Prefect Newsletter - Term 1 

The final week of Term 1 was a showcase of the talent and dedication of our students across physical, musical and spiritual pursuits including lunchtime performances by our Rock Bands, a great victory in the School Sports SA Athletics Championship and a campaign to support Vinnies SA with the donation of 200 boxes of breakfast cereal (see galleries and video further down this page)

In this final Latest News for Term 1, Rostrevor's Year 12 Prefects provide some wonderful insights into College life and we encourage you to read their summaries here:

Manish Augustine Head Prefect  |   Alastair Lord Deputy Head Prefect  |  Jayden Gale Head Boarder  |  Jayden Iuliano Community Activities  |  Jordan Zorzi Internal Services  |  Tristan Hunter Social Justice  |  Charles Kemp House Captain - Barron  |  Tyson Walls House Captain - Egan  |  Hussain Hardwarewala House Captain - Gurr  |  Henry Brasher House Captain - Murphy  |  Fabian Di Iulio House Captain - O'Brien  |  Stuart Greenslade House Captain - Webb

To our dearest College Community,

The beginning of 2021 has been set alight by the spirit of young Rostrevor men as they engaged in several activities throughout Term 1. From the purchasing of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday to cheering on the lads during the Boarder's Week basketball and cricket matches, the Prefect team has admired the generosity of all the students; not only in terms of donations but also in regards to their presence and being supportive of one another.

Given that this year has been dubbed the Year of Empowerment, we recognise how important and empowering it is to be present with one another. Reflecting upon 2020, we have truly come to understand that, "Your presence is the most precious gift you can give to another human being." (Marshall B. Rosenberg)

To celebrate and acknowledge Harmony Day, the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence as well as Close the Gap Day, the Rostrevor community took part in a Windmill Activity that called us to reflect on what 'Harmony' actually means and possible ways, irrespective of how simple, we can achieve it in our society. It was inspirational watching so many of the boys lead discussions in such an insightful manner, truly highlighting how leadership transcends a badge.

It was apparent that the overarching messages of these conversations were of respect for all people. This leads well into what the Prefect team has planned for Term 2 as we seek to plan initiatives on the topic of 'Respectful Relationships'. With a particular focus on providing platforms for brutally honest yet constructive conversation, we will look to educate ourselves on how to truly be 'Men for Others'; a concept that begins with being a respectful human.

I hope you have all had a blessed Easter break and are keen to momentarily rest and escape in the confines of the Term 1 holidays. The Prefect Team is ecstatic to resume in Term 2 and reignite the Rossi flame that was ever-radiant this term.

As the entire Rostrevor Community returns from what was a much-deserved Easter break, the students and teachers alike are settled in for one final push to close out the term. Week 11 comes in good time, after both the Year 11 and 12 cohorts participated in Retreat programs for the majority of last week, before returning to school on Tuesday for a final four-day stretch.

Throughout this time, the Prefect team has been working cohesively to establish its plans for the upcoming term. An initiative that rose from the Board Room table, particularly through Head Boarder Jayden Gale and Social Justice Captain Tristan Hunter, was the concept of a 'Blokes' Chat'. This idea was introduced to the Boarding House late last year by 2017 Deputy Head Prefect Alex Cusack and has since radiated 'positivity and connection' throughout the House.

Collectively, we decided as a Prefect team that it would be beneficial to the wellbeing of every individual within the Rostrevor Community if these chats were introduced into our Pastoral Care programs. The objective of a 'Blokes' Chat' is to create a safe place of community whereby students are able to express how they have been feeling, through rating their week out of 10. Additionally, students are urged to put forward something they are currently looking forward to, or a highlight of their past week, so that they are reminded of the positive aspects within their lives.

As the storm of Term 1 passes, it is important we look back on what makes our school the inviting and diverse place we all know it to be. In doing so, we must also appreciate that there is always going to be room for improvement. Through the implementation of 'Blokes' Chat', our aspiration is that all students feel comfortable to talk about their feelings and are able to appreciate the deeply-seated care each Rostrevor boy has for each other as we develop on our journey as Men for Others.

Life in Duggan house has been extremely full on during the first term of 2021. The continuing renovations have ensured we are never short of excitement. We were lucky enough to welcome 15 new boys into the House bringing our tally to 58. We have seen boys participate and excel in summer co-curricular sports. From the time the boys returned, we all knew life in the House was not going to be the same again. The boys came back to see building fences and "do not enter" signs placed near the building areas.

The year commenced with the annual Boarder's Welcome Weekend. The weekend included many fun activities including the highly-anticipated and contested basketball and table tennis competitions, scavenger hunts around the school, races along the slip and slide before concluding with a connection walk to Morialta. The weekend allowed the older boarders to get to know and show the new boarders around the school and House.

Throughout Term 1, many of the boarders represented the College in summer co-curricular sports including Volleyball, Water Polo, Badminton and, the most predominant summer sport, Cricket. It was pleasing to see a large representation of boarders play at the highest level in our First XI Cricket team, with seven boarders playing regularly along with three debutants throughout the first term. It was exciting to hear the news that Year 12 boarder from Mildura Nash Richman would captain the First XI Cricket team.

The Boarding House has also seen huge successes early in the football season with seven boarders representing their designated SANFL club in the under 16s competition. The football leadership continued with Norwood under 16s co-captain Jay Johns (Streaky Bay) and Glenelg Vice captain Liam Delaney (Mount Gambier).

Week 7 was full of activities with the annual Boarder's Week, which saw all school students wear funky hats with donations going towards BlazeAid, which enables volunteers to help regional communities rebuild after natural disasters. The support by the wider Rostrevor community was absolutely amazing and made all of the boarding families feel cemented within the community. The week also included boarders' videos where I sat down with a number of boarders to discuss life within the Boarding House as well as at home. These can be viewed here. The start of the year has been a busy one but also an exciting one in Duggan House.

Since the start of the year, all the Year 12 Rossi boys have been pumped for the 'big night', the Principal's Ball, held at the InterContinental. This year's cohort, in particular, showed more interest than previous years since, as Year 11s, we did not get the opportunity to experience a 'Rossi Formal'. All the boys and their dates arrived on the night looking spectacular, not to mention the teachers.

The night commenced with addresses from the MC for the night, Mr Tom Hodkinson, the Principal, Mr Frank Ranaldo, and the Head Prefect, Manish Augustine. After the first course, the Prefects were invited to open the dancing to one of Ed Sheeran's finest slow songs, Thinking Out Loud. I don't think any of us knew how to waltz. Luckily, we were only embarrassing ourselves for a short time before others entered the dance floor. Everyone made the most of the dancing throughout the night, including the teachers. I think everyone would agree that Mr Sachse was in his element. There was also a photo booth located in the corner of the room for students and staff to make the most of and, I tell you what, I would love to see some of the photos that turned out.

Towards the end of the night, awards such as best-dressed male, female and teacher, as well as 'biggest simp' and 'batting above the average' were announced by Head Border Jayden Gale. Mr Tom Hodkinson and Mrs Deconno-Coward were deservingly awarded best-dressed male and female teachers. In conclusion of the event, Principal Mr Frank Ranaldo announced the King and Queen on the night and gave his final address.

All the boys had a blast and had the incredible experience they were hoping for. On behalf of the Prefect team, I would like to thank all the boys and their dates for the way the presented themselves and for their exceptional behaviour on the night. Furthermore, I would like to thank all the staff and Ms Lauren Symons for the effort and work she put in to ensure the night ran as smoothly as it did. Finally, I would like to thank my fellow Prefects for their efforts in preparation for the event and on the night.

It is on mornings like that of Shrove Tuesday where the motto of the Rostrevor College community, Men for Others, is truly exemplified. The Valley was flooded with students - the smell of maple syrup rich in the air. Prefects served hot pancakes, boys shouted their mates who forgot their gold coins, and the donation boxes clanked with change, all in the name of Jesus' message.

The Shrove Tuesday breakfast is not only a milestone in the Catholic Calendar, but also a longstanding Rostrevor tradition, which sees the entire College community gather to share a pancake. Shrove Tuesday marks the day before the Lenten period, where Jesus embarked into the desert and fasted for 40 days. Yet the humble pancake, a mixture of household staples of flour and milk, is symbolic of gratitude for the abundance and gifts of our community, and an acknowledgement of our faith and commitment to Jesus. It is also a meal of reflection, to acknowledge those less fortunate, and those who go without for much longer than just 40 days.

Rostrevor's gratitude was demonstrated as the sale proceeds of more than 600 pancakes were donated to Caritas' Project Compassion, a not-for-profit organisation which aids the world's most disadvantaged communities whilst dignifying the most marginalized, truly continuing the work of Jesus. Shrove Tuesday is a highlight in the Rostrevor religious calendar. It has been, and will continue to be, a testament to the strength and compassion of the Rostrevor community.

2021 has been barren of challenges and fruitful of opportunity for the Social Justice Committee. This year has brought with it a plethora of new social justice warriors, with our first initiative, Justice Activity Day, kicking the year off with a bang. The day consisted of the Middle and Senior Year warriors partnering with the Year 4 class, journeying through multiple topics such as climate change, sustainability of the world, being an advocate for change and solving global challenges. These heavy topics were delivered in such a successful way that all parties were astounded, reiterating a great start to the year.

The Social Justice team was also heavily involved with Edmund Rice Advocacy (ERA) for Change, in which hundreds of students from Catholic schools in the Edmund Rice tradition gather online in the form of a digital meeting. In these meetings, we discuss crucial topics among like-minded students, all wishing to do what they can to better the planet and its inhabitants. Rostrevor had one of the largest number of participants across Australia, with more than 25 students in attendance. Students split up into their elected workshops including: Planning a Campaign, What's the Concept? She's Someone, Dialogue with Politicians and Those Who Think Differently, Justice and Solidarity with First Nations Peoples, Making the Most of Social Media and Turning Anger into Action. Each of these topics provided significant perspectives on global issues, which was swiftly followed up with a brainstorm activity.

From this, the Social Justice team has planned out the remainder of the year, joining past initiatives alongside the emerging. Some of the main events on our calendar consist of Mabo day, Delicious Diversity, War on Waste, Vinnies Bins to name a few. The 2021 Social Justice Committee, led by Mr Whitfield with my assistance, is optimistic for what this year may hold and is keen to see the fruits of its labour.

BlazeAid is a volunteer based organisation that works with families and individuals in rural Australia following natural disasters such as fires and floods. Working alongside the rural families, the BlazeAid volunteers help to rebuild fences and other structures that have been damaged or destroyed. In Boarder's Week (week 7), the Prefect body, brainstormed multiple ways we could raise money for Blaze Aid including a staff vs boarders cricket match where Zooper Doopers were sold, a boarders vs prefects basketball match with gold coin entry and a Funky Hat Day where students could wear a funky hat and house colours with a gold coin donation.

The Prefects vs Boarders Basketball match saw the inclusion of boarders from year 10 to 12. The match started off back and forth, before the excellent skills of Jamal Harradine lead the boarders to a single figure lead at the half time break. Despite the Prefect team's efforts, they unfortunately fell short in in the end. It was great to see everyone in their funky hats and house colours in attendance. Jamal was even able to close the game with a fabulous slam dunk that had everyone in the gym on their feet. I commend all the boys on their great spirit and participation in the initiative and give a special thanks to Walter Parkyn who did a great job of commenting the game from the sidelines.

From Barron, the Year 11 and 12 retreats were a highlight of the term and a great opportunity for our House to come together and bond on Retreat. We also saw the announcement of the Vice Captains who I congratulate and am sure will do a great job in leading the House this year. In the near future, Barron will look at the return of the Barron BBQ breakfast, a House initiative we can use to raise funds for our House charity. 

2020, the year of 'empowerment', commenced with aplomb for Egan House. In January, the group's sights were firmly set on supporting our House charity, St Vincent de Paul, through selling the iconic ham and cheese toasties at the Friday morning barbeque, and via the surplus sales from Mr Vlad's chocolate confectionery.

Upon seeking more ways to donate to our charity, I was cleaning out my closet one weekend and realised how many clothes/shoes didn't fit me anymore. Instead of selling them or throwing them out, I thought of giving them to people who don't have the same opportunity to purchase these items. As such, in Term 2, the leadership group led by Mr Hodkinson is set to run the initiative 'Shirts & Shoes', where students are asked to bring in either one pair of good quality shoes or a shirt. Donations will be collected in Vinnies 'blue' bins across the schoolyard, thereby, empowering students to make a significant benefaction to those in the broader community who are less fortunate. 

Finally, I would like to extend my congratulations to all students elected to the Egan Vice-Captain roles: Oliver Piro, Wyatt Pisani, Luke Signorello, Harrison Brock, Jack Haddad, Oliver Kerkman, Carlen Becker, Cooper Swain, Laith Saleh, Noah Hill and Kalan Marzullo. I look forward to closely working with them all throughout the year. 

It was remarkable to see the vast number of new Gurr boys enter through the front gate bright and early at 8:30am on Induction Day to embark on a new journey in their school life. The event conducted at the beginning of the term, saw many enthusiastic and passionate Gurr boys being introduced to the Rostrevor Community. The sausage sizzle was a great conclusion to the highly-anticipated Induction Day and jumpstarted conversations and relationships between the new students for a positive start to the school year.  

Over the course of the first term, Gurr House had many successful endeavors beginning in week 5 by winning the College Swimming Carnival for the fourth consecutive year. The exemplary effort from boys in the pool was complimented by the enthusiastic encouragement from the stands; an all-round strong performance that we intend to carry into the Athletics Carnival later this year.

Moreover, the Gurr/Egan Year 12 Retreat was extremely successful for all parties and facilitated the development and nourishment of lifelong relationships, not only amongst the students but among staff members alike. A major focus of the Retreat was introspection and collaboration in which many powerful and thought-provoking activities were conducted in order to further aid in the pursuit of our identity and purpose.

As the year continues, the members of Gurr are eager to participate in fundraising and social activities including Edmund Rice Day and the renewal of the Gurr House Hot Chocolate Stall in Terms 2 and 3, which unfortunately had to be ceased due to last year's circumstances. The commencement of the football season has seen the continuation of the House tipping and AFL Fantasy competitions which students are always eager to get involved in.

Finally, I would like to extend my congratulations to all students elected to the Gurr Vice-Captain roles: Brayden Matzick, Tyson Bos, Finn McGuire-Coward, Arnav Kothari, Marshall Nitschke, Thomas Fotheringham, Henry Knight, James Clarke, Adam Hardwarewala, Taha Jawidi and Zane Kidd. I look forward to working closely with all of them throughout the year.

Term 1 brought a bright start to 2021 for both Rostrevor College and Murphy House. The House initiatives in Term 1 were a highlight including Funky Hat Day for Boarder's Week, splash of green for St Patrick's Day and barbecues to support Project Compassion. The all-round generosity of the Rostrevor students continues to embody our motto of being Men for Others. All of these fundraisers were a big success and will be highlighted in future.

Week 8 saw Rostrevor host Sacred Heart in the annual First XI Intercol Cricket match. As we sent this year's Messenger Shield champions into bat first, we knew it was going to be a tough challenge. But, after some brilliant opening spells from Charlie Brasher and Luke Homan, Sacred Heart lost its first wicket in the first over. Luke and Max Michalanney continued to put the opposition under pressure with Max taking two quick wickets. Regan Taheny was then the highlight of the innings, taking six wickets in a long, 17-over stint of bowling. After dropping some valuable catching opportunities, Sacred Heart was bowled out for 177 in 56 overs.

Rostrevor was sent in to bat late on day one, but unfortunately we lost crucial wickets early finishing the day on 3/29. The start of day two saw us requiring 148 to win. With Rostrevor struggling to get any substantial partnerships together, we continued to lose wickets which saw us being bowled out for 127; Harvey Pedler top scoring with 30.

The new year has begun brilliantly for the boys in O'Brien House. We began our year with great success in the Middle and Senior Years Swimming Carnival, which saw us finish third overall, yet bringing home the Middle Years plate and the prestigious Spirit Shield. With excellent efforts in the water as well as the grandstand, where the sea of blue chanted as one, I felt privileged to be a part of such an enthusiastic group of boys - a brotherhood where all year levels exhibited their passion for O'Brien House.

In the weeks leading up to Easter, O'Brien once again held its annual Easter Raffle. Donations flooded into Mrs Genner's office to form three baskets for first, second and third-place prizes. It was brilliant to see both students and teachers across the College getting involved with the hope of satisfying their chocolate desires. This was accompanied by the sales of Hot Cross Buns every Tuesday morning to support our House Charity, the Reverend Brother Patrick Foundation.

Coming towards the business end of the term and 'footy fever' kicking in, a House tipping competition was created. With a two-dollar entry fee, the boys were keen to tactically place their tips and compete with other members of their House to claim the ultimate prize. This competition has captured the true O'Brien spirit of bonding between different year levels and breaking the barrier of age to forge strong relationships in our House. The members of the O'Brien community were very keen to participate and will continue as the heat rises towards the backbone of the season. House bonding will be further on display in Term 2, as each PC gears up for a futsal tournament between different PCs of the House. The competition requires teams of different year levels to come together and claim the throne of the best PC in the House.

As we head into the holidays after a prolonged yet exciting term, I wish everyone a safe and well-rested break. I encourage our students to come back in Term 2 excited and ready to push themselves as assessments begin to pile, especially for those in Year 12.

In week 7 of Term 1, the notorious teachers vs boarders cricket match commenced. It was a critical match for both sides after last year's match was drawn and it was fair to say both teams wanted the title. The Prefect body sold Zooper Doopers at the match to raise funds for BlazeAid, a charity that helps rebuild fences and other infrastructure in regional communities that have been affected by natural disasters.

The match was played in a T10 format over two lunchtimes. The teacher captain Mr Lagos won the toss and sent his team of teachers in with the bat. A class bowling performance from Thomas Bradford saw the teachers lose wickets early, but it was the fight back from Mr Allan and Mr Trewartha that saw the teachers reach a score of 69. Fast forward to week 8, and it was time for the boarders to bat, chasing the posted score of 69. It looked easy for the boarders at the start with the boys taking a liking to Mr Evans' slow medium pace that was often sent over the rope.

As a few wickets fell, the boarders started to look in trouble and it came down to the last over. The teachers needed one wicket to win the match as the boarders needed one run off the last two balls. As it sat 69 a piece, the captain himself, Mr Lagos, nicked off Jed Burton which saw the game end in a draw, two years in a row, which was unbelievable to watch! Both teams showed true team spirit and camaraderie whilst having a fun and sensible competitiveness which is what the day was all about.

As Webb House Captain, I am proud of the contributions Webb has made this term at Retreats, Swimming Carnival and the announcement of our 2021 Webb House Vice Captains at the Leadership Assembly. Mrs Deconno-Coward and I, along with the other leaders in Webb, have been working on our main House initiative, Walk A Mile, which will be held next term in support of the Hutt Street Centre which I very much look forward to.

As the term comes to an end, I wish everybody a happy and safe holiday and to take it as a chance to refresh and come back next term ready.

Athletics Championships

The saying: "Do it for Deegs" was never more apt as Rostrevor's Athletics Team clinched victory in its division at the School Sport SA Championships this week. More than 50 students took part - heralding a resurgence in Athletics at Rostrevor College. Some outstanding relay performances (two 1sts and one 2nd place) rounded out a great day of individual and team performances which were celebrated with a loud CHOOMALAKA at the end. 

Congratulations to Year 9 Thomas Griffiths who broke the College's U15 100m record with a time of 11.23 seconds.

Retreat Gallery

Rock Bands in the Valley Video

On Wednesday, both our Middle and Senior Bands performed for students and teachers at lunchtime. View a compilation of their rock classics here: