From the Principal Across this, my first year at the College, I have witnessed first-hand that St Kevin’s College is a community where we come together to do our very best, and to hold firmly to our identity as a Catholic school, inspired by the spirituality of Edmund Rice who spent his life emulating the person of Jesus. The Church’s season of Advent, with its counter-cultural emphasis on patience, stillness, and quiet waiting, draws us back to this same Jesus whom Edmund found such a powerful source of meaning and inspiration. By preparing for Christmas, we too signal our readiness to encounter the Christ-child though the people and circumstances of our own lives. The great English writer and author of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens, expressed the hope that we might be able to live every day in the spirit of Christmas and, like his protagonist Ebenezer Scrooge, be transformed in the process. Offering a transformative education to young people is a hallmark of who we are as a faith and learning community. Our mission is to deliver rigour and excellence, making the wellbeing and holistic development of young people our core business. We are a community which cares for others deeply and sees service and social justice action as part of our DNA. 2021, a year characterised by the profound effects of a tenacious pandemic, has continued to teach us the virtues of patience, resilience, flexibility, stoicism, resourcefulness, empathy, and good grace. We have strived to embrace it all, and to say “yes” to the fullness of life through whatever circumstances have confronted us. And so, much of what I have witnessed this year at the College has been exceptional. This extends to the dedication, commitment, time, energy, perseverance, grit and intellectual acumen demonstrated by the boys in their academic programs. I congratulate them on their achievements and encourage them to be pleased with their successes. We are all very proud of them and immensely grateful to their parents for entrusting them to our care and supporting the College so generously and in so many ways. I also acknowledge with a sense of profound gratitude our incredibly dedicated and hardworking staff who go above and beyond to ensure that our teaching and learning programs meet the highest standards of excellence and rigour. I can only admire the professional way in which they responded to the challenges and opportunities of online delivery, before helping the boys settle back into the routines of onsite learning after each lockdown. As the year draws to a close, I am also very conscious that two very significant members of staff are moving to retirement after serving the College for a combined total of 64 years. Mrs Joanmary Adderley’s 26 years at Glendalough, most recently as Deputy Director (Administration), have been characterised by a great love of the College and an unswerving commitment to the students in her care. Her contribution to the expansion and development of the Junior School has been enormous. With 38 years of exceptional service and a variety of leadership roles to his credit, Mr Andy Klupacs also retires this year, having in recent years led the Waterford campus as a capable and experienced Dean. A pillar of St Kevin’s, Andy was previously a successful Coordinator of Years 7 and 8 at the Heyington Campus where he was well known for his pastoral care of the boys and for the high standards he promoted. We wish Joanmary and Andy every happiness in their well-earned retirement. Christmas Blessings to you and your family, and a very safe and happy summer break. May 2022 bring us opportunities to continue to grow and be together. Blessings and Peace Mrs Deborah M Barker Principal
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