A few lucky students were invited to attend the Lifelink launch day, here's what they had to say;

“It is a great initiative created for the people of Western Australia by the Archbishop. This is an extraordinary opportunity for all people not just Catholics to come together, raise awareness, fundraise and donate to Lifelink to secure a future for all people of Western Australia.” - Tremaine Baxter-Edwards, Yr 9

“I found the Archbishop's LifeLink Day forum to be an eye-opening and thought-provoking experience. The presentations on the amazing Catholic aid organisations around Perth and WA inspired me to return to school and devote myself to making a positive impact in my community, and Archbishop Timothy's speech on the importance of discernment in the lives of all Catholics–especially in the upcoming Plenary council–was incredibly interesting. At the end of the day, I left hopeful and excited for the progressive new initiatives and projects of my Catholic Church.”
- Matteo Conte, Yr 10

"Lifelink day was not just a great day for the people but also a great day for those who are a part of the WA community. With charity works going on non-stop, trying to feed the homeless of WA. I learnt that every day is a gift from God and should not be wasted. Also learnt that every single person has a vocation and must find that vocation and do it for God." - Aaron Martino, Yr 11

Mass

The mass in the morning began at 9:15am with grandparents arriving between 8:30 - 9:00 am. This was a special day for all Year 7 students and their grandparents. The Mass was a time to cleanse, relax and listen with your grandparents to the chaplain talking to us as well as the choir sing in the background to beautiful songs. It was a very peaceful morning not only for myself but also for the grandparents and something I will treasure for a long time.

Assembly

The assembly started right after the Mass. The assembly was for some of the Year 7 students to give a little idea to the grandparents about what life at Aquinas is like. The speeches ranged from a sport’s speech presented by me to a speech about the Boarding Life spoken by Ed Dodd and Caelyn Beard. It was very fun listening to some of the speeches given by our Aquinas Year 7 community.

Morning Tea

The morning tea was prepared by some of the student's parents and our amazing boarding staff in the dining hall. It was one of the most delicious morning teas I have ever seen. Unfortunately, none of the students were able to attend the spectacular event but
when we walked past it, it looked fantastic. My grandma was able to sneak one of the macaroons and let me tell you it was amazing, It was like something you would expect on MasterChef.

Conclusion

This was definitely a very fun day from the Mass in the morning to the morning tea in the end. Every single part of this amazing yet
tiring day was just one of the many days at Aquinas that I will certainly never forget. I can not finish this off without a huge mention
to all the staff who helped put this whole day together. I can’t wait till the next time so I can get another macaroon.

“Without challenge, there is no change.”

This was the main theme I took into Zero2Hero’s Camp Hero.

The camp certainly challenged and changed me both mentally and physically. It was a camp with 39 inspiring students from years 10 to 12 who helped me to grow on my path of self-discovery. The experience was five days long, and each day had a specific focus point.

The first day was focused on self-discovery, as you cannot help others if you cannot help yourself. The main activity on this day was the E-Colours personality test. It is a system of personality classification, based on how a person goes through life. This classified people by their dominant trait, based on whether they are a thinker, relater, socialiser or doer. The second day was about physical health, which involved several activities where we were divided into groups. It was a combination of problem-solving, physical ability and teamwork under time pressure. Mental health was the focus of the third day. This day was both about our own health and supporting the health of others. We all completed safeTALK, which teaches us the skills to identify and assist people with suicidal thoughts. The fourth day was a personal challenge, where we looked inwards. This was a day where we each considered what we hated most about ourselves and made a promise to leave it behind. The final day of the camp was focused on community impact and beginning to consider how we would transfer what we learnt on the camp into daily life.

This article is the beginning of my community impact. I want to let everyone know how incredible Camp Hero is. Although it is described as a mental health camp, it is so much more. It helped me discover who I am and who I want to be.

I have two main messages that I have taken from the camp. Get educated about mental health, so you can help yourself and those around you, and challenge yourself, as you never know when a life-changing experience can occur.

The Aquinas myFUTURE program gives Senior School students a number of ways to grow, develop and learn. Some students opted to spend their Friday time last semester in Service-based activities.

Captain Derwas Cumming’s Citations read by:

• CDTCPL Finn Chadd, Aquinas College Yr 12 Student
• CDTWO2 Isaac Klomp, Aquinas College Vice-Captain

both of 501 ACU Como

The Last Post sounded by:
Rory Watson, Aquinas College Yr 10 Student

Music by:
“Monckey” - Jedsen Monck
Aquinas College Yr 12 Student

Starting out at only 14 years old, Jack Johnston is a passionate and committed Red Cross Soup Patrol volunteer.

After being introduced to Soup Patrol by his older brother, Jack started volunteering through his school, Aquinas College. He now regularly travels with other students to Fremantle in the patrol van to serve soup, bread and any other food that has been donated to those who need it.

Jack's efforts weren't going to be stopped by COVID-19, and when the pandemic struck, Jack and his family stepped up and undertook COVID-safe soup patrols together.

Jack says that volunteering fulfils him and has given him a new perspective of those less fortunate than himself.

"Volunteering with Soup Patrol has given me an insight into the lives of those who are struggling. It has humanised people who are often portrayed in a bad light on the news and vilified by society," he said.

Jack encourages everyone to volunteer, even if you just have a few hours. The experience has opened his mind and he looks forward to one day becoming a Soup Patrol driver and teaching future Aquinas students the beauty of volunteering.

"Seeing the happiness and hope that people have when the Red Cross pulls up is really special. This experience has really changed my life!"

Volunteer today! To find out more visit www.redcross.org.au/volunteer

It was a pleasure to welcome the 72 or so New Mums to the New Mothers' Mass and Morning Tea which started at the Chapel for mass.

Brother Clery talked about the joys of Motherhood and made us all laugh at the story he recalled of his own Mother and why she was running late for the bus! A beautiful Liturgy followed, with the Schola Choir performing 3 songs for our special mothers.

At the conclusion of the Service, the New Mothers made their way to the Waterford Room where the Ladies' Auxiliary (LAX) volunteers had transformed the room into a delightful setting for Morning Tea. The table decorations and flowers were stunning, and our Head of Catering, Steven and his team, had prepared a delicious assortment of treats for morning tea.

Aquinas Headmaster, David McFadden, introduced himself to the ladies and I provided an overview of the Ladies' Auxiliary and the role of LAX in supporting Aquinas and the boys. Fiona Gebauer, a new mother herself to the College, spoke about her role with the Aquinas Foundation excitement about the Foundation Ball coming in September!

By the sound of the chatter and gorgeous feel to the room, I'm sure everyone there had a lovely time! It was wonderful to receive an email of thanks from one of the Mum's saying, ".. it was an absolutely beautiful morning, it was so lovely to spend some time on the campus and meet other new mums, it was a beautiful start to our journey at the College..".