Principal's Report
Visit to Bathurst Island
Recently I visited Xavier Catholic College Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island which is one of the Tiwi Islands north of the Australian mainland and it was truly a memorable experience. It commenced with a short flight from Darwin and, upon arriving at the school, we were welcomed by Principal Rhett Bowden and gathered with the school community for a smoking ceremony. We were informed that one young man had a very important role as he had been taught all of the songs by the elders of the community. From a young age, the elders, especially the women, had sat with this boy and helped him to learn their songs. This was seen as vital in keeping these important cultural traditions going into the next generation. The songs often tell a story about the environment, the birds and animals and the strong connection between the land and indigenous peoples. The young man led the group in song and others soon accompanied him with song and dance.
Following our welcome we moved to the first formal lesson of the day and I joined a Year 7 maths class. I saw evidence of a basic understanding of measurement. The Australian curriculum offers some flexibility and the teachers on Bathurst Island are doing an amazing job of adapting the curriculum to the needs of their students. Yet, as far as our national standards as measured by NAPLAN are concerned, most of these students are well behind their peers on the mainland. Achievement in terms of grades and test scores measure progress in our part of the world most of the time for most students, but we should remain open to other metrics. Learning can take many forms and, while we understand that literacy and numeracy creates agency, we should also celebrate those who have other skills. I had the opportunity to meet young aboriginal people who can speak three languages, can live “on country” with their mates for up to 3 months and have a living sense of their ancestry and spirituality which they share through dance, song and artwork.
The local community on the Tiwi Islands are clear that they do not need rescuing, but they would appreciate help to make sure that their young people can either stay on the islands, or return after schooling in the south, and become “good parents”. It is an incredibly complex situation, but there are emerging indigenous leaders in the community and Mr Bowden looks forward to a time in which Xavier Catholic College is led by Tiwi people.
Whole School Assembly
Our next whole school assembly is on Monday and it will be a great opportunity to gather and celebrate our values as a community. The focus of this assembly is achievement and excellence.
Family Mass - Fathers Day
There is an opportunity to gather for mass in our Chapel next Tuesday, 5th September 2023. The focus of this mass is to offer thanks for our fathers and it will commence at 7.30pm.
Year 7 2024 PAT Testing
PAT Testing was undertaken on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon this week marking another important milestone in the transition process for our Year 7 class of 2024. Thank you to the staff who administered the tests and to parents / carers for helping the students get to the College in a timely manner.
Staff Spirituality Day
Staff Spirituality Day is an important part of staff formation in our Catholic school and also an opportunity to build and maintain the appropriate accreditation to teach in a Catholic school. Thank you for your support so that our staff could gather together last Friday.
Subject Selection Expo
Thank you to all families who were able to take up the opportunity to visit the Subject Selection Expo and Information Evening last Thursday evening. Teachers were on hand to offer advice about the subject offerings on hand for students at Years 8 to 11 and also talk about the varied pathways that students can pursue at the College. There were a steady stream of families throughout the evening and many fruitful discussions. I trust that you found the evening valuable in helping to chart a course forward through the wide range of available pathways.
School Improvement Surveys
MACS have distributed school improvement surveys this week to all students and staff, and some families will also have been randomly selected to participate. The email will come from a survey company called Orima. If you receive this email you are encouraged to complete it before the deadline on 15 September 2023.
Visit of Mr Michael Sukkar MP
Thank you to Mr Sukkar who visited the College this week to provide us with new flags to display on our flagpoles. He was also able to visit the students in our VCE/VM class and the Year 9s in Cafe9 during his visit.
New Caledonia Study Tour
A group of French Language students will be travelling to New Caledonia in the last week to this term marking a milestone as this will be our first international expedition post COVID-19. We trust that all participants will have an amazing experience and thank Mrs Aluthge, Mrs Walshe and Dr Rodezno for agreeing to supervise the tour.
Darren Atkinson
Principal