MAZENODIAN A PUBLICATION FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FRIENDS OF MAZENOD COLLEGE ISSUE 1 • VOLUME 33 • JULY 2022
ALUMNI OFFICE
FROM THE ALUMNI OFFICE As we move through 2022 the events are once again lining up for the Mazenod Old Boys Association. The committee are continuing with the barbeques for Year 12s, Golf Day and Old Boys vs Students football match and this July will see the association firing up with the Friday night football catch up. Friday 22 July the Lesmurdie Club will be the place to be to watch the Fremantle Dockers take on Richmond Tigers. Tickets are $20 including food and prizes and all family and friends of the Mazenod Community are welcome.
PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH We welcome all former students, parents, friends and staff to renew their association with the College and update their contact details.
The Class of 2021 was welcomed back to the College on Wednesday 15 June. We invite last year’s graduating class back to “check in” on each other, share some pizza and listen to how they have fared post Mazenod. It’s our way of saying you are always a part of the Mazenod community, and we are here for you.
Let us know where you are these
Finally, Mr Nick Allen. I met Nick in 1984 on the wrong end of a bit of leather (fully deserved of course), after relaying to him in the Mazenod playground that he looked like Spiderman’s alter ego, Peter Parker. Forward 40 years and it is still sinking in that I will not see his ‘signature grin’ in the corridors of Mazza land anymore. Thanks Nick and look forward to continually awarding you B.O.G for all upcoming reunions! Mazza Hall of Famer for sure.
a member of the MOB go online to
days and what you are doing in your family and working lives. Please email info@mobwa.com.au or if you are an Old Boy and would like to become www.mobwa.com.au and download the membership form. Alternatively, you can telephone Jeremy Logan on (08) 9291 1500. Email addresses are very important to
Jeremy Logan (87) Old Boys Liaison Officer
us, as most communication is via this method.
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE We have reached the midway point of the school year and this edition of The Mazenodian captures and celebrates the great work being undertaken in our community. There is great energy in our staff development program and you can read about the ways in which our teachers are continuing to develop their professional skills to teach with the greatest effect. The College’s sustainability focus is highlighted with the work of our students being good stewards of the environment. Cebula Boarding is such an important part of our community and our Director of Boarding gives an update on the many developments in boarding. Our community podcasts are going from strength to strength and , in this edition, Ms Beth Murphy introduces us to the Leave Nothing Undared podcast series which highlights our students, staff and old boys. There are also tributes to three long standing staff members who have retired this year,
Mr Nick Allen, Ms Leanne Watson and Mrs Donna Ingleton. As you read through the articles, I hope you experience the spirit of the College. To be a part of the Mazenod College family, either as a student, staff or old boy is a calling to be the best one can be, and to accept the responsibility to not simply be successful personally but to ensure one’s giftedness and success enriches and benefits the lives of others. All the work featured in this edition, as well as the array of opportunity on offer in our school supports our belief that it is not what our boys become, but who they become that truly matters. Enjoy the read! Mr Andrew Watson Principal
TEACHING AND LEARNING We know that there’s more to teaching and learning than just the classroom. Mazenod College continues to reimagine programs to enhance professional development for our teaching staff, to mentor students from enrolment to graduation, and to build vibrant and enhanced courses which encourage critical thinking, creativity whilst continuing to strengthen the relationship between our student, their family, and the College.
a child can see that their parents are supporting them, they are more likely to take risks and learn something new instead of staying inside the box.
A lot has happened since the beginning of the 2022 academic school year; however, our College’s commitment remains to provide an all-boys education that is enticing our students to explore, discover and challenge themselves whilst living by the statement “there is a place for every boy at Mazenod”.
Missed Assessment Completion Program The introduction of the Missed Assessment Completion Program began in Week 3 of Term 1 and operates during Form and Period 1. Students who miss summative assessments are notified and asked to complete their assessment within three days of returning to school. The program runs from Monday to Friday and is overseen by members from the College Leadership Team. The purpose of this program is to ensure students are in an appropriate, enclosed, and supervised environment to maximise their performance in assessments when they have been absent from school.
MyPath Program 2022 has seen the continued development of Mazenod’s MyPath Program, which has grown to continue to ensure that our students are the most post-secondary ready as possible. The introduction of MyPath online provides students and parents essential information on senior schooling, allowing for the exploration of courses and certificates the College has on offer. Further development in 2022 saw the creation of the Course Counselling team who will assist Year 10 students and their families in making the selection of their pathway in senior school through subject counselling sessions. The College’s commitment to actively include families in the subject selection process has seen parent information evenings held, with the belief that when
Transition To SEQTA 2021 saw the introduction of the learning management system (LMS) SEQTA. The College’s transition to SEQTA continues to grow in 2022, with staff, students and parents all connected to ensure that students have success both pastorally and academically. SEQTA is a collaborative teaching and learning ecosystem that makes learning visible. The LMS provides teachers with a range of tools and insights to support great student outcomes. The College currently uses SEQTA to provide feedback (both teacher and student), assessment details and results, pastoral notes as well as for academic tracking. The close monitoring of students’ academic achievement ensures that transparency exists for students, particularly with choosing
pathways. Furthermore, the data can be used to identify where a student is placed in relation to their personal learning goals and with information from assessments, teachers can work with the student to establish achievable learning goals and help each student to stay on track. With ongoing monitoring of the students, teachers can establish an achievable and individual rate of progress for each student, or conversely intervene when required. Encircle, Guide, Inspire Initiative Enhancing professional development for our teaching staff is integral in ensuring the growth of Mazenod staff. 2022 saw the inaugural Early Career Teaching Initiative Encircle, Guide, Inspire. The initiative uses instructional coaching to allow teachers to continue to develop their teaching toolbox through lesson observations, reflective practices and goal setting. Participants also developed their own Leave Nothing Undared plans, which saw staff explore both their long and short-term teaching goals, whilst deep diving into how to use their own character strengths in their interactions with students and colleagues. Afternoon sessions have seen more experienced teachers and leaders join the group to explore wellbeing, academics and unpacking our professional practice standards. Pedagogy And Practice Wednesday The goal of Australian education is that all young Australians become confident and creative individuals, successful lifelong learners, and active and informed members of the community. This requires that students have the essential skills in
literacy and numeracy, engage in respectful debate, are productive and informed users of technology, can adapt to emerging technologies, think critically, deeply and logically, are innovative and resourceful, problem solve, are responsive and adaptive to new ways of thinking and learning, collaborate, are able to make sense of their world, act with moral and ethical integrity and have empathy. What this means for teachers is that we need to build a culture of understanding and implementing contemporary pedagogical practices. To meet this need, this semester staff have engaged in Pedagogy and Practice Wednesday. Each Wednesday staff are provided with professional reading, watching and listening on topics that align with the College’s Vision for Learning with weeks alternating between teaching and learning and wellbeing topics. To date staff have engaged with topics including disciplinary literacy, school engagement, wellbeing, Aboriginal education, student engagement, differentiation, working with high potential students, teachers as reflective practitioners feedback, and student voice. Through this practice staff feel a sense of purpose and there is an alignment for all with vision and shared values of Mazenod College. At Mazenod we continue to encourage teachers to pursue professional development to be more effective and satisfied professionals with the aim to ensure the best learning outcomes for their students. The continued development of teaching and learning at Mazenod College demonstrates our unwavering commitment to ask boys to explore, discover and challenge themselves spiritually, socially, emotionally, and academically.
MAZENOD SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES One of the key themes of focus for Mazenod College this year is Stewardship and Sustainability. Our young men drive these initiatives around the school and the College has been intentional to notice and celebrate our leaders in this endeavour. Chaired by Ms Sally Budge, the Sustainability Group hold weekly meetings with eager students planning and implementing initiatives. Year 7 and Year 8 have Sustainability Captains who have been selected for their leadership and focus on sustainability. In senior school, our Prefects lead portfolios, including Sustainability, so they can coordinate activities across the school. The goal is always a concerted effort at a school level led by students with true agency. Recently, these leaders came together with other schools from the De Mazenod Family Education Network on one of a series of virtual summits. Our student leaders shared their sustainability success, goals and upcoming initiatives alongside Iona College Queensland, Mazenod College Victoria, St Eugene College Queensland and other partner schools. They enjoyed keynote presentations from industry and time to complete activities together in virtual breakout rooms. This event was one in a series that will culminate in a summit at the end of 2022. From these interactions, we are already seeing the crosspollination of ideas and shared actions emerging. Despite the disruptive force of COVID-19, Mazenod has been able to accomplish a lot. Mazenod College is a Waste Sorted School, which means our work on reducing waste and our sustainability practices have been acknowledged. This program gives us access to resources, and grants for projects, while connecting us with a network of other West Australian schools with the same sustainability focus. We are active in the Containers for Change program with some excellent student planning on how to expand this project. This is a Queensland and Western
Australia initiative where refunds are offered for suitable plastic containers. Every container has the potential to be recycled, and every refund has the potential to be donated. At Mazenod, we have collection points in the school where students can deposit their containers for recycling. Refunds are donated to our many fundraising efforts. Then there is our Plastic Free Lunches on Thursdays initiative. Students organized “Nude Food Day” last year and we will continue the focus in 2022. Don’t forget we recycle: 10c containers, stationery, mobile phones, batteries, polystyrene, lids and other hard plastics. Staff also recycle soft plastics, dental products, blister packs, bread tags and plant tags which we would eventually like to open up to students. Building from the 2021 waste audit, the student leadership and Sustainability group have planned a College Clean Up Day where Houses will be allocated sections of the school to remove all litter. This will be supported by messaging around the importance on maintaining the cleanest site possible with appropriate waste disposal practices. Mazenod is organising a Net Zero Waste Sorted Week. The week will include putting all Year 8 classes through a “Worm Shed” incursion. This will give students the understanding required to feed and look after the worm fridge farms that we are purchasing through the grant. One of the schools largest remaining sources of waste going to landfill is food organics from the Boarding House and student lunches. Currently some of our organic waste goes to the small Boarding “farm garden site “ where the chickens eat it, but we hope to decrease our organic waste by having three separate worm farms, supplied with organised waste from the Boarding House and College. Michael Anderson Deputy Principal (Students)
GIFTED AND TALENTED AT MAZENOD At Mazenod College our Gifted and Talented Program aims to enrich and support our students by identifying their gifts in a range of domains and tracking their progress over time. Over the years we will nurture their abilities and ensure they are given challenging opportunities throughout the years. This year our program has got off to a great start despite a few changes of plans due to Covid. Late in Term 1 we had our first interactive Zoom meeting where parents and students of the Year 7 and 8 Gifted and Talented Program had the opportunity to learn more about the program. Year 8 students enrolled in the RiOT (Research, Inquiry and Original Thinking) option class this semester and started the year with code breaking, which led them to construct their very own Escape Rooms for each other to complete. They designed a variety of challenges and it was very impressive how they could use their skills in coding or Minecraft to create some complicated and challenging designs. We are currently learning about Conspiracy Theories and the students are excited to be designing some fake news of their own.
Year 7 students have finally begun their class and it has been a pleasure to learn about the boys. There was a strong interest in Science in the group, and so for our first activity we learnt about the eye and then completed an eye dissection. “Although I found the experience quite confronting, the eye dissection was also very interesting. I had a great opportunity to learn about the contents of an eye. I thought that this was a very interesting and informative experience for me.” - Arya Bhatelia, Year 7. In the next few weeks all year levels have some challenges to look forward to. In Week 3 of Term 3 is the Da Vinci Decathlon. Selected students in Year 7 to 10 will compete against other schools across the following 10 disciplines: Engineering, Mathematics and Chess, Code Breaking, Art and Poetry, Science, English, Ideation, Creative Producers, Cartography and Legacy. In the same week selected Year 11 and 12 students will compete in the Australian Science Olympiad in the area of Chemistry. The students are looking forward to the challenges! Marie-Clare Overton Gifted and Talented Coordinator
OLD BOYS’ STORIES
MICHAEL VERRAN (16) Can you give us a little background about yourself? Class of ? Where you went to Uni, what you studied? Any passions (music, swimming, etc..). What you are currently teaching. I graduated from Mazenod in 2016 and was accepted into the University of Western Australia (UWA), studying a Bachelor of Science. After a mediocre semester at UWA I decided that I had to change paths. After a few weeks of soul-searching instead of exam studying, I reflected on how I could impact the world positively. I ended up deciding on Teaching at Edith Cowan University (ECU). The next year I started a Bachelor of Education majoring in Mathematics Education, which I graduated from in 2021. I taught Maths at Mount Lawley Senior High School in my final year at University, then came to Mazenod at the start of 2022 where I have been teaching Maths, Science, and Commerce. I am passionate about fitness, and always have been. My current sports are bouldering (rock-climbing), and swimming. As a Mazenod Old Boy, what is it like coming back to Mazenod as a teacher? What’s it feel like? Is there anyone here that taught you? Old memories? Expand as you like. A lot is different on the other side. Mazenod has been a great school to teach at because of my understanding
of the culture. When you start at a new job, or at a new school, you often feel like an outsider; like “the new kid”. I have had no such issues at Mazenod, from the staff or students. I now work with several staff who taught me, which was my goal when I decided to pursue teaching. I wanted to work with the adults that shaped who I was as a young man, and who continue to influence my development as an adult. My positive memories from my time at Mazenod are too numerous to recount, but I’m happy to try for anyone who would have me talk their ears off. Can you reflect back at your time as a student at Mazenod and share one thing that you learnt, that has had an influence on your life and/or career thus far? Throughout my time at Mazenod College the qualities of leadership were pushed very heavily by the pastoral staff. I learnt to be a leader at Mazenod. When a group of people have been gathered to complete a task, there are two actions you can take. You can lead, or you can follow. Neither choice is better, but not everyone can (or should) take on the role of leadership. Because of the leadership opportunities, camps, and lessons provided to me at Mazenod I can make both choices. I can lead confidently in my professional life.
Thinking about your time at Mazenod, is there something you could share with the current students that may help them on their journey through secondary school? Learn how to study/train/ practice hard as soon as you can. I was gifted enough to make it through school without having to study particularly intensely, this came back to bite me. University hit me like a freight train because there weren’t teachers holding my hand and fighting for me to do well. Even if it’s only 10 minutes a night, block everything else out and do some study/ homework/practice, whatever it is. Being able to shift gears into “Focussed” mode is an essential skill. In the future you will learn to enjoy working with people who have this skill, and dread working with those who lack it.
MATTHEW ALEXANDER (15) On my first day at Mazenod, I walked into school from the back carpark, bag overflowing with thick textbooks. I was destined for the Year 7 block, but I didn’t realise there was a walkway beside the gym, so I scaled the steep dirt hill onto the oval instead. As I neared the top, the weight of my bag pulled me backwards, almost in slow motion, and I tumbled several metres back down the hill. As I hauled myself to my feet, an older student mercifully walked past acting as if he hadn’t seen anything. My face was redder than the dirt I brushed from my clothes. Fortunately, it was onwards and upwards from this point forward.
to be part of a larger community; it could be a sporting team, volunteering club, church group, or the like. All foster a sense of belonging, passion, and purpose. This lesson helped keep me sane after graduating and helped steer me towards teaching as a profession.
My six years in the Mazenod community were marvellous. I got involved in everything I could, drummed in at least four different bands, played two different sports, went on trips to Canberra and Melbourne, and discovered a passion for science and its methodology.
Being educated in a boys’ school helped create that community I spoke of earlier. We were competitive and passionate young men working together. We weren’t interacting and competing against young women in the classroom and on the sporting field every day, but we were fortunate enough to be surrounded by incredible female teachers and mentors who helped teach and remind us of the important role women play in our lives.
I learned important lessons and made important mistakes. One of these lessons was the physical and mental benefits of belonging to a larger community - engaging in something larger than oneself. At Mazenod, it was belonging and contributing to the unique Mazenod culture. There are many ways
I would also say there are a few lessons I didn’t quite manage to learn in high school. Firstly, how fortunate we are to be educated in a community like Mazenod, in a country like Australia. Perspective and gratitude are powerful tools to enhance wellbeing – tools I try to share with my students regularly.
This fact was further hit home after graduation, where we quickly learned that women can best you in any pursuit! Moreover, the women we grew to
know and love had character traits my peers and I may have initially considered weaknesses, but soon realised were virtues – virtues we strived to adopt into our own characters. After graduating Mazenod in 2015, I dived into the University of Western Australia community, taking three years to complete a double major in Pharmacology and Economics. During some time off spent in Europe, an idea began to grow larger in my mind – an idea that was planted during my time at Mazenod: that giving is often far more fulfilling than receiving. Teaching as a vocation became an obvious choice. I eagerly undertook a two year Master of Teaching degree at Notre Dame University, finishing my final prac at Aquinas College at the end of 2021. Four months ago, I began my first day as a teacher at Mazenod, and funnily enough, it wasn’t dissimilar to 12 years ago. On day one, I walked onto the school grounds alongside some Year 7s half my size who probably had similar worries on their mind: “What if people don’t like me?”, “What if I do something really stupid and embarrassing?”, and “Are my pants too short?”. It’s a good lesson to remember, one I try to share with my students. Whether we’re 14 or 40, we’re human – we worry, we make mistakes, and as
far as I am aware, we never truly feel like a ‘finished product’! I’ve had countless people ask me how it feels teaching at the school I went to just seven years ago. It undeniably felt weird at first - like I was an imposter. At the start, the words ‘sir’ and ‘miss’ often slipped out when addressing my new colleagues who were once my teachers (a surprisingly large number of staff). By just the second day of teaching, however, my brain had switched tracks - being a teacher at Mazenod felt more natural than eating breakfast in the morning. There is one main lesson I learned at Mazenod that I try to share with my students, which is to ‘take advantage’ of the system. Never again in your life will you have such a concentration of opportunities at your fingertips. Learn an instrument, try a new sport, volunteer, apply for extra-curricular camps/ conferences - say yes more often. Everything you learn and experience at Mazenod adds to the toolbelt that you carry into the world after graduation. My time at Mazenod continues! As a teacher, but also as a student, with more lessons to learn and mistakes to make (but hopefully not too many).
GOODBYE NICK ALLEN It is with bittersweet emotion that we congratulate Mr Nicholas Allen on his retirement from Mazenod College and from teaching at the end of Term 1, 2022. Throughout his time at the College, Nick has been the epitome of a Mazenod Man and a true Mazza Legend. He taught, mentored, and inspired generations of Mazenod Men both in and out of his Art classes. Nick was employed in 1984 by Rector Fr John Cranley OMI at a time when the Art room was the current 212/213 rooms and only one student in Year 12 selected Art as a subject. He had immediate impact. Firstly, he was a male Art teacher which was a totally foreign concept for the boys at the time, and secondly, he played football very well. As a result, he was quickly endeared by the student body. Nick recalls that on his first day he was ‘presented with the perfectly bound and finely crafted double-tongued strap of Barry Webber and informed that this was our discipline policy’. Things have certainly changed! Unfortunately, Nick didn’t make it through that first week as he had a severe asthma attack during one of his lessons. Unable to speak, he had to write on the blackboard to the boys for someone to urgently go to the office. He was taken away in an ambulance
in front of the whole school. Things got better from there, and he ended his first stint at Mazenod College in 1997. Nick returned to in 2009 and has done an incredible amount for the Mazenod community. Nick has gone above and beyond for the Arts during his time at Mazenod, both as a classroom teacher and as Head of the Arts Department. He was instrumental in the creation of the Mazenod Art Exhibition, a long standing and popular event in which students and local artists could showcase and sell their works. This venture was extremely successful in promoting art and raising funds, however perhaps an even greater outcome was the community spirit that was built and friendships that were forged as a result of the countless hours of dedication, determination, and commitment by a large band of volunteers who helped Nick’s vision come to fruition. The Mazenod Art Exhibition continued for many years. Nick also developed the Arts at Christmas festival, organised two international Arts tours and coached numerous school football teams. Past and present students, staff and parents will remember the magnificent sets of the school productions. Nick spent countless hours designing
and decorating sets for whole school, staff and drama productions. Throughout the last decade, these productions have included the highly successful performances of The Addams Family, Little Shop of Horrors and Oliver. A lasting testament to Nick’s brilliance is the image of St Eugene de Mazenod that magically appears out of the meticulously assembled conglomeration of metal shapes as you walk from the Administration building to the heart of the school. We are sure St Eugene himself would be very impressed. It is wonderful that there is a permanent piece of art in the school to not only remind us of our heritage, but to also leave a reminder of Nick’s incredible contribution to the College. Nick has many amazing memories of his time at Mazenod. He says he will ‘always remember developing long-lasting friendships with the vibrant Mazenod staff’. He fondly remembers the many school camps attended, including year level camps at Ern Halliday, Point Peron and Nanga. Regarding students, Nick said ‘teaching the boys of Mazenod has been the most rewarding thing for me, with many memories of great students that have become fine men in our community’. It is the teaching of students that Nick will certainly miss most. However, Nick’s greatest memory and personal achievement was making Visual Art accessible and acceptable for boys at a time when the subject was considered unmasculine. Nick’s fantastic art skills, his friendly and welcoming nature, and his passion for art quickly drew boys to a subject that previously struggled to attract students. Soon Art was so popular, a second Art teacher was required to cater for student interest. The College now boasts an incredibly successful Performing Arts Department with a large number of students participating in Visual Art, Music and Drama. Much of this can be attributed to Nick’s leadership of the department for many years, and his relationship with his students. It is no exaggeration to say that Nick Allen was instrumental in changing the culture of Mazenod and giving Mazenod Men a fuller and healthier understanding of what masculinity means. His warm personality, sense of humour, smile, kindness, and passion for art in boys’ education will be sorely missed. It is hard to imagine Mazenod College without him.
LEANNE WATSON The phrase “my door is always open” aptly describes Leanne’s willingness to help others. Since she began her time at Mazenod, Leanne has welcomed countless students, staff and members of the community into her office. Whether it be a quick chat or ongoing assistance, she is one person everyone knew they could depend on. With her warm and friendly nature Leanne makes everyone in her presence feel immediately at ease. Her wealth of experience and knowledge has impacted the lives of many students and staff over the years. She has been a mentor, friend and colleague to many and is fondly remembered by past staff and students. Leanne embodies the Oblate spirit of generosity and giving and has always been an advocate for others. Through her calming nature, insightfulness and down to earth approach she has led the College through some difficult moments and equally celebrated the good times with enthusiasm and passion. Her contribution to the Mazenod community was visible at the many school events she helped with. On Mazenod Mission Day Leanne could be easily identified at the nacho stand with her brightly coloured sombrero. For the athletics carnival she would be found raking the sand in between long jumps. Leanne has supported many other school and community events, often deliberately going unnoticed and never expecting any recognition. Whether it be cooking meals for a staff member who is unwell, donating clothing to families in need or simply listening to those that need a chat, Leanne gives all she can to help anyone and everyone.
On behalf of decades of Mazenod Old Boys, students, parents and staff, thank you Nick, we wish you all the best for your future endeavours, and we wish you, your wife Jodie and the kids, a safe and happy future.
The Mazenod Community thanks Leanne for her invaluable contribution over many years and we wish her all the very best. We will greatly miss you Leanne.
Peter Douthie and Liam Mallon
Teresa Bulich
BOARDING The Cebula Residential Community has been a busy hive of activity with 71 boys navigating the intricacies of communal living along with the challenges of COVID-19 thrown in the mix. I’d like to congratulate them all on the mature and responsible way they dealt with a raft of everchanging mandates. The year began with a series of welcome activities including a weekend camp at Rottnest for our Year 7 and 8s and Boarding leaders. Over the two days and after many overs of cricket and games of football, it was wonderful to see the camaraderie develop, and the new boarders started to feel part of the Cebula family. For our returning boarders, Adventure World proved to be a great way to reconnect after the summer break. Some changes to the weekend recreation program were aimed at getting the boys “out and about”, giving the boys the opportunity to take part in a raft of activities including go carting, stand up paddle boarding, Bounce, Laser Tag, fishing trips, Truck show, football games, movies and a sushi train restaurant experience. For those who love gaming, we’ve been fortunate to have one of our supervisors take on the organisation of a series of inhouse games nights that have proven popular. Next term we are looking at adding a gliding experience day, paint balling, hiking,
and getting a skipper’s ticket to our list of possible weekend activities. The link between mood and food prompted a revamp of the Boarding menus to ensure that the meals are well balanced, interesting and nutritious. Our recent World Burger Day Make Your Own Night was voted the “best ever” boarding meal! The boys were also invited to join a Chef’s Forum so that twice a term they could meet with the catering staff and discuss the menu, their favourite dishes and give their feedback for future menu planning. In the life of any boarding house, celebrating National Boarding Week occurs in May each year. We focussed on celebrating our own boarders as well as raising the boarding profile within the College. Throughout the week, we hosted an Invite a Teacher to Dinner Night and had a former boarder and AFL Player, Corey Gault (Class of 2009), join the boys for a presentation on how boarding life can prepare one for the future. Corey also shared his AFL experiences as a player with the Collingwood Football Club. Boarding inspired Form quizzes and a fundraising sausage sizzle – with proceeds going to Ronald McDonald House, were also part of the Boarding Week.
Our recent Invite a Day Boy to Boarding initiative was very successful, allowing our boarders to share their “home” with day friends. With some boys staying overnight and others visiting for the day, boarding was a hive of activity. The feedback from the day boys and their parents was extremely positive and of course, our boys were thrilled with the opportunity to share the Mazenod Boarding Experience. We hope to see more day boys become regular visitors to Boarding in the coming months. This is being encouraged and supported by the introduction of the Mazenod Extended Care program which allows day boys and their families to utilise our Boarding services on a flexible basis with packages able to be tailor made to suit the needs of individual families. I’d like to extend a big thank you to all the Boarding staff including our maintenance, cleaning and catering staff who along with the Housemums and supervisors, keep the Cebula Residential Community so beautifully on track. It is timely, that as she embarks on retirement, we acknowledge the wonderful service Housemum, Donna Ingleton, has given the boarding house over the last 12 years. Annamaria Cream Director of Boarding
FAREWELL TO HOUSEMUM DONNA Donna has been a fantastic Housemum who always had the Boarders’ interests at heart. Her no nonsense attitude and thoughtfulness set a standard for the Boarding House that helped boarders find their routines and use their time well. While there have been numerous Heads of Boarding over the years, Donna remained a quiet constant, helping maintain stability and guidance. It is impossible to calculate how many boarders she has driven to the doctors, hospital, footy training, (with a quick stop at Macca’s) chemist, shops, and doctors again – all in one week! During her time as a Housemother, boarding numbers reached about 120 boarders. Donna knew each one of them, as well as their backstory too; in many cases she knew the whole family. Donna will be dearly missed. It is a great testament to her that even last term, she would still get calls and texts from former Boarders telling her what they were up to and how they were going. We hope she will pop in from time to time and wish her and her husband an enjoyable retirement! All the best Donna! The Boarding House Team
COMMUNITY PODCAST: LEAVE NOTHING UNDARED With the success in 2021 of Mazenod’s podcast Welcome to My Country, recognised in the Quality Catholic Education awards for the remarkable efforts of the staff and students, the College decided to continue to use the medium to build powerful connections between students, staff, families and the wider community. The result is our 2022 community podcast Leave Nothing Undared. Eugene de Mazenod once said that we should “leave nothing undared for the kingdom of God”, for both ourselves and our relationships with other people. With students continually asked to operate on the margins and to leave nothing undared, it seemed the appropriate name for our community podcast. The podcast showcases and informs listeners about the amazing and continuous work that occurs throughout the College. Weekly, the community tunes in to hear from our amazing staff and courageous students who share some of the
wonderful opportunities, events and action-packed weeks happening around the campus. Into the second season and Leave Nothing Undared has already had 600 listens, with the audience tuning in, not only from our community, but from Mauritius, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Nigeria, United States and Malaysia. Currently, episodes have covered a variety of happenings around the College including: The Year 9 Rite Journey, Meet and Greets with new staff, Oblate Father Gerry, National Boarding Week, International Women’s Day, Harmony Week, Autism Awareness Month, Term wrap ups from the College Principal and College Captain and a whole lot more. Episodes feature both staff and students taking over the airwaves and reminding all of us each week to “leave nothing undared”. Beth Murphy Assistant Deputy Principal (Pedagogy & Practice)
ACC AGE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2022 This year the ACC had to move the ACC Swimming Carnivals to an age group championship format, as due to COVID-19 restrictions they were unable to run the traditional divisional carnivals. These events were held over two weeks with each year group carnival on alternate days. Mazenod achieved some fantastic results and were, for the first time, placed in the combined category with St Brigid’s College. I would like to congratulate the students who represented the College in the ACC Age Championships, particularly those students who achieved medals in their age group categories. Mazenod College finished 7th in the Overall Boy’s category, out of the 29 eligible schools and placed 9th in the combined category with St Brigid’s College out of the 37 schools at the carnival. Congratulations to College Captain, Thibaut Collard, who was the U19 Runner Up Champion Boy. Thibaut and Year 7 student, Charles Westran, were named in the ACC Allstars Team for 2022. A big thankyou to Mr Michael Verran (16) and Mr Liam Mallon (06) for their knowledge and guidance and many hours of training in the weeks before the carnival. Chris Mason (01) Sport Coordinator
MOB SUMMARY
MAZENOD OLD BOYS PRESIDENT’S REPORT Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Mazenodian, I always enjoy reading through the Mazenodian, reflecting upon all the great work done by Mazenod Old Boys in their respective communities in how they are giving back. Mazenod has a great tradition of community building, and it is always encouraging to hear of their work. The Mazenodian is also a great way to communicate to the wider community what the Old Boys Association has been up to and what events there are for YOU to look forward to! As a committee, we have been proactive in planning some great upcoming events for Old Boys to enjoy. Firstly, we have booked the Lesmurdie Club on Friday 22 July for dinner, drinks and watching the up and about Dockers clash with the Tigers. There will be many prizes and raffles to take part in, so it looks to be a great night out. Our second event is one specifically for our Old Boy Boarders. This will be up in Dowerin during the Dowerin Field Day in August, where we hope to book
a function room to encourage Old Boy Boarders to gather together and catch up. Be sure to keep an eye out for more details closer to the date. Earlier in the year, the Mazenod Old Boys committee agreed to support the work of one of our most inspiring Old Boys (and former boarder) - Oblate priest, Fr Gerry Conlan OMI (79). He has built a new church and was after a new projector – the MOB was very happy to help out in providing $1,000 for the projector the and associated costs. It was also great to see Fr Gerry join our College community for a number of days, speaking to various classes regarding the work of the Oblates in Kenya. By the time of publication, the Old Boys will have held their “13th Year” event for the second time. This event is geared towards inviting back the immediate graduation year group to catch up and check-in with how they are travelling in the big wide world. Last year’s event was a great success with almost 50% attending and sharing common challenges and joys with each other. We trust this year will be much the same.
We have also held two Sausage Sizzles for the Year 12 cohort as a way of supporting the boys in their final year of schooling. Thank you to all the Mazenod Old Boys on staff for their support. I know the 12s certainly enjoy the feed! Lastly, I would like to thank one of our committee members, Sean Marriott (83), who earlier this year decided to step down from the committee. Sean has been a member of the committee for almost a decade and has given much time to ensuring events are well catered and that events run smoothly. On behalf of the MOB and the committee – thank you Sean.
Steven Pisano (10), Morgan Mitchell (10), Aaron Kee (04), Christopher Kee (98), Tian Kee (10), James Kee (01), Robert Sanderson (98), Joe Dearnley (10) (front:Mason Caradonna)
I wish every member of our Mazenod community well and look forward to seeing members at some of our events. John Keogh (04) MOB President
Front Row: Basil Conti (83), Leo Conti (82), Bob Huston - Secretary(78), John Keogh - President (04), Sean Cameron - Treasurer (82), Jeremy Logan (87). Second Row: Adrian Conti (87), Liam Mallon (06), Iggy Moro (87), Sebastian Fiolo (89), Chris Mason (01), Chris Lowry (83). Absent: Liam Staltari – Vice-President (12) Sean Marriot (83)
55 Gladys Rd, LESMURDIE WA 6076 T: (08) 9291 1500 F: (08) 9291 6711 E: oblate@mazenod.wa.edu.au www.mazenod.wa.edu.au