News

Dear Friends and families of St Paul’s,

Term One is marching on, and our community life remains as busy and energetic as always. Since our last newsletter, we have had a much-needed long weekend, students have sat for their NAPLAN tests across the College, we have celebrated Neuro Diversity Week, World Down Syndrome Day, the beginning of Ramadan for our Muslim students and today, Harmony Day.

This is all in addition, of course, to the in-class activities, excursions and co-curricular events that take place every week. It also does not take into consideration all the work that is going on “behind the scenes.”

EREA Principal’s National Charter Strategy Forum

On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, I had the privilege of attending a national gathering of my fellow EREA Principals in the Barossa Valley. We gathered together with the senior leaders of the EREA governing bodies to review and discuss our Charter. The Charter is the document that contains the four EREA Touchstones (Gospel Spirituality, Inclusive Community, Liberating Education and Justice and Solidarity,) that together with our own St Paul’s four core values (Faith, Relationships, Excellence and Diversity), form the very foundation of who we are as a Catholic College in the Edmund Rice tradition and the education we are committed to for all our students and families.

These experiences are not only inspirational but also transformational in that as a collective the entire Australian Edmund Rice family recommits itself to the type of education we want for all our students regardless of their race, culture, religion, socio-economic status, intelligence, sporting ability etc. In other words, all families who want to embrace this type of ethos and charism are not only welcome but also valued and included. We are indeed blessed to be a part of this national family, and in fact, a worldwide family whose aim is to educate students in such a way that they know their responsibility is to assist in making the world a better place for all.

Harmony Day

Given we are part of an international family it is most appropriate that we acknowledge and celebrate Harmony Day together. At St Paul’s our sincere hope is that we live in harmony with all our students and families. We believe that our diversity should not only be welcomed but very much included in all we do. This week, with Ramadan beginning for our Muslim families, we hope that they all feel included, valued, and appreciated for who they are and what their faith brings to our community. We hope that through the celebrations and spiritual liturgies we hold not only help all our students appreciate our Catholic faith but also reinforce their commitment to their own faith and spiritual journey.

Our God is a God of love, of inclusion, of oneness, of truth and is not only good but beautiful too. These are universal values and beliefs that belong to all the great religions of the world. They are the very deepest things we share, and we have every right to hold each other accountable for those beliefs.

We are who we are at St Paul’s because of that, and it is what we genuinely hope we are a shining light in our broader society.

As our Christian celebration of Easter approaches, we will hold several different liturgical celebrations from Palm Sunday to the Stations of the Cross and to the resurrection of Jesus following Easter. These will not only enhance the knowledge of our faith community but will also celebrate how fortunate we all are to be a part of such an inclusive family of cultures and faith backgrounds. It is a blessing to be a part of this great community.

God Bless

Paul Belton