AQUINAS COLLEGE
Foundation News Issue 2 - December 2018
Thank You! The Aquinas College Foundation Inc. Council would like to thank and acknowledge the support of our very generous school community throughout 2018. Your ongoing support of the Foundation directly assists the College to provide the best possible facilities and learning environment for our boys and to provide significantly more educational opportunities for young men from challenging financial situations.
Foundation News Welcome Message from the Chair As the new Chairman of the Foundation, I am pleased to provide you with a Foundation update for 2018. However, I would first like to thank our past Chairman, Peter Bowler, who made a valuable contribution to the Foundation through his leadership and passion for the school during his six years as Chairman. We sincerely thank him for his dedication and years of service. By way of background, the Foundation was originally started in 1998 to assist the College to provide resources for the best education for our boys today and tomorrow. The two significant roles of the Foundation are fundraising and fund management. The Foundation comprises a number of funds, which have been established to support the College: The Endowment Fund was established for the purpose of scholarships and bursaries provided by the College and receives its funding from the Confirmation Fee payable by all parents upon enrolment, together with the income from investments. The majority of these funds are conservatively invested with the strategy to grow the corpus of funds to provide additional scholarships into the future. No tax benefits are applicable. The Building Fund was established to assist the College in undertaking its ongoing building maintenance and expansion program. With the help of this Fund the College has been able to enhance the campus over the years with projects including the recent boarding house upgrades, the Chapel extension (underway), the Year 12 Common Room
upgrade (to be completed at the start of 2019) and the Br Paull Centre. The Annual Building Fund Appeal, where each family is asked to contribute a $500 tax-deductible donation at the beginning of the school year, enables the College to continue to provide wonderful facilities for our boys into the future. The Development Fund was established to accept general income, including fees from overseas students and ad-hoc donations. This fund contributes to the running costs of the Foundation. No tax benefits are applicable.
Thank you to my fellow Foundation Councillors for all their hard work and assistance throughout 2018, and thank you to Louise Symonds, our Executive Officer, for her energy, professionalism and assistance in helping to drive the Foundation agenda. I look forward to the next twelve months and continuing to build on our priorities in support of the College. Julian Lodge Chairman, Aquinas College Foundation Inc.
2018 has been a busy year for the Aquinas College Foundation, with many important achievements, including the June launch of the Veritas Society. The Veritas Society was established to enable community members to include a gift in their Will to the Aquinas College Foundation, thereby helping to shape the education of future generations of Aquinas students (see page 6 for further information).
Key achievements and actions during the year included: • Annual Parents Building Fund Appeal • Annual Alumni Giving Appeal • Boarding Project Appeal • Class of 2018 Scholarship Gift • The City Toyota Aquinas College Foundation Ball • Welcome to New Parents • Establishment of the Veritas Society • New constitution adopted (to comply with the Associations Incorporation Act 2015) • Continued collaboration with the OAA
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Foundation News Your Foundation Council The Aquinas College Foundation is overseen by a dedicated and committed Council:
Ashley Bacon (’92) Deputy Chairman Ashley comes from a farming background in Cunderdin in the Central Wheatbelt. He was a boarder at Aquinas and graduated in 1992, before going on to study Agricultural Science and Management at UWA. Ashley is strongly connected to the agricultural industry today with his two businesses: Kalyx (agricultural research) and Plum Grove (grain marketing). Ashley currently has three sons at Aquinas. Caroline Bryndzej Foundation Councillor Caroline is the Planned Giving Senior Coordinator at Cancer Council WA and has over 20 years’ experience in service delivery, contract management and relationship management within the aviation and not-for-profit sectors. Specialising in business development, planned giving and donor-centric program delivery, Caroline has a proven ability to increase income bases and communities of support. Caroline has one son attending Aquinas.
Julian Lodge Chairman Julian is the Chief Investment Officer of Primewest. He has over 24 years’ experience in the property industry with particular capabilities in property funds management, property development and the asset management of property investments. His focus lies with the identification and delivery of key investment opportunities, together with the divestment strategy for Primewest. Julian is a Board member on the Western Australian Property Council Divisional Council and the Property Education Foundation of WA. Julian’s son has recently graduated from Aquinas College.
Michael Hughes (‘75) Chairman Aquinas College Board and Foundation Councillor Michael is the director of Michael Hughes Legal Pty Ltd. He has practiced law for more than 35 years, initially in a national law firm, and subsequently in boutique law firms. He has acted for local, national and international clients and in many cases for more than 25 years. Michael is the outgoing Chairman of the Board of Aquinas College, and a Board member of Catholic Homes Inc (WA). Michael’s three sons attended Aquinas.
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Foundation News Julia Schortinghuis Foundation Councillor Specialising in the finance industry since 1994, Julia has worked across investment banking, stockbroking and financial planning, and brings a wealth of knowledge to her role on the Council. Julia holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Murdoch University, an Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning and Certified Financial Planner qualifications. Julia is a director of Lighthouse Capital Pty Ltd, along with her husband Bernard, and has one son attending Aquinas College.
Louise Symonds Executive Officer
Matthew Noonan-Crowe (’99) Foundation Councillor Matthew graduated from Aquinas College in 1999 and subsequently graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce (majoring in Corporate Finance) from the University of Western Australia. Admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 2007, Matthew is a Partner at Valenti Lawyers. He has a broad range of experience in commercial law and extensive experience in the area of commercial litigation. Matthew is the current President of the Old Aquinians’ Association and sits on the Parish Pastoral Council of St Columba’s, South Perth. He is passionate about the benefits of an Aquinas College education.
David McFadden Headmaster, Aquinas College David is an ex-officio member of the Aquinas College Foundation Council.
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Giving 2018
Foundation News
Thank you to all of our community members who supported our various appeals throughout 2018. To acknowledge your generosity, a 2018 Donor Honour Roll will be published on the Foundation website page in early 2019 and in Issue 1 of the 2019 Fish Magazine. It will include the names (unless otherwise advised) of all our 2018 donors across all appeals.
Parent Building Fund Appeal
2018 Activities Alumni Annual Appeal This year’s Annual Appeal offered alumni the opportunity to contribute to the development of a Year 12 Common Room (Terrace Room refurbishment), the Chapel Extension/Renovation and the Junior School Instrumental Music Program. Your participation and generosity over many years contributes to a rich legacy and makes a real difference to the life of our College. Thanks to your support, the above projects will all be up and running in 2019, so look out for future updates.
Thank you to the many families who contributed to the 2018 Building Fund Appeal, the cornerstone of philanthropy at Aquinas College. Your generosity this year will directly assist the College to grow with the expansion of the College Chapel, currently underway, and the establishment of the new Year 12 Common Room, due to be finished at the beginning of the 2019 school year. You can make a tax-deductible donation to the Building Fund at any time via our Online Store, with a tax receipt issued.
Scholarships Helping the College provide significantly more scholarships and bursaries now and into the future is a critical goal for the Foundation. Following Headmaster David McFadden’s recent announcement of an additional 100 new scholarships for boys from challenging financial situations, commencing in 2019, the Foundation’s involvement is set to increase significantly.
Ball, the College’s Scholarship and Allowances Program will be well supported by the Foundation. Over the years, many exceptional young men and their families have enjoyed the life-changing gift of an Aquinas College Scholarship.
With continued, prudent management of our Endowment Fund capital, in conjunction with fundraising initiatives such as the hugely successful 2018 City Toyota Starry, Starry Night Foundation
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Foundation News
Leaving your legacy with a Bequest In June this year, the Foundation launched the Veritas Society to acknowledge and thank friends of the College who choose to leave a gift to Aquinas in their Will. Members are invited to special College events throughout the year and receive a Veritas Society pin in recognition of their contribution to Aquinas. Our sincere thanks to Peter (’76) and Jeanine Hutchinson who became the first official members of the Veritas Society, following the June launch. Peter and Jeanine have been great supporters of Aquinas over many years and see their bequest as a way of providing educational opportunities for generations of Aquinas boys to come.
Peter and Jeanine join a special group of Aquinians who, over the years, have left generous gifts to the College in their Wills, helping to make Aquinas College the great school it is today. For more information about leaving a gift to the College in your Will, please click here or contact Louise Symonds from the Foundation Office on (08) 9450 0799 or foundation@aquinas.w.edu.au.
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Foundation News Rural Community Assists Boarding Life
The Foundation’s Boarding Project Appeal wound up in September with a thank you cocktail function held in the Waterford Room for all of our appeal donors. Thanks to the generosity of the many rural families who supported the appeal from October 2016 through to June 2018, boarding life at Aquinas College is now significantly better. Your contributions of cash and grain directly assisted the College in its efforts to refurbish the boarding houses to a high standard.
Completion of Nunan Common in Term 4 – a redevelopment of the old Nunan carpark into a functional outdoor space for the boys – provides the icing on the cake for what has been an amazing redevelopment of our boarding precinct. Thank you for your support!
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Foundation News Why we support the College: Wayne & Jo-Anne Smith This year we were privileged to be the Major Sponsor of the City Toyota Starry, Starry Night Foundation Ball, held in support of the Aquinas College Foundation.
We were delighted to be involved in the event which capped off my wife Jo-Anne’s years of volunteering for the College and the Ball, and with Chad in Year 11, our final Ball with a child at the school - a perfect time and reason to get a little more involved.
attend a private school, however, was not so fortunate to do so, and therefore, by helping the Aquinas College Foundation, I am hoping there are boys out there who will now have the opportunity to attend Aquinas, and enjoy the life of an Aquinian and the opportunities this will bring them.
As a dealership and business, I believe it is important to be a good corporate citizen, and to find ways to get involved and give back to the community. Importantly, in doing so, you want to see your dollar directly go to a good cause and ensure the money benefits the community.
Thank you to everyone who attended and supported this successful event, along with the other businesses who sponsored the night, and congratulations to the team for pulling it all together - you did an amazing job.
I would have loved the opportunity to
Wayne J. Smith Principal Dealer, City Toyota
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Foundation News City Toyota Starry, Starry Night Foundation Ball a dazzling success! The 2018 City Toyota Starry, Starry Night Foundation Ball, held on Saturday 20th October, lived up to its hype: it was an evening of fun, elegance, community celebration and incredible fundraising. Over 445 dazzling guests enjoyed a full evening of entertainment, including live music from Diamond Road Band, an Operatic Interlude displaying the talents of our very own Rebecca Watson, a spirited Welcome to Country by student Lachlan Thomas, live and silent auctions, a sumptuous meal from Supper Road and the MC talents of past student and AFL legend, Peter Bell (’93). Once again, the generosity of the Aquinas community shone though, with
an incredible $106, 539 raised on the night, funds that will immediately help the College in its pledge to provide significantly more opportunities for young men to reach their potential with an Aquinas College education. A big thank you to our incredible major sponsor, City Toyota, and all of our other generous contributors for their support of our much-loved biennial event. Click here to view and support our 2018 Foundation Ball sponsors. A big thanks to our hard working, mostly volunteer Ball Committee, comprising Robyn Bowler (Chair), Jo-Anne Smith, Claire Griffiths, Antonella Zaninovich, Liz Perrott, Emma Chapman and Louise
Symonds (Foundation Executive Officer) for more than eight months of planning and organising. Thank you to Megan Sweeting, Steve Burke and the Grounds and Cleaning Services teams for their work behind the scenes pre, during and post event. Thank you also to our volunteers on the evening, including representatives from the Ladies’ Auxiliary, the OAA and our Accounts Department – we could not have done it without your tireless hours of work. Finally, a sincere thank you to you, our Aquinas College community, for making the Starry, Starry Night Foundation Ball our most successful Ball ever.
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Foundation News Class of 2018 Scholarship Gift Continues the Tradition Following in the inaugural footsteps of the Class of 2017, our current leaving class have continued the life-changing gift of a two-year half-scholarship for a boy commencing at the College in 2019, as their parting gift to the College. Students are asked to consider a contribution of $50 this year, with a further contribution of $50 in 2019 and again in 2020 to cover the cost of the two-year half-scholarship – that’s around
one dollar per week for three years. The recipient of the Class of 2017 Scholarship gift has finished the first year of his two-year scholarship, and has made the most of the amazing opportunities on offer at Aquinas. Thank you to the Class of 2017 for making this happen. A plaque commemorating the Class of 2018 Scholarship Gift will be hung alongside the Class of 2017 Scholarship
Gift plaque in the new Year 12 Common Room during Term 1. Contributions to the Class of 2018 Scholarship can still be made by visiting the Online Store and selecting “Peer Year Scholarships” from the drop down menu, or by contacting Louise Symonds at foundation@aquinas.wa.edu.au.
Welcome Parents’ Evening Foundation events for 2018 concluded with the annual Welcome Parents’ Evening on Friday 27th October. On what turned out to be a balmy spring evening, more than 200 parents, College staff, Foundation Councillors, representatives from the Old Aquinians’ Association (OAA), the Parents’ and Friends’ Association (P&F) and the Ladies’ Auxiliary (LAX) mingled in the delightful surrounds of the new Chapel Quadrangle, making new connections ahead of the 2019 school year. The Welcome Parents’ Evening has become an important and well-attended fixture in the school calendar, reinforcing the Aquinas tradition of welcoming each new family to our wonderful community and inviting them to be part of their son’s educational journey. Foundation Chair Julian Lodge warmly welcomed everyone on the night, outlining the role of the Foundation in assisting the College to secure a sound financial future, whilst P&F President Daniel Bianchini detailed the roles of the various parent support groups available at the College. Special thanks to Peter Robertson (Dean of Development), Dolores Castelino and Michelle O’Neil from the Development Office for organising this successful event and to members of the P&F and LAX for their efficient and friendly service of food and drinks. Welcome to our new members of the Aquinas College family. We look forward to working with you as you journey through the College.
Contact the Foundation 58 Mount Henry Road, Salter Point WA 6152 T: 08 9450 0799 E: foundation@aquinas.a.edu.au
AQUINAS COLLEGE
Foundation
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