
online between 6.30am and 6.45am regarding all games. Please note<br />
that Junior School policy is that, if games are cancelled at this time<br />
and the weather improves, games are not rescheduled. For example,<br />
if you read on twitter at 6.30am that all cricket games are cancelled<br />
and, even if your son’s cricket game is scheduled for 11.00am and the<br />
weather improves, his game will still remain cancelled. Tennis boys in<br />
the Junior School will follow their own procedure due to the nature<br />
of the sport. They will be notified by Mrs Rogan.<br />
The following is the link to our Junior School wet weather<br />
notification: http://twitter.com/SacJuniorSport.<br />
Trevor Dunne<br />
Thought for the week: “We m<strong>us</strong>t <strong>us</strong>e time as a tool, not as a<br />
crutch.” John F Kennedy (1917-1963)<br />
35 th President of the United <strong>St</strong>ates of America<br />
Well, another academic year has begun and with it, new classes and<br />
challenges. I urge all students to settle in quickly to work, sport and<br />
other co-curricular events and to resolve to take part in all the great<br />
and varied activities <strong>St</strong> Aloysi<strong>us</strong>’ College has to offer. Don’t waste<br />
your opportunities and then in the years ahead look back with<br />
disappointment and regret at your lack of involvement. Too often<br />
when senior students come to create their resume they find they<br />
have little to include that really sets them apart.<br />
Each fortnight after Recess there is a half-hour Clubs and Societies’<br />
Meeting time – this is a golden opportunity for service and to learn<br />
new skills. I am constantly amazed at how few students make good<br />
<strong>us</strong>e of this time. Such involvement is highly valued by scholarship<br />
selectors and employers and can make a student really stand out later.<br />
A message to Year 12 students: I would very much like to have an<br />
interview with each of you before the end of Term 1 so that I am aware<br />
of your special interests for the future. Quite a few of you saw me last<br />
term and I am more than happy to have follow-up meetings. As I am<br />
only at the College on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I often am<br />
unable to remind you about future events and hence I urge you to<br />
make a habit of reading the Careers noticeboard outside my office, and<br />
this item in the weekly Gongazan, so that you know what is happening<br />
and can schedule it into your timetable. Organised people get ahead in<br />
life – start taking responsibility for your future now.<br />
Please, will all Year 12 students purchase a copy of the UAC 2012<br />
Guide @ $19.95 from a newsagent and bring it along to any<br />
appointment they have with me. It is very helpful with information<br />
on the range of university options in NSW and the ACT, and gives<br />
websites about scholarships.<br />
Tax File Number (TFN): It is a good idea to apply for a tax file<br />
number before leaving school so that you have it in readiness for<br />
university and deferring your tertiary contribution, if you so wish.<br />
Forms can be collected from the Careers Room and need to be<br />
returned to Mrs Louise Jones, our College Registrar, for checking and<br />
forwarding to the Tax Office.<br />
Any other students who are looking for a part-time job are also<br />
welcome to apply. Remember, the Tax Office will allocate you a<br />
number which is yours for life and unique to you, and is an essential<br />
part of interacting with the tax system. Without it, you will have tax<br />
taken out of your wages at a higher rate than you may otherwise have<br />
to pay.<br />
It is most beneficial for students to have had some Work<br />
Experience before leaving school and preferably before Year 12,<br />
when the pressure and work load is at its heaviest. Remember that<br />
the retail sector is always a good place to look for work. Try<br />
supermarkets, surf shops, sporting goods, clothing stores. Make sure<br />
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that you contact many places – don’t j<strong>us</strong>t knock on one door and<br />
leave it at that. You may miss a good opportunity. Also consider<br />
hospitality jobs (McDonalds is very highly valued by scholarship<br />
selection boards and employers), food shops and sports centres.<br />
Horticultural centres and lawn-mowing b<strong>us</strong>inesses are also worth a<br />
try. Check the Yellow Pages. Build a list of prospective employers,<br />
write a <strong>let</strong>ter introducing yourself and stating when you are available.<br />
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY<br />
3 February – “Pacific 2012” Careers in Maritime & A<strong>us</strong>tralian<br />
Defence Ind<strong>us</strong>tries: Free Information Day for students Years 9-12<br />
at the Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour. Phone Laura<br />
Lane (03 5282 0500).<br />
6-10 February – University of Wollongong Discovery Days:<br />
Year 12 students experience firsthand what university is like for a day.<br />
Register online: http://discoveryday.uow.edu.au.<br />
16-20 April – Valem<strong>us</strong> Autumn School of Engineering: Fifty<br />
places for students in Year 11 or 12 interested in Engineering.<br />
Applications now open at<br />
http://www.engineersa<strong>us</strong>tralia.org.au/divisions/sydneydivision/schools-prgrams/schoolsprograms_home.cfm#DiscoverEng.<br />
GAP OPTIONS<br />
HSC <strong>St</strong>udents considering taking 2013 off before starting university<br />
should spend time now exploring what is on offer. The best<br />
exchange programs <strong>us</strong>ually require applications to be submitted<br />
during Term 1.<br />
Deirdre Agnew<br />
Careers Counsellor (deirdre.agnew@staloysi<strong>us</strong>.nsw.edu.au)<br />
My <strong>us</strong>ual days at the College are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday<br />
SENIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DRAWS & TRAINING SCHEDULES<br />
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