Phase Assemblies

On Tuesday, the College began its trial of fortnightly Phase Assemblies, enabling students and staff to meet in their Primary, Middle and Senior cohorts for the first time. The purpose of these assemblies is to establish the identity of these phases of learning, deliver key messages which are relevant to age groups or year levels, and to recognise positive contributions being made by students at the College, in the wider community, and their own academic or co-curricular pursuits. The hope is that these regular Phase Assemblies inspire students to continue to strive for personal excellence.

The Middle Years Assembly celebrated the students with the top-grade point average in term one results. These boys were commended for their disciplined approach to their studies, and it was clear that each of them demonstrated both a love of learning and curiosity. Mr Steven Hohn delivered some poignant messaging regarding peer relationships, challenging students to ‘not put others in a box’, rather to accept them for who they are.

Positive behaviour entries on Compass were the focus of the Senior Years Assembly. During term one, students in the senior years were commended by staff on 409 occasions. Each of these entries were examples of students creating moments of positivity and strengthening staff and student relationships. I thank these students for the positive impact they had on our community last term. During the assembly we recognised the ‘ripple effect’ of kindness and gratitude that this behaviour creates. Some key messages around being consistent with application to studies and persisting through challenging moments in time were discussed, and students were challenged to continue to be ‘one-percent better each day’, by developing and building upon good habits.

Parent Engagement Evenings

Over the past fortnight the Mother and Son (Year 7) and Father and Son (Year 8) Engagement Evenings have been facilitated by College staff and Time and Space. These evenings are another opportunity to strengthen the relationships within our College community. The evenings allow students to engage in significant conversations with their parents and staff members, which can be life altering. The College thanks the Time and Space organisation for their continued relationship with the Iona community, as well as the students and parents who engaged with this activity. This night would not be possible without the organisation and input from our passionate staff. In particular, we thank Mr Steven Hohn and Mrs Karen Rose for facilitating these evenings.

Year 10 – Pathways Program

On Tuesday this week the Year 10 cohort participated in the ‘Free to Become’ workshop with Pete McAuliffe from The Character Project. Pete is an Iona Old Boy (2012) and former College Captain, so as well as being a wonderful presenter, he brought a wealth of Iona experience and stories, which he shared with the boys. The students were engaged in several activities which challenged them to step outside of their comfort zone and into a zone of personal growth. The boys also explored the concept of Ubuntu and engaged in a discussion about the analogy of the Redwood trees—among the tallest in the world—which rely on each other for support and stability due to their weak root systems. The students will continue to reflect on these concepts throughout PROSPER lessons this term.

It is hoped that these moments of self-reflection provide time and space for the boys to think about the person whom they want to become. This personal insight will be invaluable as they embark upon the SET-plan process, and subject selections later in the year.

Mr Ben Devlin
Dean of Senior Years