Welcome Back!

Welcome Back to Students and Staff

It was our absolute pleasure to welcome our students and College families back to the College this week, and welcome new members of our community as well. The holidays bring with them an opportunity to rest, reflect and set goals for the coming year and we are excited to witness another incredible year at A.B. Paterson College.

On Tuesday morning we gathered as a community to welcome all students and staff back to the College. During this assembly, our 2025 College Captains, Ellie Sinclair and Nevindu Dammannagoda, shared their messages and excitement for the year ahead and I wanted to extend this message to our entire community on behalf of our College Captains.

Today marks the beginning of what will become our shared legacy for 2025 as a college. We are truly privileged to start this incredible new chapter with you in a year that promises to be filled with growth, knowledge, and unforgettable experiences.

Firstly, on behalf of our entire college community, we would like to extend the warmest welcome to all our new students who have joined us this year. As you embark on your journey at A.B. Paterson College today, we encourage you to seize every opportunity that college life offers, explore your passions, and make the most of your time here. To our returning student body, it is wonderful to have you back. We appreciate each and every one of you as you continue to collectively strengthen our excellence, spirit, and college culture. We are so excited to see how you will flourish and the amazing contributions you will make in 2025 as we strive for success as a college community. To the Year 12 cohort, today is a very significant milestone in our lives – our thirteenth and final first day of school. Today marks the beginning of a series of ‘lasts’—one of many meaningful moments we will share as we complete our final year together.

But most importantly, today gives us the opportunity to define our purpose for the year ahead. Many of you may already have goals for 2025. Whether it is excelling on the sporting field or stage, pursuing higher academic achievement, or developing stronger relationships with your teachers and peers – our goals are only as good as their fruition.

So, to achieve success this year, we encourage you to embrace your own journey. Look beyond just the results and find meaning in the moments of growth, the challenges you face, and the experiences that will shape your character this year. By appreciating the process, Nevi and I hope you will discover the motivation and take purposeful actions to transform your goals into a reality. In 2025, take the time to embrace your journey, uncover meaning in every step, and find your self-fulfilment.

In 2025, we hope to empower our college community with a culture of Spirit, Support, and Service. Together, we should aim to create an environment that builds positivity and strength, one that embraces our unique Australian culture. This year is not just about individual growth; it is about uplifting those around you and helping to build success for others. It is about harnessing our A.B. Paterson character to bring energy and extend our positive outreach both within and beyond the college.

Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for the honour of serving and supporting you as College Captains this year. We are confident that we will make 2025 truly memorable. We wish you all the best of luck for the upcoming year and cannot wait to celebrate all that our A.B. Paterson family will achieve.

Thank you to Nevindu and Ellie for their leadership and guidance of our student body and I look forward to another incredible year at A.B. Paterson College.

Charlotte Brook | Deputy Principal