Thursday 8th August, is the feast day of Saint Mary of the Cross. Born in 1842, Mary MacKillop founded an order of Josephite nuns and is now the first
Australian to be recognized by the Catholic Church as a saint. St Mary of the Cross has left a lasting legacy, particularly in education, establishing
schools in some of Australia’s remotest communities and now the Sisters of St Joseph are working all over the world including New Zealand, East
Timor, Ireland, Peru and Brazil. Our staff and students are inspired by the Mary MacKillop story because of the resiliency and determination she had
to demonstrate – battling both her own significant health issues and opposition to her good work within, and from outside, the Church at the time. I
am particularly driven by her belief that “We must teach more by example than by word”.
In celebrating Catholic Education Week last week we showcased our vibrant Arts program and opportunities at St Eugene College. A huge thank you
to the staff and students who coordinated, facilitated, performed and participated in the many a varied programs and events on offer. In particular, I
would like to recognise Nicky Harre (Curriculum Leader) and our Culture and The Arts Ministry Leaders Connor Geraghty and Emma Perak.
The theme of Catholic Education Week for 2019 was “Many voices, One Spirit”. At assembly I explained how the St Eugene Fair on Sunday 28 July
shows us that what we can achieve together is “Greater than the sum of all our parts” (Aristotle). We are stronger, more successful, happier and
more giving when we do things together. Because we are all different (just like the different attractions at the Fair), we all bring a different talent, a
different opinion, a different voice. Our many voices make the St Eugene spirit.
Thank you to all the students who performed and your teachers and coacheswho helped you prepare and practice. Thank you to all the students who ran stalls and who spent hours preparing for these. Thank you to the students who helped set up on Saturday and pack up in Sunday afternoon. Thank you to the amazing teachers, school officers and facilities staff who planned, prepared and worked tirelessly on the day. The hours they dedicated is not part of their job, its driven by the community spirit of our College. Thank you to so many members of the St Eugene Parish who took on jobs for the day, in particular thanks to Helen Mangano for taking responsibility for our treasury. A huge thank you to your parents who helped transform our college into a mini Ekka for a day. They showed the St Eugene spirit in abundance. This event would not have happened with out the coordination, vision and determination of Mark Booth, George Inggs, Sally Booth, Bec Inggs and Janelle Schlitter.
The Catholic Education Week celebrations concluded last night with the Brisbane Catholic Education Excellence Awards at the Convention Centre in
South Brisbane. I am incredibly proud to share with the St Eugene Community that two of our teachers were recognized at this event. Congratulations
to:
• Gregory Millican for his nomination in the Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching in Secondary School. Greg is an outstanding leader of
our Science and Mathematics Department. He leads by example and is incredible generous in the time he devotes to both staff a nd students from
Prep to Yr 12.
• Yasmin Dargusch for her nomination in the Award for Excellence in Religious Education. Yasmin is a creative teacher whose ability to engage our
young people in religious education is an inspiration to her peers. Her understanding of the power of scripture as a learning context and the needs
of young adolescents combines to make her an outstanding teacher.