Duggan House Boarding Review - Our Strategic Plan in Action

Taking the time to conduct periodic reviews of key aspects of the College is essential to fostering innovation and improvement.  This week, we welcomed two very experienced boarding consultants, Dr Marie Wood and Dr Steve Florisson, to interview boarding staff, students and parents/caregivers as part of their review of Duggan House.  Their work with us is guided by the National Boarding School Standards that provides a reliable benchmarking tool for assessing our current performance and for identifying opportunities for future growth.

While we await the 2019 Duggan House Report, I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to the Review.  Boarding is an essential part of our identity as an Edmund Rice school for boys.  While I am sure that the report will highlight the wonderful contribution of our boarding staff, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Eugene Evans and his team, along with the team from Spotless, who provide such high levels of care for our boys in a safe and welcoming environment.  One only need spend five minutes with previous generations of boarders to know just how significant the experience of boarding is for their growth into manhood.

Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop


Being our first Australian Saint, a local here in South Australia and an educator are just a few reasons why this feast day has special significance for our community.  If you want to get a quick impression of Mary's influence on Catholic Education in Australia, just Google the number of schools named after St Joseph.

We know from Mary's story that she faced her fair share of challenges throughout her life and that her vision for education wasn't always accepted, let alone celebrated.  Like all Saints, we find in Mary's story a person with an intense and personal experience of God in her life.

It was Mary's willingness to open herself to God and let that experience guide her actions that transformed her life to such an extent that it changed the world in which she lived, and continues to do so, long after her death. Celebrating the feast of St Mary MacKillop reminds us that the same God so present in Mary's life is present and available to us too. The challenge is letting go of the sometimes trivial, daily distractions that often prevent us from seeing the beauty of the world right in front of us and the potential to make it a better place for everyone.

Best wishes for the week ahead.

Brian Schumacher
Principal

The Red and Black Rock Band explored the performing space with the confidence of an international touring group.  From the well-timed leaps from the guitars to the musical interactions between all members of the ensemble, the boys looked and sounded like seasoned professionals. With Liam Songer on bass guitar, Connor Walker on keys, Oliver Luscombe and Marco Cerracchio on vocal, Dylan Skurray on drums, Jordan Zorzi on lead guitar and Christian Corbo on rhythm guitar, they grooved their way to the podium with 'Just the Two of Us' and 'Prisoner of Society'.

The Senior Vocal Ensemble took to the stage in an intimate Chapel near the centre of town.  They had the crowd spellbound as they sang two contrasting pieces, 'You Raise Me Up' and 'Blue Moon'.  The delicate harmonies and outstanding rhythmic interpretation of both pieces ensured the ensemble would place highly.  To achieve 3rd Place in such a competitive division was an outstanding result.

The Intermediate Band is the third of our big bands, so to achieve such a well-rounded sound is a credit to the dedicated time and effort put in by the lads.  For many of the ensemble members it is their first competitive performance and they certainly rose to the occasion.  The ensemble began with 'Old Time Rock & Roll' featuring the rock steady drumming of Jackson Harvey and solos by Anthony Close and Connor Walker.  This was followed by 'Woodchoper's Ball' which featured the smooth melodic lines of Kobe Lovering on alto saxophone and Ciaran Byrne on tenor saxophone.

It was indeed a fantastic day, made possible by the hard work of the students, the dedication of the ensemble directors Mrs Tiggemann and Mr Osman and the bus driving by Mr Rendell.

Peter Waterman
Head of Arts

• Maxwell Michalanney & Tyson Walls (Year 10) recently completed in the South Australian Under 15 Australian Rules Football Championships in Launceston, Tasmania. South Australia enjoyed some terrific results, defeating QLD, NSW, ACT and WA on their way to the Grand Final.  Unfortunately, Victoria were too strong in the final and prevailed by 25 points.  Congratulations to both these students and we look forward to having them back in the Red & Black for the remainder of the season.
  
   
• Samuel Abishara, Anton Piotto (Year 9) and Rory Curtis (Year 10) competed in the South Australian Schoolboy Squash Championships, held at the ARC Campbelltown on Wednesday 7th August.  The three students did themselves and Rostrevor College very proud, showing determination and resilience throughout the day.  Anton ended up placing 3rd in the 15 & Under Division and was actually a single point away from being named State Champion having lost in a sudden death tiebreaker. Samuel finished 7th in the 15 & Under, while Rory finished 10th in the Open Division which was terrific considering he was 2 years younger than many of his opponents.  Well done to all participants and hopefully they all experience continued success in the future.

If your son, be he a current or past scholar, has made any significant achievement in an activity outside of the College, please pass this on to me via email to lmanuel@rostrevor.sa.edu.au or by phone, so that I can include his achievements in the weekly newsletter.

For a full list of results from the preceding week's fixtures, please click the link below:

Luke Manuel
Head of Co-Curricular Programs