Dear members of the Iona community,

The end of the school year is always a special time. For our Year 12 students, it carries a profound sense of completion and new beginnings.

While we are not there yet, this week marked the start of some of their final celebrations as Ionians.

On Tuesday night, our Year 12 musicians were part of their final music concert. It was, as always, a fitting beginning to this season of farewell — an evening filled with talent, energy, and pride.

The concert highlighted individual performers and the remarkable quality of our ensembles. Groups such as the Iona Singers, whose depth of tone and unity of sound were exceptional, reminded us of the high standards that have been nurtured through years of dedication.

Our bands, choirs, and instrumental groups offered performances that reflected technical excellence and a genuine joy in making music together.

I hope our graduating students carry this love of music into the next stage of their lives, whether through continuing their instruments at university, joining choirs or community ensembles, or simply keeping music as part of their daily rhythm.

I trust that they will remember that music enriches them as individuals and the community as a whole. The skills of discipline, collaboration, and creativity they developed through the arts are gifts that will serve them well wherever their journeys take them.

Focus now turns to the Year 12 Mock Examinations, which begin next week. These exams provide students with a vital opportunity to experience the demands of external assessment, refine their study strategies, and build confidence for what lies ahead.

The feedback from these assessments will be an invaluable tool as each young man prepares himself for the final step in his academic journey at Iona.

Very early next term, the celebrations will deepen in meaning. The Valedictory Mass will allow us to come together as a faith community, giving thanks for the gifts of the graduating class and entrusting them to God’s care as they move into the next chapter of their lives.

Following Mass, families, staff, and students will gather at the Valedictory Dinner — an evening of gratitude, reflection, and celebration of the friendships and support that have shaped the boys’ years here.

The culmination of these events will come with the Final Assembly, where the entire College will stand together in black and white to honour our Year 12s. It is always a powerful moment when the graduating class hands on the baton of leadership and legacy to those who follow, and when we as a community acknowledge their contribution to Iona’s story.

While these moments are not quite imminent, I urge our Year 12 students and families to prepare well for these moments and savour the experiences. 

Talking to some parents of Senior students following the final concert, and some who have had sons graduate previously, the concert on Tuesday night certainly marks the beginning of ‘lasts’.

As we begin the final stages of your time as Iona students and prepare for your final exams, know that you carry with you the pride, prayers, and support of the entire Iona family.

At the other end of the spectrum, today we welcomed many grandparents to the College for Year 5 Grandparents Day. This wonderful occasion brings together our newest Ionians and the grandparents who hold such an important place in their lives.

These events for our Year 5 and Year 12 students bookend the journey of an Ionian, and remind us that our story is one of growth across time, of traditions passed between generations, and of a community bound together in black and white from the very first day to the very last.

God bless,

Mr Trevor Goodwin
Principal