BEATIFICATION OF ARCHBISHOP OSCAR ROMERO

This Saturday is a very special day for HCC - our College Patron Oscar Romero will be beatified.  The ceremony, which moves Romero a step closer to sainthood, will take place in a Mass in Plaza Divino Salvador del Mundo.  Archbishop Romero, an advocate of social justice, was assassinated while saying Mass on 24 March, 1980.  In his life and death Romero is a witness to our College Vision as he strived to build ‘a community of transformation the spirit of the Risen Christ.’ We will celebrate the beatification of Oscar Romero in a College liturgy on Friday.

BUILDING DEVELOPMENTS

Today we had the panel visit, a key process in our application for Stage 5 of the Capital Development Plan.  Members of the College Board and College Leadership Team met with the panel of representatives from the Catholic Education Commission School Resources Committee and the Catholic EducationOffice to discuss our funding application. Stage 5 incorporates the remainder of the Junior School and Perfuming Arts learning spaces.  We will have significant building happening over the next couple of years.  Stage 4 will go to tender in the next couple of weeks.  This stage incorporates a Middle School building including learning studios and Science Laboratories,  Sports Change Rooms and the development of ovals and outdoor spaces.  The Early  Learning Centre will no longer accommodate all Junior School classes in 2016.  During 2016  the older years of Junior School will be housed in a dedicated area of existing facilities.  We have sufficient spaces to accommodate these classes comfortably in 2016 while the remainder of Junior School is being built.

REPORTS AND SENIOR SCHOOL LEARNING CONVERSATIONS

Senior School parents will be able to access Semester One Reports on Monday 25 May. Senior School Learning Conversations will take place next Wednesday, 27 May.  Students have completed exams and this is a good time to reflect on the semester and ways in which students can progress from this point.  I encourage all parents to attend, with their sons daughters, to meet with subject teachers.

LONG, LONG WEEKEND

There will be no classes on Friday 29 May and Tuesday 2 June.  29 May is a Professional Learning Day for staff. Teaching staff will be focusing on use of data, which is a key part of our Strategic Plan and Whole School Improvement Plan. The College Office will be closed on both days.  As Monday is a public holiday students will have an extended long weekend.  Senior School students will need to ensure they dedicate time to study and the days are also an opportunity for all students to complete Christian Service Learning hours for their Giving Life commitment.