Presentation Day 2020

11 Jan 2021

Marian Catholic College
The Christian Held Memorial Award (as voted by the Year 10 cohort) – Rena Zouein

On Monday 14 December, we celebrated our student achievements of 2020 at our End of Year Presentation Day.

As is our usual custom, we traditionally have family, special guests and Alumni speakers to celebrate the culmination of the school year with the presentation of academic, sporting, co-curricular and community awards to our students.

COVID restrictions prevented us from celebrating with the extended community, but allowed us the opportunity to celebrate the many successes in Presentation Assemblies within each year group.

We would like to extend our congratulations to all the students for their various achievements and outstanding application towards all areas of their studies.

A special mention to the following Major Award winners for each Year Group:

Marian Catholic College Kenthurst

Year 7

Most Outstanding Student Year 7 – Mischa Vujnovich
Ray Williams Encouragement Award – Leila Balangon
Julian Leeser Book Award – Kingston Su

Year 8

Most Outstanding Student Year 8 – Oliver Vujnovich
Dural & Glenorie Rotary Club Academic & Leadership Award – Aristos Theodoridis

Year 9

Most Outstanding Student Year 9 – Isabella Masters

Year 10

Most Outstanding Student Year 10 & Long Tan Award – Olivia Tesoriero
ADF Future Innovators Award – Max Covington

Marian Catholic College

Year 11

Most Outstanding Student Year 10 (dual winners) – Kiara Younan & Braith Sandy
The Australian Olympic Change-maker Award – Charli Orsini
The Hills Shire Council Citizenship Award – Aisling Collins
Robyn Preston Encouragement Award – Olivia Farrugia
The Blake Tickell Memorial Award – Hayley Johnston

Marian Catholic College

Our Principal, Mrs Jayne Campbell's address to the students below:

Today’s awards ceremonies are another example of how, this year, more than any other, has been the year of ‘firsts’. For this annual celebration, traditionally conducted at night, Marian has always welcomed in an overflowing audience of family and invited dignitaries to listen to a keynote speaker sharing some insights into how their school years have pathed the way for their success and happiness in life beyond school.

Today, as a first for Marian, our students and staff will provide the audience to witness the acknowledgement of the achievements and efforts of our award recipients across the five year groups. While it is a break from tradition, I believe it is a very positive adaptation that enables all students, not just other award recipients, to be part of this event. In our regular assemblies, students are acknowledged in front of their peers for their contributions in the other areas of College community life: the Arts, Mission and sport. Today, while there are many categories of awards, the area of excellence and achievement in Learning, our core business as a school, is firmly placed in the spotlight.

For some time, technology has been a foundational platform to support learning and communication, but this year, technology has been the lynchpin that has enabled us to function as a learning community. It’s hard to believe that this time last year, few of us had ever heard of Zoom whereas now, it is part of life and work and our preferred go to method of maintaining that crucial connection with peers and teachers through the sustained period of online learning, virtual assemblies, remote ANZAC day commemorations, online cultural community performances and social justices initiatives.

In fact, this year very little has been what we might term ‘traditional’ and we have all had to learn to cope with the unexpected, as guidelines and protocols have constantly shifted. We might all say we will be glad to see the back of 2020, in the hope of a better year to come, but I believe we miss an important opportunity for learning if we simply want to forget this year. Today, as we celebrate students who have risen above the challenges and succeeded despite all the difficulties, we should be reflecting on what opportunities for growth these strange times have provided that have hopefully built our capacity to thrive, and not simply survive? While the format of today’s celebration is a first for Marian, the pathways that have led to these awards are very much a Marian tradition. So what has it taken for someone to walk across the stage today?

Today, we honour our award recipients because they have collaboratively supported each other to achieve their best and to help build a positive learning environment. They have invested hours of time, effort and energy in improving their knowledge, talents and skills to benefit themselves and to serve their community.

Our award recipients have shown that they have the resilience and the courage to take on tough challenges, to risk experiencing failure while believing that ultimately they will be stronger people for overcoming obstacles. Moreover, they have demonstrated that they are people of hope who take responsibility for critiquing today to create change tomorrow. I congratulate them all.

CONGRATULATIONS to ALL of our award winners for your determination and commitment to learning throughout the challenges of 2020. Congratulations to the ALL Marian students for your resilience, hard work and efforts.

Written By

Marian Catholic College Kenthurst
www.mariankenthurst.catholic.edu.au

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