Dear Parents and Guardians,
Here we are half way through the year and already we are planning our major arrangements for next year!
Last week we had the VCE 2013 Information Night, which I unfortunately missed due to ill health. Students moving into Years 11 & 12 next year now have the necessary information to make informed decisions about the subjects they wish to study. Importantly, they also know whom to approach if they require further assistance.
Next week it will be the turn of those heading into Year 10 in 2013 to hear about the subject offerings and the process for subject selections. This Information Night will be held in the Auditorium on Wednesday evening.
CREW Liturgy & Monsignor White’s Golden Jubilee
On the Friday of the first week of term, our Year 7 – 10 students and staff celebrated the annual CREW Liturgy along with Grade 5 & 6 students from St Patrick’s, St
Bernard’s and Our Lady’s, and representative staff and students from Borinya
Community Partnership.
The major focus of this year’s liturgy was the celebration of Monsignor John White’s Golden Jubilee – 50 years of service as a Catholic priest. We heard inspiring stories
of Monsignor White’s time as parish priest in several parishes in the diocese of
Sandhurst, as well as his many years as the most senior chaplain for the RAAF.
Two Galen students, Matthew Spence and Bekki Hopach, did a terrific job of
interviewing Monsignor White as part of the liturgy, eliciting many interesting
stories and reflections.
After the liturgy, the Galen Band entertained the primary school students with an excellent concert that held the younger students enthralled. After the concert, the Galen SRC hosted a barbeque lunch for the visitors.
Hot on the heels of this event at school, the Wangaratta parishes hosted their own celebration for Monsignor White on Saturday evening. Once again, Galen students and staff were to the fore. Our senior Hospitality students, under the tutelage of Mrs Marlene Kittell, prepared the main course of four different types of soup for the 400 guests. Sean Greaves, Jenna Larkings, Sarah Iwanuch, Laura Thiele, Emma Grant, Zoe Levesque, Bec King, Tom King, Daniel Nolan and Bridget Feehan followed up on the night as waiters and waitresses, and SRC Captains, Mary Paino and Nathan Whinray were flag bearers for the formal part of the ceremony. Mr Franco Cudini was in his element serving cappuccinos and café lattes all evening.
New classrooms
Over the holidays, the old 8.1 and 8.2 portable classrooms were dismantled and removed to make way for the imminent Trade Training Centre Hospitality centre.
To replace these older buildings, we have brought in two new portable classrooms and located them near the existing classrooms at the eastern end of our buildings.
Students in 8.1 and 8.2 have moved into their new rooms, complete with verandah, new concreted surrounds and ramp access. I would like to thank the students and teachers of 8.1 and 8.2 for their patience over the first week and a half of term as the rooms were made ready for occupation. Thanks also to Business Manager, Mr Dom Giannone, and Deputy Principal – Staff and Students, Mr Geoff Welch, for their work in getting things ready and making alternative rooming plans while the finishing touches were put onto the new rooms.
Meanwhile, tenders have closed for the building contract for the new Hospitality centre. We expect to have an announcement soon on the successful tenderer and
the starting date for construction.
Bernard Neal – Principal