Principal's Message
By Mrs Liisa Hammond, Principal
John 10:27-30
Jesus as the Shepherd, and we as his flock, is an image that is used countless times throughout the Bible. Shepherding is one of the earliest known occupations and was not an easy undertaking. The ‘good’ shepherd was responsible for the safety and care of their flock. Sheep are easy prey for wild animals and humans; so shepherds had to care for and keep watch over their herd constantly. A shepherd would provide food, water, protection, and deliverance. They would guide, nurture, and carry the helpless lambs. Most importantly, a shepherd, at the end of each day, would count each of their flock to ensure that they were all safe, and if there was one missing, the shepherd would return to the pasture to find them.
It is important to recognise that our modern understanding of ‘sheep-like’ mentality, such as always following the herd, does not contextually fit within the Gospel’s figurative use of the shepherd and sheep imagery. John invites us to be recognised as a member of Jesus’ flock and as such, reminds us that we will “… never be lost or stolen.” This is a comforting notion, given that many of us feel lost at times. By Jesus claiming us as one of his flock, he is promising to fulfil the role of the ‘good’ shepherd, our protector, provider, and guide.
For me, the contextual understanding of what was occurring to Jesus when he delivered these utterances is incredibly important. Jesus was challenging the religious leaders of Jerusalem, who were goading him. Jesus does not respond to the pending violence he was facing, instead, he stands his ground in truth and love.
Furthermore, this Gospel prompts us to consider the statement, “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice …”. Pope Francis' call for synodality within our church recognises the importance of listening. We have been called to gather in a process of mutual collaborative listening and discernment. This affords us the opportunity to learn from each other and promote our distinctively Catholic mission of inclusivity and upholding the dignity of all. At Assumption College, we are holding our own listening forums over the next three weeks. We are asking the parents/guardians of each year level to come together in the Spirit of collaborative listening, exercising the diversity and interconnectedness that our College celebrates. Parents/Guardians will be asked to respond to the question: “What do you want for the future of Assumption College,” the responses that this question elicits will then be discerned to inform our new strategic plan.
May Our Mother Mary grant her blessings upon our College community.
Jersey Review
You may remember that last term, our Year 12 Leaders came to the College’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and the Board with a proposal to be able to wear their Senior Jerseys every day. The ELT and Board agreed to a period of ten (10) weeks to trial the wearing of the jersey. It has now been ten (10) weeks, so we invite you to please follow the link and complete the survey. We will collate the responses to the survey and hold discussions with our Year 12 Leaders, the Board and P&F before presenting the findings.
Events, Events, Events
Since the beginning of Term 2, we have hosted the following events. Professional Development Day - Illuminate Religious Education, Senior Art excursion, University Showcase, Cross Country, ANZAC Day Liturgy and Service, College Formal, Parent/Teacher Interviews, Frozen the Musical - Music/Drama and Art excursion, Edmund Rice Day, Leadership Forum Dinner, Open Day, Mothers’ Day Breakfast and NAPLAN. I have no doubt that I have missed some things and I apologise for that. The reason I list these events is to provide an example of the various and varied spiritual and co-curricular activities that the College celebrates. Of course, these events do not just happen. Weeks of planning, negotiating, and enacting goes into each of them, with careful deliberation on the impact and enhancement that each of these events have for our College community. I would like to thank all the staff members who give of their time and energy to ensure that our students, staff and families can engage in experiences that enrich their learning and wellbeing journeys.
Media Campaign
Upon my arrival in Warwick at the beginning of the year, I was greeted with a billboard that proclaimed that Assumption College was, “inclusive, affordable, progressive”. Whilst this is completely true, what I was concerned with, was that it did not harness the richness of our interwoven charisms. As such, we have been working on a new campaign that reflects our contemporary vision of education - Through the Lens of Assumption College. The campaign draws upon our three charisms, a Liberating Curriculum (Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers), Empowering Pastoral and Co-curricular (Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy), and Nurturing Spirituality (Marian Tradition). You are able to view the images and films of our campaign later in this newsletter. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Mrs Sharon Newley for her unfailing creativity and dedication to the design, development, and delivery of this new campaign. From the sunglasses to the inclusion of our College alpacas, the attention to detail has been nothing short of amazing - many thanks, Sharon!