iServi News | 19 February 2021 | Term 1, Week 2
Whole School Celebrations
We gathered as a whole school community on different occasions this week to celebrate significant events in the life of the school and the Church.
The first of these was on Monday where we gathered to celebrate Mass in recognition of the Seven Holy Founders’ Feast Day. This special Feast Day provides opportunity for Servite organisations across the world to pause and reflect on and celebrate the lasting legacy of the Seven Holy Founders.
At Servite College, we are privileged to have a direct connection to the Seven Holy Founders in the form our own Servite Friars. The Servite Friars have served our school community for decades. Their guidance and presence have supported the ongoing growth and development of the College. Their service and sacrifice have positively shaped the lives of many and we thank them for their contribution to our school.
In addressing our community following Mass, I reflected on how we can learn from the example provided by the Seven Holy Founders on living in community. This core charism remains an integral element of all Servite communities across the world today almost 800 years later. I narrowed my focus to two key areas that support an inclusive and flourishing community: Hospitality and Contribution.
Being hospitable means that we see people for whom they are and to celebrate their gifts. In knowing others, we can then be present with them in time of need to provide support. We celebrate our differences and respect others for their individuality. Our Seven Holy Founders were all different, however they modelled how to live harmoniously side by side and to be of service to one another.
We encourage all of our students to be hospitable to others and to get to know them in a genuine way. In knowing others we can connect with them, understand them better and help them. Once we see the needs of others we are then urged to act – we can’t just ignore what we have seen and learned.
My second key focus was that of the courage to contribute. In again reflecting on the Seven Holy Founders and the thousands of Servants of Mary who followed in their footsteps across the decades, we see what can be achieved if we all have the courage to contribute. That is a flourishing global community that seeks to serve others and is inclusive of all.
Communities are built through the contribution of its people. We want everyone in our College to have the courage to step forward and to contribute in a genuinely positive way. It is easy to sit back and watch everything pass you by – it can often be challenging and daunting to commit to being involved.
We therefore challenge students to be inspired by Pope Frances who tells us to get off the couch and live our lives. At Servite we have designed a rich array of learning opportunities that we want students to take full advantage of. We want them to be courageous, to step outside of their comfort zone and to become fully involved and contribute. We want our students to capture this unique opportunity to help shape our school and themselves, and in the spirit of hospitality, encourage other to do the same.
This week we also gathered together to celebrate Ash Wednesday which marks the commencement of Lent. Lent is a very special time in the life of the Catholic Church as we prepare for the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a time of refection and growth for us all, a time of hope and renewal as we look toward our relationship with others and with God. The Most Rev Timothy Costelloe SDB Archbishop of Perth provides his reflections on Lent in his pastoral letter available here.
In what was a busy week for the College, we were also very excited to welcome back our high achieving students from the Graduating Class of 2020. We presented our top performing students from each of our ATAR, UniDirect and Vocational Education pathways to our community at a whole school assembly.
We acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our high achieving students: Marco Acciari, Elisabeth Byron, Menzie Choi, Marcus Cozza, Lilah Fazari, Lily Hamilton, Solomon Harrison, Alysha Huynh, Brooke Kuriata, Demi Mammoliti, Calvin Nguyen, Adam Paolillo, Andrew Pham, Tia Ranelli, Jemila Seto, Anastasia Tahos, Georgia Terribile and Leonard Tse.
They are terrific role models for all students at the College and demonstrate what can be achieved through self-regulation, commitment, resilience and strong levels of application. They also highlight how success can be attained through engaging in a learning pathway that connects to one’s strengths and interests.
Mr Jeff Allen
Principal