The Ladder of Ascent

The Corporal Works of Mercy [Part A]

By Dr. Andrew Thomas Kania

The Holy Gospel According to Mark has a scene where the Scribes are debating as to what are the most important commandments by which to live a holy life. Christ is then questioned and He replies: “‘The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any question.’” (Matthew 12: 28 - 34, RSV)

We ascend to the Kingdom of Heaven by climbing a ladder in which each rung is an increasing life-long ability to love God and neighbour – or in the words of the great Spanish mystic, St. John of the Cross, to be able to show at our death how we have grown in our capacity to love, throughout the course of our lives.

It is clear that in order for us to live the Christian Way (the term ‘Way’ was the first term to describe those who followed Christ - as a ‘Way’ of Life) - we have a primary duty to the service and honour of God - but then an important social duty to our neighbour. It is not a matter of one or the other - but both. For as St. John teaches us in his First Epistle: “If any one says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot[a] love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.” (1 John 4: 20 – 21, RSV) Sometimes, our Church service to God can see us become scrupulous, or proud - and we believe that all that is demanded of us is Sunday attendance - without showing love for our neighbour. Our Father Among the Saints, the same author of our Divine Liturgy, John Chrysostom, issued a warning about this: “Do you want to honor the body of Christ? Then do not despise his nakedness. You come to attend church services dressed in the finest silks which your wardrobe contains; and it is right that you should honor Christ in this way. But on your way, do you passed naked beggars in the streets? It is no good coming to the Lord’s table in fine silks, unless you also give clothes to the naked beggar—because the body of that beggar is also the body of Christ. Do you want to honor the blood of Christ? Then do not ignore his thirst. You have donated beautiful gold chalices for the wine, which becomes a symbol of Christ’s blood; and it is right that you should honor Christ in this way. But on your way to services, you passed by beggars who pleaded for food and drink. It is no good putting gold chalices on the Lord’s table unless you give food and drink to the poor from your own tables. The service which we celebrate in church is a sham unless we put its symbolic meaning into practice outside its walls. Better that we do not come at all than

we become hypocrites—whose selfishness can only besmirch the Gospel in the eyes of others.” (St. John Chrysostom, 1996, On Living Simply, Sermon 55). St. Paul many centuries prior to Chrysostom would write of Christians who praise God with little or no love for their neighbour in the following manner: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 1 - 3, RSV)

Moreover without a concern for neighbour - we run the risk of being puffed up with spiritual pride. St. James writes this in his famous Epistle: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing. If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is vain. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James, 1: 22 - 27, RSV)

The War in Ukraine has given us in the diaspora an unexpected gift. Every one of us from the elderly to the child, can give something. The infirmed can pray fervently in their beds; the grandparent can treat a refugee child as a part of their family, the adult worker can sacrifice with their time, their coin - and what other skill, or connection they have; the business owner can see one or two refugees added to their list, the sport’s coach can invite someone into their team, the child can show love by being friendly and welcoming to other children. This is what God asks: “He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,[a] and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6: 8, RSV) For as St. Paul also reminds - and we should never be forgetful of: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13: 2, RSV)

Our Catholic Church offers us a powerful guide in its teaching of the Corporal Works of Mercy as to where our social responsibilities lie in service of God, through our neighbour, tending to their physical needs. These are, that wherever we see the need - and have the capacity to help, we should: feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, or ransom the captive and bury the dead. We are not expected by God to work miracles – we are only asked to sincerely attempt to do what we can. St. Teresa of Avila tells us that a Saint is a person who does the little responsibilities of their life well – to the best of their ability. Let us not be jealous of the good works performed by others as they seek in sincerity to help - for as Christ explained to his Disciples when others were doing good in his name: “But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him; for he that is not against you is for you.” (Luke 9: 50, RSV) Try and encourage your brother and sister in doing Corporal Works of Mercy - as they should assist you, in your endeavours to do good: “Then let us no more pass judgment on

one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” (Romans 14: 13, RSV)

Recall also Christ’s teaching to do your good works for their own reward and not for the reward of the observance of others: “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6: 2 - 4, RSV)

As I complete writing this piece, I need to mention that last Friday afternoon after I taught my final lesson for the day, a twelve-year old student of mine, waited until all the students had left the class. He then said to me: “Doc, I need to tell you this - my mother and father donated to the Humanitarian Appeal in Ukraine yesterday evening.” The parents are of an Irish background - they don’t know any Ukrainian people - but as the Good Samaritan so well understood - the world, and its people are our neighbour. This family without reading our Ukrainian Catholic Catechism – Christ Our Pascha knows the intrinsic value of the words: “Christian love is the foundation of all interpersonal relations and all social life. It is precisely love that discloses the dignity of the human person and teaches us how to love him or her. Acts of mercy are the social manifestations of Christian love. The religious character of acts of mercy stems from the fact that Jesus identified himself with every destitute person: “as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me.” (Mt. 25: 40) Love for the sake of Christ is the primary motivation for acts of mercy.” (Par. 936, Christ Our Pascha)

The Letter of St. James has a redounding preaching contained – “What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But some one will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, and the scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness”; and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2: 14 – 26, RSV)

How many of us – the ‘righteous’ will want to be told at life’s end – that our charity was in fact less than those we may have often derided as being unworthy of God?

KURTIS TANNA – RECIPIENT OF GOLD DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

My Duke of Edinburgh journey was far from predictable with the twists and turns of the Covid-19 pandemic, the added pressure of Year 11, as well as fracturing my femur. I was continually challenged to be resourceful, adaptable and persistent. Quite often we fear things we haven’t tried before and choose not to take the opportunities we are given. The Award challenges you to step outside your comfort zone and encourages you to surpass your limits to find the unknown strengths within. It took a great deal of organisation and forward thinking to be able to complete the various components of the award in these trying times. It has connected me with amazing organisations such as Edmund Rice Camps for Kids WA, and these experiences have inspired me to continue to work with them in the future. For my Adventurous Journey of the Gold Award, I undertook a seven-day voyage on the Leeuwin II with 39 complete strangers. During this, we had the opportunity to climb the 33-metre mast. In the past, I would’ve shied away from this as I am not great with heights. However, I decided I would try to conquer this fear. With my heart racing, I began my ascent. After reaching the half-way point, my shunt failed. I was instructed to carefully climb down because nothing would catch me if I fell. I was quite shaken once I got back to the deck but decided that this wouldn’t stop me. After my shunt was replaced, I began my climb for a second time, making it all the way to the top of the mast. It was a surreal experience reading the secret message at the top and gazing out over the expanse of ocean. Often, we are faced with tough times in our lives, and we look for the perfect time to do things. You shouldn’t wait for this, as it never comes around. Take that step, reach for that goal, strive to achieve the things you were putting off by saying “not yet” or “I’ll do it tomorrow,” because challenge is just an opportunity for change.

RORY WATSON – RECIPIENT OF SILVER DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

When I decided to do the Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award, I thought the 26 hours in Skills, Physical Recreation and Service, as well as an Adventurous Journey would be challenging. I looked at my existing interests and worked out how to tailor these to suit the Award components. In the end I chose:

SKILL: Orchestral Trumpet playing as part of the Perth College/Aquinas College (PCAC) Combined Orchestra.

PHYSICAL RECREATION: PSA Hockey

SERVICE: Surf Lifesaving Patrols

ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY: Aquinas Rowing Camp.

Despite my comfort with many of these areas, challenges still presented themselves. For my Skill Component, the main challenge that I encountered was learning to work together with new people, in a new environment – one that I had never been in before (A Symphony Orchestra!) – and overcoming how alien the environment and procedures were to me. For my Physical Recreation Component, my team (4ths) consistently lost, and this became demoralising as I enjoyed playing for that team and wanted us to do well. For my Service Component, the main challenge I encountered was that Patrols could be quiet and boring, this is a good thing in terms of public safety, but can result in a lack of attention and motivation, especially on rainy days, as I felt that I was making no real impact or difference. I decided to do extra certifications in First Aid, to counter this. For my Adventurous Journey Component, the main challenge that I faced was the mental exhaustion that came from the camp. Even though, as a coxswain the physical toll was very minimal, the mental toll was great. Towards the end of the camp, I was certainly very temperamental.

If I was asked to give two pieces of advice to teenagers considering the Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards, they would be:

1. When considering what to do for the Duke of Edinburgh Award, you do not need to start a new activity. If you want to use a pre-existing activity/hobby/interest – go for it.
2. Ensure that you do challenge yourself – especially, if possible, in the service area. I suggest this because even if you have never done a large amount of service (26 hours is a lot) if you find something that speaks to you, and that you enjoy, these hours will fly by.

Why should you do the Duke of Edinburgh Award at all?

1. Personal Growth. Even though I did not at first believe this when I was told by my teachers, it is correct. I found this out especially on those Surf Patrols when nothing was happening, so I learnt to ask questions and to improve my knowledge, and this was just one example.
2. It is an asset on your CV. The DoE Awards prove you are dedicated, willing to put in time and effort into your interests and can work in a team.
3. It is an internationally recognised award, meaning that the above benefits apply to most of the world, if you want to go to university in America, the Duke of Edinburgh will help with that.

I would whole heartily encourage anyone in their teen years to take on the Duke of Edinburgh Award, as it has been one of the highlights of my extracurricular activities.

Mathematics is a complex, skills-based discipline with multiple strands, each as challenging as the next, with a neverending degree of difficulty. Maybe that is why it seems to be socially acceptable to “not be good at maths”. But industry is seeing mathematical skills as ever more important. Critical thinking, problem solving and communication are some of the important skills needed in the workplace which are also developed whilst learning mathematics.

No longer are students expected to learn long lists of equations and then purely substitute values in order to calculate a solution. Realistic applications and comprehension of problems is a very important aspect of mathematics courses. Mastery of the skills is vital in order to be able to access these problems and their solutions.

We have recently started using an online mathematics program called Mathspace. Mathspace is an engaging and highly adaptive mathematics program, that enables teachers to track students’ progress whilst enabling students to develop both their mathematical skills and online digital literacy. It is directly aligned with the Australian Curriculum, as well as others, and provides students with access to online textbooks, demonstration videos, worked example questions, skills assessments, applications questions and much, much more.

As teachers, we are able to set customised tasks to consolidate work done in class and specific revision and development questions. These have enabled students to engage with questions that aid them to make progress with the topics taught as well as provide teachers vital feedback with areas that students have found challenging.

Adaptive tasks allow students to progress at their own rate. Starting with skills questions, then scaffolded application problems and finally to open-ended comprehension and application questions. If they are finding topics challenging, then students continue to get questions of a similar difficulty until they start to make progress. If they are getting correct solutions with minimal to no assistance, then the questions get harder and the “Mastery Bar” advances. The Mastery level can be set at different levels depending on the abilities of the class, the stage of learning or the difficulty the teacher wishes to set. The minimum number of questions needed to be answered can also be set to ensure that students are gaining enough practice at certain skills, but not stuck on the same task for too long if they are finding it challenging.

If students get stuck, there are several options to help them. There is a sketchpad section for them to do extra working out, but students are also advised to use a pen and paper to do working out on whilst undertaking the tasks. Pressing the “Hint” button provides them with a clue as to what to do next. Some questions will allow them to do this several times, providing extra hints each time. There is a “Skip Step” button, which provides them with the next line of working to get them on the right track. And finally, if students are really stuck, then there is a link back to the online textbook section on the topic of the question. Here they will find the notes, worked examples and explanatory videos to help them. Obviously, they can also ask their teacher or peers via Teams or in class the next day.

The user interface and algorithms running in the background of Mathspace are what makes it a really powerful tool for both students and teachers. Students can enter a line of work and get instant feedback. Even if it is not the final answer, Mathspace will give them an indication of whether they are correct or not. If correct, they get a green circle with a green tick inside. If it is incorrect a grey cross appears with a “Let’s try that again” message appears. When they enter the final answer, a solid green circle with a white tick appears. Students are also able to give feedback on each question if they feel like it.

Answers can be entered using their device and an onscreen menu of mathematical operators. As students’ knowledge and skills develop, there are shortcut keys to enter the mathematical operators without needing to use the onscreen keyboard. These shortcut keys are similar, if not the same, like those used in programs such as Excel and Numbers as well as other IT applications to help the students develop their Digital Literacy.

If using a touchscreen device, especially the iPads with Apple Pencil, students can write their answers straight onto the screen and the character recognition software turns it into “typed text”. This enables students to practice writing their answers as they would in a book, or most importantly, an assessment. It ensures that they are writing legibly so that their answers do not need to be edited before being submitted.

The diagnostic information available to teachers is invaluable. Instant feedback on students’ progress for both homework and in-class tasks ensures that misunderstandings are corrected before they become ingrained. Questions that several students have been challenged by can be addressed immediately or at the start of the next lesson. Students progress on long tasks, such as CAT revision tasks, can be monitored to help them plan and organise their workloads by ensuring they are not leaving it all to the last minute.

Each task can be looked at as a whole for the class, but also individual progress and attempts can be checked with each question appearing as red, amber or green based on the students’ attempts at each question. This enables teachers to look for patterns in students work and challenge their understanding. Each students logins, time spent working and questions answered is available as well as how they are progressing through different sections of the curriculum.

Mathspace is proving to be a valuable resource for both students and teachers. It is not a replacement for great teaching, but is a good supplement, especially when students are working at home and the teacher is not accessible. Hopefully, students will start to use Mathspace themselves to access the textbook and set themselves tasks as part of their ongoing revision process and further develop their independent learning and digital literacy as well as their mathematical skills and understanding.

Dear future Aquinian,

What to look forward to:
There is a variety of opportunities at Aquinas, we will talk about sport first and then to music. The opportunities for sport is amazing, for winter sport you can choose footy, soccer, rugby, hockey and rowing. The summer sport choices you can choose from are basketball, water polo, cricket, rowing, and volleyball. Now to the music aspect, in music you can choose from drums and trumpets and a lot of other instruments. If you are into music this is the right school for you, and the same for sport.

Motivation from me and to give things a go:
Trust me, the Middle School and Senior School goes very quickly, so trust me, you should give everything a go, even if you don't want to. I highly recommended you give as many things as you can a go. Because when you are older you will be disappointed that you didn't give some things a go that you may have liked.

Here are some challenges for you from me:
If you are sporty and love a sport, try to get into A’s, it's going to be a massive challenge because there is a lot of kids coming to Aquinas next year and there will probably be a lot of kids that love the same sport as you. If you love music and stuff, try to get into a band or something because if you go into a band, trust me, you will love it and Aquinas provide awesome songs to play.

Why you have made the right choice by going to Aquinas:
Aquinas, in my opinion, is the best school in Perth and it is very strong musically and very strong athletically and very strong sporty. Aquinas provides a lot of opportunities in everything, trust me, you will find something you absolutely love at Aquinas. You will also fit in very easily. I bet you will find 3 best friends that will be your best friends for life. Aquinians are very close to each other and I bet after school you will find millions of past and present Aquinians anywhere. Trust you have made the right choice going to Aquinas

Good morning, Staff, Students, parents and official party. My name is Ashton Teixeira, and it is an honour to stand before you today as your college captain for 2022. Before I begin the substantive component of this speech, I would like to tell you a bit about myself and my Aquinas journey.

My time at Aquinas began almost 8 years ago in the junior schools most prestigious class - 4 White. It was in my earliest years where I began to first understand what it means to be an Aquinian and the weight that such a privilege holds. As time went on, this understanding grew. I now know the importance of the crest which represents more than one hundred years of rich history, and the legacy of thousands of Aquinians who have gone before us.

We must never forget that the Aquinians of today will one day form a part of the story for those who come after us. This is our chance to add to the story. We need to do our utmost to make the best contribution that we can. We will not get another chance.

To others, the crest may appear to be a symbol of entitlement, arrogance, or ignorance, but not to an Aquinian. To an Aquinian it means so much more, it is the thing that connects all of us to the sacred brotherhood which is everlasting, and it reminds us of our connection to the place that we will forever be able to call our home. We must wear the crest with pride. We must wear it well. We must demonstrate to the broader community that we acknowledge that we are privileged to have an Aquinas education, and that will honour that opportunity by being the best people we can be, not for ourselves, but for the people around us. Being an Aquinian is a full-time commitment. We might take off the blazer sometimes, but the values are within us.

Aquinians have long cherished a culture of excellence. We thrive on the successes of ourselves and our peers, whether it be on the sporting field, in a classroom or on a stage. Speaking of stages, I’d like to take this opportunity to formally recognise the incredible work of Ollie Lim over the past months. He set himself the goal of raising $500. At last count, he’d raised $46,000, largely from within the Aquinas College Community. What an incredible effort! When boys like Ollie raise the bar, we all benefit from having such examples to follow. This is what a culture of excellence entails. A desire to be the best we can be. It’s in our blood, the power of the red and black calling on all of us to leave our own personal mark on the College and beyond. To do so we must show courage, and in many different forms. A battle will never be won by a man who accepts what he knows is wrong and chooses to do nothing about it. Courage is found in going for that mark or taking that penalty, but it’s also found in questioning ideas, standing up to bullies, choosing to say no, admitting a mistake or asking for help. Courage is easier to describe than it is to embody. We will all fail to embody this virtue from time to time, myself included. But the measure of a man is not how he experiences success, but how he learns from failure.

Boys, we’re a team, a team with a foundation of support and respect for each other, a team that’s success is a culmination of our courage, our passion and the relentless desire to be more than just an Aquinas College student, but to become an Aquinian. One of the most vital parts of a successful team is the shared commitment amongst its members to hold one another accountable. You must have the courage, and the personal integrity calls out those of your peers who act in ways which may tarnish our reputation, and in particular, the reputation of those who’ve come before us. Men like Alaric Pindaboor, JJ Savage and Brother Bryan Clery. You must not accept anything other than excellence and you must not allow the actions of others to compromise your values and choices. Veritas Vincit; Truth Conquers, is our college’s motto, but have you stopped to think about what it means to you? Can you relate to it? Personally, I believe that not only does it relate to being true to others, but it also relates to being true to yourself. As a team, we’re only as strong as our weakest link, so in striving to do our best, we must strive to achieve, encourage, inspire and support.

The year ahead is going to be a busy one, as myself, Hamish and the rest of the elected captains aim to consolidate what the captains of 2021 left behind. For all of you, 2022 will be a rollercoaster of highs and lows, with each and every journey being unique. Please, boys, try to remember that behind the many faces you see every day are stories and struggles you do not know. This is why it is so important to practise kindness and affirm the value of the people around us.

It is vital that we stick together and support each other in times of struggle, standing beside our brothers with the willingness and courage to start those awkward conversations that need to be had. Always remember that if you’re going through a rough patch, the red and black family will undoubtedly welcome you with open arms. As a school, we have made it through difficult times and I truly believe that as a community we can survive anything. On the other side of any struggle, we will emerge united, because our bond is too strong to be broken.

As James Kerr, writer of the book, Legacy, once said, “a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they will never see.” In the past week, the class of 2021 has graduated, handing over the mantle to the new graduating class. It’s a surreal feeling and it’s honestly quite scary to think that my time at this great school is nearly over. This is it, our last leg of arguably one of the most valuable journeys that we will ever undertake. Personally, I love Aquinas and I will forever be grateful for the opportunities that it has provided for me. In the coming year, I plan to give back in every way possible, “Planting trees”, which will contribute to my legacy and eventually “provide shade” for the generations of Aquinians who will walk the guard of honour after me. The crest is a powerful thing, boys, and there’s a reason that it's worn so close to the heart. Historically, crests were to tell the stories of families, dynasties, and they were worn into battle. To fight in medieval times without a crest upon your armour was to fight for nothing at all. There are crests to be seen everywhere at Aquinas, but in reality, there’s only one. Cherish your time being a part of it because as any old boy will tell you, in the blink of an eye your time at the college will be over.

The dawn of a new year will provide a clean slate for all of us. It gives us an opportunity to sit back, reflect, and analyse the year that has passed, while also making decisions and setting goals for the future. A new year gifts everyone the opportunity for new beginnings, no matter what bumps you may have experienced in your journey to date. I would encourage all of you to take the time in the coming weeks, to separate yourself from the stress that may come with school or sport. Take time to truly reflect on what you have achieved in your journey, and what your goals and aspirations may be. To my fellow peers; the class of 2022. We each have one final page to write in our college journey. Will your page be filled with the times that you have given back to the college? Or will it be left blank? The crest doesn’t have the power to make you act. In the end, the choice is yours.

Thank you

Students take us through the Youth Eco Summit, dance the night away with the Yr 10 Social and explore Arts Week.

2021 Language Week

Learn to mingle, be bi-lingual!

During Language Week the staff and students were treated to many events and treats.

Staff Events
The Week was launched in style on 13th August with staff enjoying a happy hour coffee event with cannoli. The following Tuesday the opera singer Mr Paul O’Neill delighted the staff with arias, while they dined on a sumptuous luncheon of “Sausages of the World.”

Pizza and Gelato Vans
The presence of the pizza and gelato vans was amazing. They were both open for all students to purchase from during break times. The language students spent one period within the week having a feast prepared by Vincente D’Adamo from within the pizza van which consisted of margarita, pepperoni, and vegetable pizzas, as well as arancini balls and salsicce. Every Junior school Italian student loved their sausage sizzle too. (Written by William Spence)

Bells and Bunting
For most of us the favourite part of Language Week is the fun music that plays from the bells instead of the usual sound. We listen to sounds and music from across the world and it is a fun way to celebrate the cultural diversity that exists across the world and in Australia. Watching boys dance to the Bongo Cha Cha cha and Sandstorm was amusing. Another part of Language Week is the varied and colourful flags which hang across the school. It’s a fun competition to try to name as many countries as you can, and it adds colour and life to the school. (Written by Digby Ross)

Car Display
The College was treated to a brilliant display of authentic Italian cars. The cars on display were a stunning Red Fiat 500 and a fantastic black Ferrari 599. Many thanks to the owners Valentina Algeri-Rafal and Davide Trevisio for the loan of their respective cars. A big thank you also to Mr Franco Ferrari (President of the Ferrari club) who helped co-ordinate this car display. (Written by Patrick Temby)

Championships and Drawing Competitions
From the 13th to the 20th of August 2021, Aquinas College language students competed in the Education Perfect AC Language Championships. This competition involved all the Italian classes and many individual language students competed too. Over 102,000 questions were answered. There were 5 bronze medals awarded and 1 silver medal awarded. The winner was Clancy L with 2000 points, who was the only silver medalist. The class winner was 2021 Year 07.6 Italian, teacher Maria Lo Presti. Other random winners of this competition will be announced later. The Junior School Italian students are also finishing their Michelangelo drawings for judging this week. (Written by Aaron Martino)

Global Studies
The Global Studies students will have an interesting finish to this week of celebrations. They will be enjoying Roo Curry after having studied aspects of Indigenous culture and language. Many thanks to Megan Monks for organising this treat for those boys.

Thank you to the Language Department staff for their assistance during the week - Emma Leopardi , Nicole Aquilia, Genevieve Outtrim, Megan Monks, James Brown and Nancy Lo Biundo. My personal thanks are also extended to the CLT David McFadden, Duncan Warlters, Brendan Chapman, John Van Dyk and Michael Dempsey. Many thanks to the staff, students and members of the Aquinas community who participated in these events. Your support and gratitude were really appreciated.

Maria Lo Presti
Head of Languages
2021/3 Patji Dawes Award Winner