The Lasallian theme for 2021 You are part of the Miracle. Our vision, our passion, our future resonates strongly with me as an educator.  I see the young people of our College as part of the miracle – they are our vision, our passion and most definitely our future. This theme recalls the powerful and inspiring words of Saint John Baptist de La Salle to all engaged in the Lasallian mission that “the greatest miracle you could perform” is to “touch the hearts of your students and inspire them with the Christian spirit…for this is the purpose of your work…”(Med 139.3). However, the Gospel inspiration for this year’s theme is the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand from “five loaves and two fishes” in Matthew’s Gospel which has application to all of us in our everyday life, irrespective of the nature of our work. All of us have something to offer – all of us have our own particular five loaves and two fishes – which can make our world a better place to the extent that we are prepared to share what we have.

Throughout the year there have been many opportunities for me to witness members of our community who have been prepared to share what they have to support other community members and others in need. Some of these opportunities present themselves in the everyday actions of our students and staff, helping a peer with a broken leg navigate the quadrangle by carrying their books; checking in on friends that have experienced difficulties through the bushfires or are dealing with family loss and illness; and helping another student understand a tricky concept in class, are just a few examples. Other opportunities present themselves in the activities that are part of our College calendar such as:

Make a Difference (MAD) Day

We are truly blessed to have a patron saint, St John Baptist de la Salle, who modelled for us all the life that Christ asks us to live.  He looked beyond self to determine how he lived a life in service to God.  His work to change the lives of children in poverty throughout France reminds us that we all have a responsibility to care for those that have less. This is the reason for MAD Day, which we celebrated on Friday 14 May 2021.

Through our students’ service to others and fundraising through stalls and activities, we will be able to support less fortunate members in our local community through the Archbishop’s LifeLink appeal and our ‘twin school’ in Pakistan, Sant Singh Wala.  This Lasallian school needs basics that we take for granted such as a water tank for clean water and a sanitary toilet block to reduce illness in young children. I know that for me the highlight of MAD Day was our students and staff coming together to work as one to improve the lives of others with such a positive spirit.

Touching Hearts – Christian Service Learning Program

As a community we recognise that people do not just need financial assistance, but also, ‘actions’ can improve the lives of others. Providing for those in our community is key to our Lasallian story. Over the last few months our students have been showing Christ’s love to others within our community through small actions that make a difference to the lives of others.  These include:

• Year 11 students participating in the 5000 Meals project . The food our students prepare is distributed to those in need via the Dream Builders Café in Midland.
• Cancer Council WA Relay for Life 
• Volunteering at a number of local support agencies like St Vinnies
• Engaging with the elderly in local aged care facilities through letters and electronic means. 

Bringing joy through your gifts: Addams Family

Our College production is an important part of the history and social fabric of our vibrant school community. Our students, staff, parents, and the local community all working together, for each other, to achieve a common goal – this is the Lasallian way. There is something quite magical that happens when singing, acting, and dancing come together – and our production was no exception. The wonderful cast and crew have relished the opportunity to use their creative flair and talent to bring their Addams family characters to life and provide us with an engaging and entertaining musical stage show.

As many of us would know, large scale productions also require community volunteers and I want to thank our amazing parent volunteers for the countless tasks they have actioned to bring this production to fruition. At the heart of the Lasallian mission are relationships; between students and teachers, between teachers and parents, between those who work together for the greater good; all are called, in the words of De La Salle to perform the miracle of “touching hearts”.

It is through the quality of our relationships that we “touch hearts”; in the way we reach out and support each other; in the way we treat each other; in the smile of welcome that we give to each other; in the way we speak to, and about, each other. To the extent that we treat each other with respect and compassion, here at the College we become part of the miracle of “touching hearts”. Clearly, this is not exclusive to Lasallians – all are challenged to be respectful and compassionate irrespective of our religious beliefs; it is part of being fully human but, nonetheless, it is one of the characteristics that identifies us as being Lasallian and helps to create an authentic Lasallian community. So I challenge all within our community to seek small ways to be be part of the miracle.

God bless!

Ms Giovanna Fiume | College Principal