Week 3 and more
Being Marist
Last week Kathleen McGrath, Rick Grech, Anthony Munro and I attended the Biennial Marist Schools Australia Conference in Melbourne. The keynote speaker was the Archbishop of Lismore Diocese, Greg Homeming. The Archbishop had a simple and yet profound message to the gathering on the theme of holiness.
A holy person is a good person. It must be a goodness in a life lived. The person must show integrity. Holiness is the fundamental essence of a human - it is humility. When you meet holiness you are moved to become more humble. A holy person changes the people around them to goodness. The Beatitudes tell me what I should be. Holiness proposes the Beatitudes to another person. The Archbishop’s motto is the bookmark of St Teresa of Avila - God alone suffices.
In the last fortnight I have seen three good examples of our Marist Men in action. These three stand out for me:
- The Bill Turner Cup Soccer team, Year 8/9 students competed strongly and won against Holy Cross Ryde. This puts Mr Fitzgerald’s team into the round of 16 and makes them now the Turner Cup regional champions. Great teamwork from our boys and great coaching from Mr Fitzgerald.
- The Under 14 Soccer side are runners up in the MCC. This game was drawn at full time and then also drawn again after 20 minutes of extra time. It was finally decided in a long penalty shoot out. The coach Mr Williams and the boys are to be congratulated on the spirit and determination that they showed in this game and throughout the whole competition.
- On Friday night our Year 11 team won the Sydney division of the Catholic Schools’ Debating Competition. Their coach and our debating organiser, Mr Wells, has done an outstanding job in developing the profile and skills of our debating teams. The team of Ethan Cook, Aiden Brennan and Lucas Murphy were able to convincingly argue that Pandora’s Box has not been opened. They were successful against the affirmative side of St Scholastica’s College who had won previously the competition from Years 7 to 10.

This Wednesday evening we have our Parents and Friends Meeting from 6.30 pm in the Academic Resource Centre. Please come to this meeting if you wish to discuss the new Mobile Phone Policy which comes into action in Week 5 or if you wish to applaud the parents on the great work that they are doing this year.

Tony Duncan
Principal