Fr Paul Gardiner SJ: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam:  to the greater glory of God!
Last Saturday morning Fr Paul Gardiner entered eternal life from the Pinchunga Nursing Home in Penola. Father Paul is well known to many of us in the South East and  is especially remembered for his many years of work in promoting and preparing for the canonization of Mary Mackillop.

Fr Paul was born in Melbourne in 1924, entered the Jesuits in 1940 and was ordained a priest in 1955. It was in 1983 that he was appointed as Postulator for the cause of Mary Mackillop and spent six years in Rome researching and compiling the documents of her life and eventually submitted her case for canonization. His work was later published in the book “Mary Mackillop: An extraordinary Australian.” The work led to Mary’s Beatification in Sydney in 1995 and with Sr Mary Casey he worked on the documentation for Mary’s second miracle which finally led to her Canonization in Rome in 2009.

Bishop Greg O’Kelly SJ spoke of Fr Paul as “A most erudite and scholarly man. His great contribution to the Australian Church is the fact that it was his painstaking research and his defence of the case of Mother Mary before Vatican committees that helped bring about the very popular canonization of the one who became known as the saint for all Australians.”

Father Paul’s Vigil at 7.00pm Sunday night and then the Funeral Mass Monday at 11.00am at St Joseph’s Church, Penola, were inspiring celebrations of an earthly life well lived and the entry to eternal life in which Father Paul would look to be present with Mary MacKillop. At the end of his biography on the life of St Mary of the Cross, Fr Paul spoke of ‘August in Heaven,’ where he reflected on the joy of Mary’s reunion with those who had shared her earthly pilgrimage. We trust this eternal joy is greeting him.

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous;

teach me to serve You as You deserve;

to give and not to count the cost,

to fight and not to heed the wounds,

to toil and not to seek for rest,

to labour and not to ask for reward save that of knowing I am doing Your Will.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

College Board AGM
On Wednesday evening 22 March the 2016 Annual General Meeting of the Tenison Woods College Board was conducted. Special thanks to Harry Van Eyk and family for their musicianship, which greeted attendees at the meeting and showed parents the type of music which is accompanying our students in our weekly year level masses, as well as the fortnightly youth masses.

The meeting provided an opportunity for Dan Stratford to showcase the outstanding work in the school’s newly formed High Performance Sports Program. Kylie Ind, in her state role on the Federation of Catholic School Parent Communities and national role with Catholic Parents Australia. Kylie also spoke passionately about the critical importance of parent engagement and how this can be facilitated in schools.

The meeting also continued with reports from the Chairperson, Principal, and Treasurer, offering an opportunity for the school to reflect on the successes of Tenison Woods College in the past year and helping us sharpen our resolve in meeting the challenges of the year ahead. 

The Tenison Woods College Board is comprised of members from the school community, parish community and staff. It is an advisory group that oversees the strategic planning, financial management and policy ratification for the College Community.

The President of the Tenison Woods College Board for 2016 was Father Dean Marin.

The efforts throughout 2015-16 have been greatly appreciated, especially through the work of Board Standing Sub-Committees:

• Finance Committee
• Building, Grounds and Asset Maintenance Committee
• Faith, Wellbeing and Health Committee
• Uniform Committee
• ELCC & OSHC Advisory Committee
• Friends of Tenison Committee

We thank the following parents and staff for their commitment to the 2015-16 Board, appreciating their commitment, ideas and enthusiasm during this time:

• Chris Ind
• Andrew Hughes
• Tamara Gould
• Tom Linnell
• Chloe Shanahan

At this moment I also acknowledge that, according to protocols in the Catholic Education South Australia Manual for School Board Members, Chris Ind will step down as Chair of the Board following several years of distinguished and committed service. Chris has been a very engaged and supportive Chair of the Board, offering his enthusiasm and talents to many dimensions of the College community. We look forward to Chris’ continuing energy with wife Kylie, on Board Sub-committees and parent community initiatives, inspiring us to be the best community possible.    

We were delighted to welcome three new Board Members for 2017/2018:

• Bert Prosperi-Porta
• Kate Facy
• Amy Smith

We look forward to their enthusiasm and commitment to the endeavours of the Board.

Board positions for 2017 are as follows:

• President: Father Dean Marin
• Chair: Emma-Kate Griffiths
• Deputy Chair: Kevin Johnson
• Treasurer: Nigel Adams
• Secretary: Mary de Nys
• Staff representatives: Megan Mackin and Sharn de Nys
• Parish representative: Marcus Power

Board members:

• Pete Collins
• Jean-Claude Cesario
• Simone Van Rijn
• Brooke Rzepiela
• Sian Earle

Ex-official Board members:

• David Mezinec
• Liza Couzens
• Neal Turley
• Trudi Dempsey
• Mary de Nys

I am very excited about the plans the Board has for the 2017-2021 period and I thank the parents and staff who offer their time, talents and discernment to the strategy of the Board through the meetings and the critical Board Sub-committees.

24 Hours for the Lord – Friday 24 and Saturday 25 March
I thank Michelle Coote, Chloe Shanahan, Chris Lloyd, Becky Higgins and Sandra Quirke for supporting the organisation of the 24 Hours for the Lord initiative, lead by Father Michael and Father Dean. Furthermore, I extend appreciation to the many teachers and students who participated in a range of adoration prayer experiences. 

Students had the opportunity to experience a variety of prayer invitations and express their personal renewal during this time of Lent. The Youth hour in the evening from 9.00 - 10.00pm, was a wonderful expression of youthful energy and deep spirituality, supported by the music of the Van Eyk family.

I furthermore thank Father Dean and Father Michael for offering our College community the opportunity to be part of this significant parish initiative.

Catholic Identity – Over a Coffee!
I remind families about the critical Catholic Identity survey. The survey will take parents 45-60 minutes to complete, and those parents who are able to complete the survey are also invited to present the survey completion slip at the Sugarloaf Café to receive a free hot drink and a muffin.

The aim of the Project is to help us better understand how our Catholic identity is expressed within our school community and to develop strategies for moving forward in this critical area of school life. Further information about this project is available from Michelle Coote or myself, and please feel free to make contact with us if you have any questions in relation to this project.

Interschool Athletics Carnival
Following an excellent day of representation, teamwork and personal bests, Tenison Woods College secured first place in the SESSSA Interschool Athletics Carnival. Congratulations to Ciaran Buckley and Health and Physical Education Teaching Team for their leadership.  Significant thanks to all Year 8 -12 staff members and parents for their help throughout the day and the lead up to the carnival. Finally, the efforts of the athletes, was a credit to them as disciplined, team oriented individuals. A well-deserved result!

Strength- based Parenting
Are you a strength-based parent?  
You can find out more at our free parent ResilienceWerks course, which is being offered as a result of our partnership with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAMHRI) and our aspiration to implement the PERMA+ model across our College community. The course has taken place on Tuesday evenings this term, with the final course happening next week on Tuesday 4 April. Watch this space for further courses as the year unfolds. 

Parish Picnic – 2 April
Come and enjoy a fun afternoon, with a range of activities for children. A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, from 12.00pm after the Family Mass. There will be entertainment provided by Tenison Woods Students and Harry Van Eyk. Also included will be:

• Old style races and games for children
• Sausage Sizzle for all for lunch
• Cake, sweet and produce stall
• Coffee van
• Jumping Castle
• Face Painting

All funds raised will support the Tension Woods College trip to Timor Leste and the Parish Youth Trip to the Australian Youth Festival.

Please Note: on the day of the picnic the Deanery Paddock Carpark will be closed.

Parish Planned Giving Rebate
I remind families that parents contributing to the St Paul’s Planned Giving may claim a rebate from Tuition Fees of 50% of their contribution up to a maximum claim of $750. Official Parish receipts are to be presented to the Business Manager after the 30 June 2016 for a deduction to be made.

God Bless,

David Mezinec | Principal

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