Newsletter

As our Years 10 and 11 students head towards their Semester 1 exams, their preparation becomes focussed and the pressure of achieving their best may elevate anxiety levels. This is a normal part of the process and, to a certain extent at least, can increase determination and resilience. We remind our parents that if their young people are feeling overwhelmed or showing worrying signs of stress, please reach out to their Year Level Coordinator for support. Sometimes it only takes a word of reassurance, and sometimes more, but it really is best to go through these times with the support of informed and experienced professionals who are just as vested in the academic success of every student as they are.

I sometimes hear people lamenting the value of exams as they don’t happen in the ‘real world’. In fact, the adult world is full of times when we are examined, judged, tested and required to perform under pressure or make ethically sound and financially viable snap decisions. As young voting adults, employees, consumers, P-plate drivers, job candidates – the list is endless – our young people will draw on the skills they learnt throughout their school years and from their families to navigate the numerous big and small challenges they encounter. There might even be times when they reckon that exams were the least of their troubles!

"As young voting adults, employees, consumers, P-plate drivers, job candidates – the list is endless – our young people will draw on the skills they learnt throughout their school years and from their families to navigate the numerous big and small challenges they encounter."

Nevertheless, I urge you to speak to your child if they are showing signs of stress during exam time and seek help because they will certainly perform much more effectively if they are armed with sound advice and sage comfort.

Support from our families is paramount to this process as well. The Student Learning Conversations that were held a few weeks ago provided valuable information for our parents so they gain a deeper understanding of their children’s challenges at school. So, too, did the Years 7 and 8 Time and Space evening that was held last week. Time and Space provides an opportunity for meaningful discussion between mother figures and their children as they teeter on the verge of adolescence.

The founder of this excellent program, Bill Jennings, believes that meaningful and ongoing dialogue between parents and their adolescent children is critical to the often-challenging transition to successful adulthood. The Time and Space coordinators took our students and their special person through guided question and answer sessions together and in groups, providing time to listen and reflect in a trusting space. The evening was very well received with feedback from our mums confirming that the shared experience with their children and other mothers was enlightening and emotional. It wasn’t just the mums who enjoyed the evening, either. One student said, ‘It was an amazing thing to do with my mum,’ and another commented, ‘It connected me and Mum more.’ ‘This helped me be a better person,’ said another student, and ‘This conversation was the best conversation I have ever had…’ Thank you to everyone who attended with brave hearts and open minds to add another big and beautiful memory to their Trinity journey.

More memories were made at the Semester 1 Music Evening in the Jubilee Centre on Wednesday night. Our musicians have been hard at work rehearsing and working on their pieces under the watchful eye of Mrs Kelly Kerr, Ms Grace Wiedemann, Mr Stephen Gill and Ms Natalie Atkinson. It was a beautiful evening and I congratulate all of our musicians for their commitment to personal excellence.

Last week we celebrated National Reconciliation Week with a focus on our country’s rich indigenous history, past atrocities and how the ongoing emotional, physical and cultural trauma of our First Nations people can be addressed. This year’s theme, Now More Than Ever, is a call to action to support improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the acknowledgment that it is young Australians who hold the key to shaping our nation’s future. Here at Trinity the week was marked through morning prayer and class resources provided by our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Coordinator, Mrs Anne McCrickard.

Finally, I spent three days at the Principal’s Association of all Victorian Secondary Schools conference where we were privileged to have Dr Barbara Reid OP as our guest presenter. Dr Reid is a distinguished professor of New Testament Students at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and their presentations covered the following topics: Servant Leadership – Leader as Footwasher; Prophetic Leadership; Leadership as Bridge-Building Across Boundaries of Difference, and Leadership as Co-Creating with God – Birthing New Life. In addition to the inspiring and informative presentations from Dr Reid, valuable time was spent with my peers from other Victorian Catholic secondary schools. The informal conversations that took place provided me with great ideas on how we can continue to improve as a school while also allowing me to report to others on some of the wonderful things taking place at Trinity College.

I hope you all have a safe and enjoyable long weekend.

Mr Paul Clohesy
Principal