Edmund Rice Education Australia Touchstone

Inclusive Community

As a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice tradition, we look beyond our own community to contribute to the overall growth and development of Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice Tradition and to Edmund Rice ministries in Australia and overseas

Visit from St Boniface School in South Africa

St Edward’s College is very fortunate to be a member of an international network of schools and ministries under the banner of Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB). This network is committed to the education of young people from many different faiths and cultures, in over twenty countries throughout the world. The focus of this partnership is the promotion of global solidarity in the promotion of an education based on common values. St Edward’s is committed to creating opportunities for staff and students to engage with other Edmund Rice ministries so that we can grow, learn and challenge our understanding of justice and peace issues. As members of the community are aware, we have established a long and successful working relationship with Edmund Rice ministries in Nairobi, Kenya, which will be continued in the September/October school holidays through our annual immersion.

Over the past few years, we have also developed a partnership with an Edmund Rice School named St Boniface, which serves the underprivileged community in the Kimberley region of South Africa providing an education for boys and girls from Year 8 to Year 12. I was fortunate to spend time with the Christian Brothers and staff from St Boniface in 2015 as part of an EREA immersion. Last year Mr Moloney visited St Boniface’s for two weeks working with teachers in the area of Science teaching. Throughout this week and next, we have been honoured to have three teachers from St Boniface College visit St Edward’s to further foster this relationship.

The Principal of St Boniface College, Ms Nomvula Adelaide Dondola and two of her teaching staff Ms Precious Keletso Mokwena and Mr Makhosehla Sikhosana visited St Edward’s, meeting with teachers and students to share their experience of life and education in their homeland. Wonderful mutual learning opportunities were provided, as our staff and students engaged with our visitors in classrooms, teacher meetings, discussion forums and presentations at an assembly and staff meeting. The visitors will also spend some time at Waverley College and attend a National EREA Teaching and Learning Conference in Sydney before returning home.

The relationship that has been established between St Edward’s and St Boniface College is one way in which we are responding to the Touchstone, Inclusive Community. It is anticipated that this partnership will continue to grow, providing students of St Edward’s with an opportunity to experience rich learning opportunities that challenges their thoughts on the values of inclusivity, justice and solidarity.

2020 College Captains

On Wednesday September 4, we celebrated the Prefect Investiture Mass. At this Mass, we acknowledged our outgoing prefects for their work over the last year and officially presented the newly elected prefects to the school community. It is with great pleasure that I announce the College Captain for the 2020 School year is Jackson Robb. Daniel Brazier and Joseph Hussein have been elected as College Vice-Captains and will support Jackson in this role. These three young men are excellent examples of the quality of students and leaders at St Edward’s College. I look forward to working with Jackson, Daniel, Joseph and the prefect group over the coming year in serving the College community.

Year 11 Preliminary Exams

I would like to wish all Year 11 students every success in their Preliminary Exams that will commence on Monday September 16th. These examinations are the culmination of their Preliminary Course and make up their final piece of assessment before starting the HSC year. Parents will receive a report early next term, which provides valuable feedback to build on in the HSC course. Parents and students will be invited to attend an information evening on Wednesday 30 October when important information regarding HSC rules and regulations as well as the ATAR calculation will be explained.

EREA Safeguarding Standards Framework

Edmund Rice Education Australia has launched the Child Safeguarding Standards Framework. This Framework is designed to make a clear statement of our commitment to ensuring the safety of children and young people in our schools. The Framework is the culmination of research conducted by EREA into best practice in schools and is a proactive response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Framework has eleven standards, which guides us as an Edmund Rice School in the establishment of policies and procedures to ensure that we embed a culture of safety and wellbeing for the boys in our care. We will be working over the coming months to ensure that we implement the eleven standards into our own practice at St Edward’s

Members of the community wishing to find out more about the EREA Safeguarding Standards Framework are invited to visit: https://www.erea.edu.au/about-us/safeguarding-children where, a copy of the Framework and a message of introduction by Dr Wayne Tinsey Executive Director of EREA IS available

African Women for Women

With just a few weeks until staff and students from St Edward’s attend the Immersion to Nairobi Kenya, I would like to remind all members of our community of the support we will be providing women and young girls living in the Kibera slum in Nairobi Kenya.  We are collecting new women and girls underwear to take with us on this year’s immersion as there is a desperate need for these items of clothing as many women and girls living in this impoverished area have only one or sometimes no clean underwear. As a community responsible for educating young men, we can make a strong statement of respect and support for women through this initiative. All donations would be greatly appreciated. Our wonderful library staff will be collecting these items from families wishing to donate.

Modibodi Support Eddies Kenya Immersion

Through one of our wonderful parents in the College community, Modibodi have come on board to help with our donations of women’s underwear for our Kenya immersion. Modibodi underwear are sustainable, protective, leak-proof and comfortable.  They will provide the women in Kenya with confidence and comfort along with the dignity of hygiene.  Through their Modibodi Gives Back Program, the company will donate two pairs of underwear for every virtual pair voucher purchased.

If you would like to help our cause, please follow this link https://www.modibodi.com/pages/modibodi-gives-back and for every ‘virtual pair’ voucher purchased, Modibodi will donate two pairs of physical underwear and ship them to the College in one big shipment prior to our departure.

In order for this to happen before we leave, use the link to purchase a ‘Virtual Pair’ voucher before close of business Monday 16 September, then email your receipt to shadihaddad@modibodi.com and mention that you wish for your order to be included in the St Edward’s College Kenya order.  Shadi will then collate all our College community orders and get them to us before we leave.  We hope this will be a great help to our Women for Women organisation in Kenya.  Thank you in anticipation!