Term Four is well underway, and our Year 12 students have now commenced their final exams. This marks a significant milestone in their educational journey, and we commend them for the hard work and resilience they have shown throughout the year. The exam period is a time of both challenge and opportunity, and we wish each student the very best as they demonstrate the knowledge and skills they’ve developed. The entire college community stands behind them with pride and encouragement.

During our recent college assembly, the new names for several college entities were announced. I would like to share this information with our community.

Acutis House

Students and staff were both excited to hear that our new orange House would be named Acutis House after Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager who died of leukemia in 2006, known for his deep Catholic faith and devotion to the Eucharist. He used his skills in technology to create a website documenting Eucharistic miracles, earning him the nickname “God’s Influencer.”

Carlo lived a life of kindness, service, and spiritual maturity, inspiring others through his example, including his own family and friends. He was beatified in 2020 and canonised as a saint in 2025 after two confirmed miracles attributed to his intercession.

Carlo is now known as the first millennial saint and the “patron saint of the internet.” Naming a House after Carlo Acutis will challenge our students to see that you don’t have to be famous or perfect to make a difference, you just must use your gifts with heart, courage, and integrity.

The Ngurra Garden

At the Grimshaw Street entrance, our Fire Carriers have supported the establishment of a new garden, designed by our Gardening team and planted for us by parents, students and teachers. This garden will now be known as the Ngurra Garden.

The word Ngurra comes from several Aboriginal languages and is often translated as home, camp, or place of belonging. But its meaning goes far deeper than just a physical location. For many First Nations peoples, Ngurra represents a profound connection to land, culture, community, and identity. It is a place where stories are held, where ancestors are remembered, and where people feel they truly belong.

At our college, the garden at the front of Grimshaw Street is more than just a green space. It is a welcoming place—a space where students, staff, families, and community members can gather, reflect, and feel grounded. Naming this garden Ngurra acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land and honours the deep cultural significance of place and belonging in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

By calling this space Ngurra, we are saying:

• You are welcome here.

• You belong here.

• This is a place to connect—with nature, with each other, and with the stories of this land.

The Ricci Centre

I am pleased to inform our community that the new STEM Centre is approaching completion, with an anticipated opening date of Friday, 10 November. New furniture and materials have been ordered, and we are eager to utilise this new and contemporary learning space.

The building will be named in honour of Matteo Ricci, SJ, a distinguished Jesuit from the 16th century known for his contributions to science. He played a key role in introducing mathematics, astronomy, and geography from Europe to China. Throughout his work, he demonstrated a commitment to the dissemination of knowledge, respect for diverse cultures, and the use of science to foster understanding and connection. Naming our STEM Centre after him serves as a reminder that education extends beyond facts to encompass curiosity, collaboration, innovation, and the collective pursuit of positive global impact.