03 APR 2023 From the Principal

Hello Parents/Caregivers, Students, Staff and other friends

As this is the final day of Term 1, I would like to thank the staff and students for their hard work during a very busy ten weeks.

Today we held the College Inter-house Athletics. I found moments during the day to breathe in the fresh air and feel the warmth of the sun on my shoulders. I also found moments to stand back and witness the wonderful school that is Kolbe Catholic College in action. There was a palpable sense of joy amongst students and staff alike. House spirit was alive and competitive. I witnessed students push themselves out of their comfort zones on the track and in the field. I even watched students assist others who were struggling. As this happened I did not find myself surprised. It was simply another example of our students being filled with a spirit of faith, courage and compassion. Kolbe is a wonderful school because of our young people.

And the word is out. Five years ago the maximum number of students we could enrol in Year 7 was 189. We were enrolling about 170 and had space to spare. As people have heard about the great things the students and staff are doing at Kolbe there has been increasing demand for enrolments. I have increased our enrolment capacity at Year 7 to 216. To date, we have had over 400 applications for students wishing to enrol in 2024. Unfortunately a large number of students have been placed on a waiting list. If any students have a younger sibling wishing to enrol for Year 7 2025, please contact our Registrar as we are nervous current families may not gain a position if they miss our August cut off date.

As we take a break during the Easter holidays, I pray that we all find time to reflect on this most important time in our faith journey. Apart from chocolate and very long Gospel readings, Easter is a time for family gatherings and recognising the hope revealed in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Holy Thursday is next week. This is when Jesus washes the feet of the disciples. In a world that often celebrates people who climb to the top of a corporate ladder by stepping on others, industries which damage our environment to gain profit, celebrities who achieve obscene individual wealth, one of the most powerful men in the world, Pope Francis washed the feet of some inmates in a womens prison as his first official act as the head of the Catholic Church. We are all called to servant leadership. I am in the most privileged of positions as I watch staff go beyond the call of duty to serve those in their care or as I see our students focus on the other more than themselves on a daily basis.

Let’s use Easter to reflect on and maybe act upon how we can serve another. And it doesn’t need to be complex. I remember at home some years ago heading to the kitchen to empty the dishwasher only to find one of my kids had emptied it without being asked. For me, when I was feeling a bit worn out, this simple gesture was worth more than 100 Easter eggs.

Happy Easter everyone.

Nick Scully
Principal