Service is defined as work done by one person or group that benefits another. I feel as if we all show service in different aspects of our lives at Aquinas College. Helping a mate with math questions they haven’t wrapped their head around yet, thanking the teacher after getting a good mark on a test. We all perform service every day, it’s just in some cases the service is recognised more than others. Personally, my journey through service at Aquinas has ranged from helping my local football club, the Manning Rippers through boundary umpiring, scoreboard changer, etc. On seniors, reserves and colt’s level. I also participated in a few clean-up Australia days, helping around the Salter Point and Manning streets and parks, and finally cleaning the bush next to the Aquinas College main entry gate. Throughout Middle School, I am aware I could’ve done a bit more in terms of direct help to people. Aquinas College has helped me reach out and provide service to my community, without this opportunity there’s a large chance I wouldn’t have done anywhere near the amount of service I have done.

At first, I saw committing to doing three soup patrols would be a non-enjoyable task I had to do to graduate, a very negative mindset. Until I heard my mates that would come back from committing their soup patrols, with only positive stories. The leaders or ‘drivers’ were nothing short of amazing people with positive mindsets about teaching me and my friends whilst helping the homeless themselves. Something that is so easy and accessible to us private schoolboys, like fresh fruit, bread and warm soup, means so much more to those less advantaged and privileged than us. The people to who we served soup were all grateful for the time we spent out of our days to support them. I had multiple jobs I wanted to participate in during the soup patrol itself. I poured the soup into the cups, and I would put the lids on the cups. I am not the type of person to go out of my way to talk to strangers, so I enjoyed being the backstage type of role during my patrols.

The highlight of my soup patrols would be during my second patrol when we got to play music out of the van, playing rappers like Drake and Kanye West led to the people we were serving being happier and loving the music, giving us all topics to talk about, people wearing Kanye West t-shirts really enjoying the music. It allowed me to appreciate how alike I was, we all listen to the same music, live in the same city, just some of us are born into more advantaged lifestyles than others. Being posted on to the official Aquinas College Instagram serving the community was great as it showed how happy all four of us boys were to help the community, big smiles were not placed on us when the camera came out, they stayed there all night as we loved every part of it. Appreciating that this wasn’t a chore or something we must do to graduate is a massive part of fulfilling service learning at Aquinas College.

After completing my three soup patrols, I was finished with my service for Aquinas College, but I questioned myself with all these opportunities Aquinas has given me, I should give back. The Relay for Life social for year 8’s and 9’s from both Aquinas and Santa Maria practically called my name. I would say nine of every ten people participating in the event as a student leader were doing it for their prefect or captain service project. I wanted to participate in it because I thought I would enjoy it. Three to four hours before the event I emailed Head of Middle School, not asking if he needed any assistance but telling him I would love to help. Coming together with Santa Maria Leaders it felt great to help raise money for the Cancer Council Australia. Giving my support to the younger kids at both Santa Maria and Aquinas was enjoyable, I wanted to be the friendliest person I could be. Talking to them and starting conversations between the two schools’ students. Doing all of this whilst raising money for charity just seemed perfect to me. Seven hours felt like twenty minutes. Doing laps around the oval, playing volleyball, having dance competitions are all great fun activities that helped a group of people suffering from the worst disease ever.

Aquinas College has so many opportunities given to students, such as gardening, soup patrols, surfing with the disabled, etc. I attempted to help with as many as I could. I don’t feel like doing service only helps other people, but equally helps yourself. I enjoyed fulfilling my service duties, I would do a lot more if my focus wasn’t placed upon my ATAR in Year 12. It doesn’t stop now though; service doesn’t end after Mr Richards no longer ticks off your name. Aquinas College has taught us how to serve others, how we must act once we leave school. Following in the footsteps of those soup patrol drivers who take time out of their busy schedules to serve those less fortunate. Completing my service learning at Aquinas College from 2017 to 2022 has been nothing but an honour, I am grateful for Mr Richards and other staff who have given me the opportunities to serve my community.

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

AC TV has been striving in leaps and bounds in 2021, producing more shows and at a higher quality than previously. Being a part of AC TV is amazing with everyone working as a group towards an end goal of producing an episode. Sometimes that is very challenging with an intense conversation on the Microsoft Teams Page leading to throwing all plans for the current episode in the bin. These setbacks, however, make the episodes better as we strive to produce a higher quality show every time.

Through the help of Mr Lachlan Bowyer, Mrs Virginia Eastman and Ms Ashayla Ramsey we have been able to learn new things about videography including framing and video editing. Using their wealth of experience, it has enabled us to think outside the box and to be more creative in how we produce our stories. I have been able to learn lots about videography and I am doing it while enjoying myself, doing something that I am passionate about.

Being a part of AC TV is very fun, producing a story on something at the college with friends is very enjoyable and rewarding!

Good morning parents, staff, Mr Van Dyk, Mr Henderson, and of course, the class of 2021. Lads, we’ve made it. It’s been 6 years in the making for most of us, and we have survived high school.

We’ve all learnt a lot in this time, The Veritas Program taught us how to tie a tie back in year 9, Mr Morrison taught me that dollar signs don’t have two lines through them, and of course, we can’t forget Mr West allegedly showing us how to make explosives in chemistry. But in all seriousness, if we remember our tiny selves from Year 7, where we knew nothing about this big world—and giant campus—in just six years, the knowledge and wisdom we’ve gained from the tireless effort and care from our teachers is irreplaceable.

Every cohort likes to think they’re the best, but reflecting on the past year we’ve definitely made an impact at Aquinas. In sports alone, we’ve won Basketball, Water Polo, Cross Country and also Soccer for the first time in years. Scotch was the only other team to win 4 sports, and that was only by 3 points at the Athletics Carnival. We were also so close to winning the rowing this year, which Aquinas hasn’t achieved in recent years, not to mention how well we did in sports like Volleyball, Cricket and Footy.

We have so many elite individual sportsmen in our cohort. The dedication to what they’re pursuing is just incredible. And with that for me comes pride in being an Aquinian. We have football players who may be drafted, people like Ethan Wyatt-Smith running more than 75 km a week, and back-to-back Blackwood winner Marshal, hoping to make his basketball dreams come true. I’ve seen our skip of Aths, Baxter, be able to compete in almost every event. He’s also a national wakeboarding champion.

Beyond sports, our cohort has also been thoroughly involved in other aspects of the college, like the arts, drama and music—kids doing their thing. We had a debating team make the top 8 which is the best in years; we had two Year 12 teams make the Model United Nations comp, and I gotta give a shout out to the Chess boys for managing to win the state qualifier.

To the other 50 or so Year 12s that turned up to council meetings, thank you. Our leadership team is one of the most proactive in the state, and probably in Aquinas history as of now.

Jack O’Keefe, from his speech on presentation night, talked about the importance of community and finding your own community and when looking at our cohort I’d like to reflect on what I think is this sense of belonging that grounds our class of 2021. Whether we’re gambling with cryptocurrency with the boys from the Internationals or waking up at 4 am with the rowers, I think we’ve all found a home in our cohort community.

And I call upon that sense of belonging to extend for us as a cohort as we venture out into the unknowns of beyond high school. We’ve all been through this chaotic journey of high school together, we’ve all experienced the awkward Year 7 Sports social, we’ve all had to trek through the miserable weather during OLE in year 9, and we’ve all become true men after the Year 11 Encounter Retreat.

As we’ve taken our journey through high school, we’ve also learned to appreciate and admire our peers. I have a huge respect for the boarders, I couldn’t imagine being away from my family for that long, and I wouldn’t know the first thing about working on a farm which many of you guys do. I mean all I’ve seen is that video of Clay getting attacked by an emu.

Thanks to all the tutor teachers for being with us, through all the fun times and also the emotional times too during the Encounter retreat which we’ve all agreed to keep locked away in the back of our minds. I would also like to thank our Heads of Houses and Mr Van Dyk for making our high school experience the most fulfilling it could be.

We sometimes forget that the only reason we’re here in this hall right now is due to the sacrifice, the decision and the support of our parents to help us be here today. So, this is a special thank you to our parents, our guardians, our loved ones for helping us be here right now.

We’ve reflected on the past, thanked those who’ve helped be here in the present, and now, we need to look to the future. We have had our packs and our people at Aquinas, and as we move to different paths of life, whether that be uni, in the workforce, or in the sporting big leagues, I wish you all luck in finding your next group of people and your community.

Still, as we head into the unknowns of the future, it is important for us to reflect on the lifelong community that we have built here. Remember to never be a stranger to your fellow Aquinians of 2021.

Thank you.

The Derby Immersion is an experience that I will treasure for the rest of my days. The trip started with a detour to Port Hedland and this diversion was to foreshadow the schedule of the trip. Covid-19, the heat and several bus breakdowns wreaked havoc on our itinerary, however, the flexible and variable nature of our schedule actually layered the adventure.

The opportunity to experience the colours and landscapes of Broome and Derby and the vastness of the region really is an opportunity of a lifetime. Windjana Gorge is a sight that will be etched in my mind forever. The grandeur of the natural scenery was breathtaking, yet the experience would not be the same if I didn’t have a great group of mates to share the journey with. The sense of community shared with the local people was a particular highlight of this trip for me. Talking and interacting with some of the local kids, swimming in gorges, sliding down mud banks and hiking mountains with the kids on our backs or in our shadows are certainly memorable moments.

Adversity often reveals interesting and unforgettable moments. The bus broke down, it was 35+ degrees and the realisation that we might be there for a while finally began to set in. The hour passed slowly, however, we were elated to hear the rumbling sound of rescue. The looming anticipation of air-conditioning approaching our rescue bus caused us to break out in song. These incidental moments can’t be scripted into an itinerary, yet they are some of the moments I will remember forever.

The trip's success can certainly be attributed to the teachers who navigated the journey with us. Their efforts were very much appreciated by all the boys on the trip. I know I speak on behalf of the group when I offer all the teachers a sincere and heartfelt 'Thank you'.

On Friday, September 3^rd, a select number of students took up the invitation and were welcomed by Curtin University for a tour and immersion into an area of study that they might like to pursue post Year 12.

The three areas that the students explored were Business, Health Science and Science and Engineering.

The student completed activities that a student studying in that faculty would study. The group leaders were also able to share their experiences about university life and give advice and tips about, firstly how to get into the faculty of interest at Curtin and secondly how to get the most out of being Curtin University student.

The flexibility of the myFUTURE program allows excursions such as this to operate as it causes minimum disruption to the students learning as their lessons are online on Fridays.

On Friday 1 October, three Year 12 students (Hayden Mendoza, Ben Mumme and Luca Webb) went on a Red Cross Soup Patrol. What made this night so special is that they had pre-planned to do this together in the period between their Exams and their graduation. All boys had already completed their Service-Learning requirement a long time ago. Their driver was Chris Guinness (Class 2013). I could not think of a more fitting way to honour this outgoing class of 2021 than with this highlight among many other highlights in the Service-Learning Program this year.

Together, the Sustainability Council and other interested students willing to dive into rubbish accomplished a College Waste Audit on Friday the 17th of September. This not so glamorous research provided an opportunity for the Council to collect data on the type, volume and location of waste across the college. You are probably wondering how this was done, and no students were not just pulling rubbish out of the bins and randomly sorting it — quite the opposite thanks to Rosie from Waste Wise Schools. The Waste Wise schools van pulled up with all the equipment we could ever need: tarps, many many tubs and buckets, tongs, gloves, soap and of course cleaning equipment for the end clean up!

Whilst some were setting up the scene other students were going around selecting a diverse range of bins from across the College. We settled on 7 wheelie bins emptying them onto the tarp for the many hands/tongs to sort through. Emptying the bins onto the tarp was not a pretty sight at all! Waste was sorted into 3 main categories — undegradable, recyclable and organic waste, which within them had separate sections such as snack wrappers, food scraps, paper and cardboard, aluminium, and plastic.

Sorting the waste took roughly a period and went fairly free of too much mess apart from the occasional stray projectile burger inbound for the food scraps bucket. During the sorting process, the boys found it very easy to fill the snack wrapper, plastic and general rubbish buckets already giving some insight before the data had even been collected. Once the mountain of waste was sorted into the various categories the true purpose of the waste audit came about, because after all, nobody wants to just sort rubbish for fun, we began collecting data.

From the data collected, food waste is the largest by weight and then general and plastic waste following closely behind with many little bundles of glad wrap. Surprisingly and even more so shockingly, whole unopened chip packets were discovered, whole packets of Oreos, many whole sandwiches and fruit, as well as drinks and, aside from food, Tupperware containers were also discovered – sorry parents these were not all the disposable kind! This data is hopefully going to be used by the council to pitch to the college systems to put in place to reduce waste, but this responsibility also lies with the students – they are the ones who need to take action on reducing the waste in our College.

So what can you do? It is fairly simple — be responsible consumers, not wasteful, only buy what you will eat and if you don’t eat it - take it home and let your parents know you don’t like certain things rather than throw them out. In short, think before you throw something out – offer it to mates or leave it for another day!

This term, 12 Aquinas students (Years 9 and 10) took part in the PSA Model United Nations. It is the second time the PSA has held this competition, this year the UN Youth have become involved which has only improved the event! Model United Nations or MUN is a competition that simulates the United Nations Security Council, where teams of three are assigned a specific country and hope to pass new resolutions into international law. Each PSA school was assigned a different country as can be seen below:

• Aquinas- UK/Niger/Malaysia/Estonia
• CCGS - Ireland/Vietnam/Tunisia
• GGS - United States of America
• Hale- India, St Vincent & Grenadines, Spain, Bolivia
• Scotch - Russia/ New Zealand
• Trinity - France, Mexico, South Korea, Australia
• Wesley - China, Norway

This competition was so enjoyable as we were able to take on the persona and policies of the country we were representing. MUN incorporates skills such as negotiating, public speaking and teamwork. In the PSA MUN we had to pass two resolutions about; Artificial Intelligent Weapons and Privacy of Data in Sport. Although the Council failed to pass both of these due countries such as Russia and China exercising veto power, we still had an amazing experience.

In addition to this the Year 10 team of Matteo Conte, Ethan Dixon and Matthew Vinci won the competition as they were awarded the number one team on the evening! I was also awarded ‘best helper’ for my role on the evening assisting my teammates throughout the course of the events in various ways. This competition allowed all the PSA schools to compete in something that wasn’t a sport which led to a different dynamic and arguably more competitive side for all of the Aquinas students. We all had a great time and we hope more teams can get involved next year!