SPOSA President

SPOSA holds the living history of our community, in the people we stay in touch with and the objects in our care. Our aim is to support and build our community across age groups and time.

LLEWELLYN JONES

sposa president 2020 – A year of challenges and opportunities

This was a year that didn’t turn out the way we expected it would! The plans that were laid late last year for commemorating 75 Years of College history were disturbed by an uninvited guest. Our calendar of activities made it as far as March and then had to be parked due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. We were at least fortunate enough to celebrate a very special Founders Day at the beginning of the school year and were delighted to see generations of past school Captains return for a unique function acknowledging the importance of school life and its unique impact on our lives over the last three quarters of a century.

These were to be a curtain-raiser to a host of functions, events and activities through the year. But it wasn’t to be! So – with the 75th Celebrations in a hiatus until next year – our SPOSA team have had to adapt to the way we function (hello Zoom!) and use this time to reprioritise and invest in our organisational capability. This has included a new digital platform for communications, archive management and refreshing the SPOSA historic displays in the SPOSA offices. All designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the way we manage our activities that support our Old Scholars.

We have also used this time to build better connections and support with current students, especially the final year students who need a little more help than normal to get through Year 12 in an abnormal year. And we have looked to refresh our branding and improve awareness of SPOSA and its role in connecting and supporting Old Scholars of all ages throughout their life’s journey after school. We wish for ALL our St Peters Alumni to feel embraced by the feeling - that starting at St Peters means you are becoming a 'Saint for Life' and we are all 'Saints' together.

Up next

In front of us – we have our traditional end of year activities. Valedictories, bursary presentations and welcoming a new generation of students into the ranks of SPOSA – although it will all be executed a little differently this year. COVID-friendly-style! And then comes a fresh tilt at the commemorative year activities which in 2021 will be the 75th Anniversary year of SPOSA.

Acknowledgement

Our deep gratitude to our hard working Alumni Officers, Sasha and Rowena who have been tireless, imaginative and inspiring throughout. You are the backbone of the SPOSA office. SPOSA doesn’t function without your passionate dedication and desire to make things work well.

Thanks also to our very engaged and supportive Head of College, Tim Kotzur, and Director of Community Engagement, Ross Thomson. It is great to have good partnership and connection with the College administration. There is such great potential for SPOSA and the school to build future pathways together. We are well placed.

Thanks to the 2020 Committee for all your ideas, participation and caring support of our Old Scholars. I hope to see many of you again in 2021. Let’s do it all again!