GET TO KNOW OUR COLLEGE LEADERS AND HOUSE CAPTAINS

College Leader Sebastian Benedetti

As a leader I would describe myself as confident and easy to communicate with.

My favourite TV program is Top Gear.

My greatest sporting moment was making my senior debut in the NPL for my club Croydon Kings.

My favourite artists are Drake and Travis Scott.

In my spare time I like to play soccer.

The best thing about attending SMC is all the friends I’ve made and the great teachers.

One chore I don’t like doing is washing the dishes.

Leadership means to me leading the way by being a role model to the younger year levels.

Five words which best describe my personality are sporty, funny, friendly, kind-hearted, and outgoing.

A quote that I believe in is “legends aren’t born, they are created one practice at a time” – Lionel Messi.

A teacher at SMC I admire is Mr Rosman because he’s a great person who you can have a chat with about anything.

Something interesting about me no one knows? I have two metal screws in my ankle.

MacKillop House Captain Bailey Cortes

As a leader I would describe myself as enthusiastic, energetic, and inclusive.

The thing that I do that I am the proudest of is my ability to learn from losses and learn from past experiences because it is an important thing to do as a leader, and I can apply it to my life at school, my sports, and other situations.

My greatest sporting moments are kicking a barrel for a goal against Scotch College for the 2^nd XVIII team and making 130 in school cricket.

In my spare time I like to go to the gym.

One chore I don’t like doing is washing the dishes.

Leadership means to me that I should set an example, encourage, and support younger students to be the best they can.

I have a pet lorikeet whose name is Reggie.

To be a Lasallian Leader means that I must be responsible and assist my peers and those in younger year levels throughout the year.

This year as a House Captain I wish to be best known as a good leader.

Five words which best describe my personality are outgoing, optimistic, positive, charismatic, and trustworthy.

A person I most admire is Joe Burrow because he shows persistence.

A teacher at SMC I admire is Mr Biggs because I see him as my mentor.

YEARS 7-9 LEARNING AND WELLBEING CHARACTER STRENGTH FOCUS

Week 5: Prudence

This week our strength of focus is prudence. It isn’t a term we use a lot in everyday language – and we’re more likely to use words like care or caution.

At this time in the Church’s calendar, prudence, together with humility (next week’s strength), can also help us in our reflection as we approach Lent, a time in which we are invited to be better people, thinking about the choices we make in daily life and the impact we may have.

Year 12 College Leaders visited Pastoral Classes in Years 7 to 9 this week, to connect with the younger students and to explore with them the application of this strength at this special time, as you can see below.

The painting is a long way away from Henley Beach but can still connect to our intentions here and inspire us. It resides in a wonderful gallery called Museo San Donato which is a part of the Monte de Paschi bank in Siena, Italy; the world’s oldest, or second oldest bank, dating back to 1472. At this time, Siena was a republic and the institution was created to offer loans to the poor.

Sapienza e Prudenza – Wisdom and Prudence was painted by Francesco Rustici in the 1600s and adorned the wall of the bank’s director for decades so that he faced it each time he entered his office. It was positioned this way to remind him that his decisions he should be wise and prudent in a balanced manner, every time he entered the room. It’s a wonderful example of how art can inspire us.

In the painting, we see that Wisdom is on the left and Prudence (one of the cardinal virtues) is on the right. Dressed in the clothes of a young and glowing girl, Prudence is sitting beside a snake winding itself around a sceptre (power) and she holds a mirror in her right hand. The idea of the snake comes from one of the passages of Matthew (10,16) “…be as prudent as snakes.” The mirror, drawing on medieval traditions, alludes to the idea that prudent people always consider past (experience) and future (consequences) in decision making.

As an earthly virtue, Prudence indicates towards the ground with her index finger; there is a contrast with the hand of Wisdom raised to the sky, indicating nature and divine inspiration, reflected in the presence of the dove of the Holy Spirit. Wisdom rests her arm on the Sacred Book of Scripture, taking her cues from this text. Nearby we see a clear reminder of the temporary nature of life and worldly goods, in the sinister profile of a skull in the bottom left corner of the painting.

In our lives in 2022, far away from medieval Siena, when we exercise prudence, we keep ourselves safe and follow our dreams with care, mindful of our impact on others. As the painting reminds us, there must be a balance and we should exercise care in our decision making, stopping and reflecting on the impact of our words and actions before we let them fly, so that we don’t create situations we regret later and that we are empowered to flourish safely as we navigate life. This aligns perfectly with our reflections during the season of Lent, as we work towards growing in our faith and knowing, valuing and caring for each other, exploring our curiosities and becoming the learners and leaders of the world.

Enjoy the temperate weather and have a wonderful week ahead!

Mrs Tonia Carfora, Year 7-9 Learning and Wellbeing Initiatives Leader