Welcome to the new academic year at Salesian College Chadstone. To our returning students – welcome home. To those who are new, Year 7s especially, welcome to a community that will challenge you, support you, and, if you let it, shape the man you are becoming.
I begin by recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ spiritual and cultural connection to Country and a commitment to Reconciliation, I would like to acknowledge the First Peoples and the Traditional Owners and custodians of the Country. We respectfully acknowledge our Elders past, present and emerging and remember that they have passed on their wisdom to us in various ways.
The start of a year always matters. It’s a reset. A fresh page. A chance to decide not just what you want to achieve, but who you want to be.
It is wonderful to welcome back graduates from the Class of 2025 at our High Achievers Assembly this morning as well as celebrate other student academic achievements across all year levels at the College.
I want to acknowledge and celebrate our high achievers. Congratulations to our college duces and those who achieved high ATAR and Study Scores.
Achievement here at Salesian is not only about grades – though we honour academic excellence – but also leadership, service, effort, commitment, and growth. If you’ve worked hard, lifted others, or kept going when it was tough, this community sees you. Well done.
Our focus as a school is also to ensure each of you learn to become a “good Christian and honest citizen”.
But today is not just about celebrating success. It’s about reflecting and setting direction.
We live in a world that at times feels heavy right now. You don’t need to watch much news to know that. We’ve seen violence close to home, including the tragedy in Bondi. We see conflict and suffering in places like Gaza, Ukraine and the United States. We see division, fear, and anger – often driven by difference: religion, culture, politics, identity.
You, as young men, are growing up inside that world. You are each trying to understand what this means.
The question becomes: What kind of men will you choose to be in it?
What kind of men will you choose to be in it?
That’s where our Salesian values matter. Respect. Belonging. Integrity. Joy. Kindness. These aren’t just words on a wall. They are daily choices.
There’s a powerful story from the life of Don Bosco that speaks directly to this.
YOUNG DON BOSCO
As a teenager and young student, Don Bosco became close friends with a Jewish boy named Jonah. In their town, Chieri, Jewish families were often tolerated but treated as outsiders or second-class citizens. Still, Don Bosco didn’t see Jonah as “different” or “other.” He saw a friend.
They shared music, stories, learning, and time together. When Jonah couldn’t attend school on Saturdays because of his faith, Don Bosco took notes for him and helped him keep up. That’s quiet loyalty.
At one point, Jonah came to Don Bosco in trouble, looking for advice. Their conversations were honest, respectful, and deeply human.
Don Bosco never forced, mocked, or manipulated. He listened. He cared. He walked with his friend.
Eventually, circumstances pulled them apart. Years later, Jonah returned, having chosen his own path. Their friendship endured.
Why does this matter?
Don Bosco shows us that faith and friendship are not enemies. Our Catholic identity does not mean fear of difference. It means confidence in love, truth, and respect.
IOC President Kristy Coventry
At the opening of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, IOC President Kristy Coventry spoke about respect, kindness and human dignity – values that matter far more than medals or winning.
That message echoes both Catholic social teaching and the life of Don Bosco: every person is made in the image of God, and being a good Christian and demonstrating leadership is shown in how you treat others, especially those who are different or vulnerable.
DON BOSCO
Don Bosco didn’t lead by power or popularity; he led by choosing relationship, compassion and courage. That is the kind of Salesian leadership we are called to live here – leadership that includes, protects and lifts others up. That is what good men do.
The Salesian Strenna, “Do whatever he tells you: Believers free to serve”, challenges us to be people of hope who walk with others – and that’s where this year really begins. Hope is not wishful thinking; it’s action. It’s choosing effort when learning feels hard. It’s standing by your mates when things get messy.
It’s living our college values of respect, belonging and integrity not when it’s easy, but when it costs you something.
Don Bosco believed young people change the world not through noise or power, but through character, compassion and presence. When you live like that – in class, on the yard, on the sporting field and online, you don’t just represent this College well, you help shape it.
As we begin this year, I challenge you to live deliberately. Work hard, not just for results, but because discipline builds the man you are becoming. Invest in your relationships, because no one becomes a good man alone. Take your faith seriously, not as a rulebook, but as a relationship that calls you to love boldly and act justly. Serve others as our college motto calls us to be: “all things to all people”. And when the world feels divided or uncertain, remember Don Bosco and Jonah – two young people who chose friendship, respect and hope.
Let’s make this a year where we don’t just talk about values – we live them. Every day. Everywhere.
To our parents and families, thank you for the trust you place in us and for the values you model every day. To our staff thank you for walking patiently and faithfully with our young people, especially when the work is unseen or challenging.
To our young people, our Salesian students, be proud of who you are and take responsibility for who you are becoming. Never forget you belong here, and you are called to something good.
Thank you.
Omnia Omnibus.