Last week as a College, we came together at our first assembly to start the schooling year. Mr Clarke addressed the students by explaining the Iggy Park difference.

We are a Catholic school that authentically lives the values and charism of Blessed Edmund Rice. His charism comprises three virtues:

1. Presence - Seeing the image of God in the diversity of his students, whether rich or poor.
2. Compassion - Seeing the right relationships in all we encounter that respects the dignity of all
3. Liberation - Providing a critical education that raises consciousness and ethics of care in the school.

This mantra was left for us all by Blessed Edmund Rice, a legacy that was passed on by the Christian Brothers and now is our responsibility in 2023. Our Touchstones call us to offer Liberating Education, Based on a gospel spirituality, within an inclusive community of justice and solidarity.  These touchstones are living the virtues of Edmund Rice.

 For us to truly live these virtues, we must live these collectively.  Our senior cohort has chosen the College theme Blue and White; We Unite this year.  This is about us being one college with one vision. We will continue to develop that sense of unity this year, as the image reflects the junior and senior uniform united as one.

 There is a Chinese story where a father calls his four sons and gives one chopstick to all of them and asks them to break it. All four easily broke that chopstick, but when he asked them to break 100 chopsticks together, they failed to do so; hence at that time, he said this is what happens when you stay together.  If your brother fight with each other, anyone can easily break you and can take advantage of you, but if you four stay together just like those 100 chopsticks, then no one can ever harm you and can never break you.

 Our sense of Brotherhood, which is integral to our college culture, calls us all to be united. It is a culture of accepting all diversity in our school. It is about mateship, comradery, and a sense of belonging. It is to aspire for excellence, which instils strong interpersonal relationships, respect, and community connection, which reflect the Touchstones in our everyday encounters.

Edmund Rice’s legacy calls us to oneness. We need to have a united consciousness that goes beyond self and reaches the heart and soul of all members of our college community. Through this united consciousness, we have a sense of oneness, compassion, love, and respect for all human beings – the same virtues demonstrated by Edmund Rice in 1802.