By Mrs Liisa Hammond, Principal

Gospel

Matthew 22: 15 – 21

Matthew’s Gospel again addresses a time when people were trying to trap Jesus so that they could condemn him for his work. Given that Assumption College’s motto is Truth and Love, it is important to reflect on the concept of truthfulness.

As we have more experiences and progress on our learning journeys, it becomes apparent that truth is subjective. When we are speaking to the students about their interactions, especially those that cause others hurt, we often encourage them to phrase their narratives around the concept of their perception rather than statements of fact. This positions the speaker and the audience to enter the conversation, willing to seek to understand others rather than to justify their actions. It removes the barrier of people being wrong because people’s perceptions cannot be mistaken; they can only be reshaped through compassion, generosity, wisdom, and justice. 

In this Gospel, when presented with the face of trickery and deceit, Jesus was able to see through it all. Our Marian Charism challenges us to respond to any situation with honesty and integrity. Like Jesus, we are called to engage with others with compassion and wisdom and seek ways to act through radical difference - to act in Truth and Love.

Principal’s Review

At the end of Term 3, I spoke about my Principal’s Review and urged our community to complete the survey that was sent out. I would like to thank the families who took the time to respond to that survey. Further to the surveys, the Review Panel, consisting of Mr Andrew Kendall, Principal of St Joseph’s School Stanthorpe, Mr Chris Golightly, Senior Education Leader – TCSO, and Dr Patrick Coughlan, Executive Director TCSO, met with randomly selected staff, students, parents, our Parish Priest, members of our board and our P&F executive to respond to questions regarding the leadership of the College.

This review was a significant moment for me, and I am genuinely appreciative of the contributions, insights, guidance, and support. I want to acknowledge that the review process is not an easy process, and it is a forum where people have the opportunity to express their perceptions. I am pleased to share that, overwhelmingly, the feedback from this review has been positive. It is heartening to know that our community recognises the commitment, dedication and passion that not only I hold for our students and our College but also the entire Assumption College staff.

To all of you who took the time to offer compassionate and wise words and to those who provided critical feedback, your involvement in the review process was invaluable. It is your honesty and dedication to the success of our College that supports me to continue to serve this community and accept the challenge for continued growth and learning.

School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships

Assumption College would like to congratulate Jack Coleman on securing a school based apprenticeship (Certificate III in Painting) with Westbuilt Homes. We wish him all the best for his continuing studies.

May our Mother Mary grant her blessings upon our College Community.