Captain and Prefects

CAPTAIN’S REport

“People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything” (Thomas Sowell)

Being Mazenod’s College Captain has been a privilege where I have cherished every minute. Mazenod has provided me with so much over these past six years; having the opportunity to give back to this community has been an honour that I will treasure forever.

This year, as a leadership team, we have run many new initiatives, which we hope will only continue to grow at Mazenod. 2022 marked the first year that Mazenod celebrated Men’s Health Week in June, raising awareness of the barriers surrounding the way men interact with their physical, psychological and spiritual health. Mazenod’s first ever student-led subject selection forum was a resounding success, enabling students from Year 9 to Year 11 to draw upon the experiences of Year 12 students to make informed decisions about their future studies.

Mental health is a key concern amongst our generation and has likewise been a central focus of our leadership. Mazenod joined the Blue Tree Project this year, with students from all year levels invited to paint a blue handprint upon the tree as a physical reminder of the College’s duty to help break down the stigmas surrounding mental health, whilst also sparking conversations about this key issue. We also expanded RUOK? Day to run for an entire week, encapsulating that the importance of checking up on our mates cannot be confined to one day.

In my first address as College Captain, I invited the entire College to join me on this leadership journey. Consequently, as a leadership team we have strived to support the initiatives of the broader school community. Whether it has been providing the Mazenod Ukrainian Fundraising Committee, a Year 7 initiative, the chance to speak before the Senior School, or supporting the Sustainability Teams in running their forums, we have endeavoured to nurture leadership at all levels in the College. St Eugene de Mazenod calls us to be united in the love of Christ, as leaders we have sought to bring these words to life through empowering the community, promoting that leadership is something in which everyone can partake.

The highlight of my experience as College Captain was undoubtedly working with Jacob Luu, Noah Beck, Daniel Grano, Jason Fernandes and Ashen Perera. I cannot speak highly enough of their leadership and genuine care for the Mazenod community. I could not be more grateful for all of the joy and support they provided throughout a challenging year, and for the bonds that have grown between us. Mazenod has taught me so much about myself. From a winless, yet persistent, hockey team to a debating team ranked in the top 1% of the state, I have experienced both the highest highs and lowest lows of College life and have enjoyed every second of both of these binaries. My hope is that I have enriched this amazing culture through my time as College Captain, so that others too may have such an experience and, as always, leave nothing undared for the Kingdom of God. Nathanial Louey

College Life Portfolio After two monotonous years of lockdowns and online learning, it was great to see the spirit of Mazenod reinvigorated this year. The College Life prefects - Jithendra Perea, Benjamin Harris, Anthony Pham and Will Setjadiningrat - have run a number of initiatives to try to revive the culture that all students have come to cherish. Our College Life Kahoot, run in September, was a great opportunity for students from all year levels to come together for some healthy competition, helping build important relationships across different cohorts. Whilst a nascent initiative, we have also endeavoured to raise the visible presence of Mazenod’s connection to the Bunurong people, with plans underway for Bunurong art to be incorporated in a College cap.

Ultimately, the work of such a portfolio is pointless without the engagement of the community; we thank all students and staff for truly leaving nothing undared and making Mazenod’s life one that is vibrant and supportive. Nathanial Louey

Nodder Spirit and Sport Portfolio In 2022, sporting events have picked up right where they left off. ACC Sport made a major comeback with Tennis, Volleyball and Cricket being played in Term 1 or Term 4, Footy and Soccer in Term 2 and Basketball, Hockey and Table Tennis in Term 3. A major thank you to the Senior students for their sporting contributions over their six years, finishing with finals wins in Cricket and Volleyball. The Sport leaders ran a teachers versus students footy game in late Term 1 to bolster the support gathering around Mission Action Day, which saw the students narrowly defeating the teachers in a very tight match. In Term 4, the sport portfolio prefects also ran an online submission competition with students submitting videos of fun and creative trickshots. Myself and the sport portfolio team look forward to seeing how Mazenod

PREFECTS

continues its pursuit of excellence through sport in the coming years. Jason Fernandes

Student Wellbeing and Peer Support Portfolio Though it was fantastic to see Mazenod back in full swing this year, two years of remote learning has undoubtedly taken a toll on our mental wellbeing. Through various activities and weekly Homeroom visits, the Year 11 Peer Support leaders have substantially assisted Year 7 students in their transition to secondary school.

Alongside Men’s Health Week in June, the Student Wellbeing Portfolio, comprising Krsto Pincic, Finian Ewe and Hunter Hains, decided to extend the annual RUOK? Day to a full week in September, raising awareness for the need to check on our mates and prioritise our physical and mental wellbeing. Moreover, students raised over $1,700 on Change for Change Day, with the donations directed to TopBlokes, a foundation that works to improve young men’s health, whilst the Mazenod Blue Tree Project will serve as a visual reminder to never be afraid to start conversations about our wellbeing. Jacob Luu

Academics Portfolio This year, our main focus was assisting younger year levels by ameliorating the process of subject selection, furthering the involvement of VCAL students in academic initiatives and motivating Year 12 students through their last stretch of secondary school.

Through the contribution and efforts of the VCAL and Academics team, Jaiden Ferdinands, Raeden Fernandez, Kellen Sutiono and Revan Rajahmoney, all our goals were able to come to fruition. One of our efficacious initiatives was Mazenod College’s first ever ‘Subject Selection Expo’, conducted on July 29. With the help of over 70 volunteers for every single VCE, VET and VCAL subject, younger students were able to ask their questions, concerns or fears about certain subjects. The large reception and enthusiasm from younger students not only nurtured the brotherhood within Mazenod, but also instituted the expo as an annual event. Our final initiative was collating tips and advice from previous successful students, to guide Year 12 students through SWOT VAC and hopefully through their final exams! Noah Beck

Faith and Mission Portfolio Being physically back at school this year was great as we were able to reunite once again as a Christian community. Having year level Mass every morning was a tradition which Mazenod was not able to fully continue last year, but thanks be to God that we have had this tradition back in 2022. It is a real reminder to not take the Oblates and their service to the school for granted.

One reason Mazenod is great from a religious point of view is that although we are a Catholic school, we have students from other religions and Christian denominations. Due to the number of these students at Mazenod, we held a lunchtime session with Junior students from Orthodox Christian denominations, creating an opportunity for them to pray together and ask questions about and compare their denomination with Catholicism. It was a great learning experience for us all as we were able to appreciate the differences and many similarities between the Apostolic denominations which make up our school. Daniel Grano

Music and Performing Arts Portfolio This year, the first “COVID-normal” year, allowed for the Music and Performing Arts department to be back in business with all of Mazenod’s finest talents. Students who played an instrument had the opportunity to be in bands of different genres such as orchestra, jazz, strings and vocals. Despite the cancellation of one of the biggest events Mazenod contributes to, the “Generations in Jazz Music Festival”, we were still able to continue other events such as the “Victorian Schools Music Festival” as well as the Music Gala night, the first since 2019! The Mazenod and Avila musical was also another event which was fortunately added back onto the calendar, in which students performed “Shrek the Musical”, showcasing the gifts and collaboration of both schools.

With the contributions of the Music and Performing Arts leaders, Matthew Bray, James Russo and Daveen Ferdinand, we were able to revive some of our annual events such as “Mazenod’s Got Talent” which provided a lively atmosphere on Mission Action Day as well as displaying the true talents present in the students here at Mazenod. Furthermore, the Performing Arts Festival was also back up and running, allowing all students to put their creativity and passion on display. Ashen Perera