Principal’s Message

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome back! I hope everyone is looking forward to a successful term. This week is another sunny, beautiful week. I believe that a number of families will be taking advantage of the weather and of absorbing the sun, now that the pandemic is under control.

On the 25th of April, we celebrated ANZAC day at school. Thank you to all staff members and students for their contributions to, and involvement in, this event. The program was an excellent chance for students and staff to reflect and remember those who fought for Australia and Turkey. This was not a hate war and Turkish people never saw Australians as an enemy. In fact, during the war, an eternal friendship emerged between Turkish and Australian communities. Therefore, I would like to remind all of you of Ataturk’s message in 1934: “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives, you are now laying in the soil of a friendly country resting in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and Mehmeds. They lie side by side here, in this country of ours. Now, they are our sons as well”.

This term, however, will be a very busy term at school. We have NAPLAN testing, as well as semester exams for year 10 and 11 students. NAPLAN assessments are organised by the government, as standardised assessments which measure students’ academic levels. It is important for us to learn our students’ academic progress and to develop strategies to improve their ability and confidence when it comes to their own learning. For these reasons, all students are expected to be at school and on time during the exam. Midyear exams will start in week 9 and, then, term 3 starts and students will continue their learning in the second half of the year.

Moreover, the holy month of Ramadan has now concluded. Many thanks to the pastoral care department for organising a welcoming, engaging Ramadan program. Moreover, warm thanks to Mr Mahir Kara and Mr Nertil Osmani for organising parents and staff iftars. The attendance and sense of community at these dinners and gatherings during the holy month was really pleasing to see. It is traditional for Muslims to share their iftar dinners with guests, a tradition which comes from the prophet of Abraham. It is said that he had never eaten dinner without guests sitting with him, at the dinner table. One day, he could not find anyone to invite, much to his disappointment. As such, his wife said, “O, Abraham, why don’t you go down to the market place and see if you could find someone there?”. So, he went out, as it was getting dark, and the only person he could find was an old man with a white beard. He was a stranger who had been travelling and it was obvious that he was hungry. Abraham asked him if he would care to join him for dinner, an invite he was extremely happy with and gladly accepted. As they walked to Abraham’s house, he asked the old man of what religious faith he belonged to. The old man said that he was an atheist and, when Abraham heard this, he expressed disappointment. He said, “Look, my friend, I cannot let a nonbeliever eat on my table”. The old man felt terrible, as he was starving. As he put his head down and walked away slowly, God spoke to Abraham and said: “O, Abraham! I have fed this man for 70 years, yet you are reluctant to feed him for a day!” Abraham realised his mistake and caught up with the old man. He subsequently said to him, “I am sorry, my friend. My Lord has asked me to invite you “. The old man said, “Your Lord is so merciful and compassionate. I, too, believe in Him now”.

Additionally, there is a lot of good news coming out of the PE department of late. Our year 11 and 12 boys are doing a fantastic job; they have been selected for the upcoming interschool soccer tournaments scheduled to take place. The very best of luck to our boys and, also, thank you very much to Mr David Streets and Mr Matthew Pattison for their outstanding efforts, with orchestrating and coaching.

Furthermore, a message to our parents: there will be a new gate situated at the front of our school. Please instruct your child to not sneak through the door while it is closing, as it could be very dangerous. Irrespective of the fact that there are sensors, it is still a hazard to engage in such behaviour.

Lastly, fourteen year 8 students participated in the Melbourne University Mathematics Competition. The competition endeavours to identify, reward and encourage true mathematical talent among schools. It is designed in a way to promote mathematical insight and success among its participants. Between 3000 and 5000 students enter and some 150 prizes are awarded. The nature of the mathematical problems set are different from those encountered in school mathematics syllabi. They are less mechanical and require a higher level of mathematical insight and creativity. The program really harnessed the passion of students who have a real love for, and ability in, mathematics. Naturally, the best of luck to all participants in the competition.