At this time of the academic year, the staff at Kolbe experience a mix of emotions. It is a period where we come together as a community to celebrate the unique qualities of our Year 12 students, marking the end of their educational journey that began around the age of four. Many Year 12 families likely recall the nervousness of holding their child’s hand as they walked into primary school for the first time, hoping they would feel loved, safe, and embraced. As a first-time parent of a graduating high school student myself, I
realise that these sentiments remain unchanged. Now, we hope our children, who have grown into young adults, will experience these feelings in a broader world context.
The partnership between home and school is what makes Kolbe special. This week, I had the pleasure of spending time with many Year 12 families at our Parent & Caregiver celebration evening on Monday night. Hearing the joy and love from our families as they shared their Kolbe experiences was truly special. We are immensely proud of our Year 12 students and hope that the experiences they have had at Kolbe will help them embrace the values of courage, faith, and excellence as they pursue their future endeavours. On behalf of the entire staff at Kolbe, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our Year 12 families for entrusting us with the care of your child and for your unwavering support. We sincerely hope that we have repaid that trust and that this special time for your family is filled with love, peace, and celebrations.
I am a bit of a music buff, and around graduation time I seem to always reflect on a song by Natasha Bedingfield called Unwritten. I believe it beautifully captures this stage of life for our graduating students, and the limitless possibilities that await them. We hope that inspired by the spirit of Maximilian Kolbe, and the love of Jesus Christ, they know that they have the potential to be anyone they want to, and achieve anything they set their mind to. I leave you with some of the lyrics from the aforementioned song, and I wish all our Year 12’s the very best as they move onto the next chapter of their lives.
Staring at the blank page before you, open up the dirty window,
Let the sun illuminate the words that you cannot find,
Reaching for something in the distance, so close you can almost taste it,
Release your inhibitions;
Feel the rain on your skin – No one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in,
No one else, no one else, can speak the words on your lips,
Drench yourself in words unspoken, live your life with arms wide open,
Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.
God Bless
Neil Alweyn (Principal)
