Principal's Message
Vale Mr Terrence Reade
Thank you for the messages of condolence and support at the passing of Mr Terrence Reade. Mr Reade’s illness severely impacted the teacher and the colleague we had come to know. I share with you just a few examples of the outpouring of support for Mr Reade shared with us by our alumnae.
Very Sad news.
Vale Mr Reade. I was in the class of ’95, and my best memories at St Columba’s were around all the different school sports events I attended, and his enthusiasm to get a team that was as equally enthusiastic as him and trained up as he hoped.
He is a big loss. Sending love to his family.
Many thanks for passing on this information.
Mr Reade was a wonderful teacher and leader that I looked up to.
Having him as a teacher was one of the many highlights of my time at St Columba’s.
This is very sad news – I hope he knew how valued he was in the St Columba’s community, and how many students he inspired.
Please pass on my deepest gratitude to Ms Grima for informing me about the passing of Terry Reade. He was a wonderful teacher and student council guide and support person. I do and will continue to remember him fondly. My deepest sympathies to all the staff and students there who will mourn his loss.
I would appreciate the funeral details when they come to hand as mentioned in the correspondence.
The following is an excerpt of the part of the eulogy delivered by two of Terry’s colleagues, Kathryn Hicks and Joan Dillon.
Many of the connections Terry made with students extended well beyond their six years of secondary school. He had an exceptional memory for names and dates and frequently surprised past students by recalling stories from their school days.
Terry was devoted to coaching the Athletics and Cross-Country teams. He taught more than the fundamentals of running. He nurtured the character and spirit of each student and championed girls in sport. His unwavering commitment and generosity shaped countless lives, leaving a legacy of discipline, perseverance, and deep personal connections that continue to inspire and guide those he taught.
Terry was the manager of the St Columba’s Backstage Crew for close to 30 years. Students joined his crew in Year 7 and signed on for the duration of their secondary schooling. Terry mentored the students individually and as a group. He developed their understanding of behind the scenes roles that included stage mechanics, lighting and sound. Not only did Terry and the crew work tirelessly (and mostly unseen) at College assemblies and concerts but they were an integral part of the success of College musicals and Rock Eisteddfods. Terry’s students won Best Backstage Crew awards and Best Lighting awards at many Rock Eisteddfod competitions. This was a testament to his guidance, discipline and dedication.
We continue to extend our prayers and support to Mr Reade’s family.
Excitement is Mounting
The capacity for students to select Food Technology and Materials Technology as elective studies has brought a sense of excitement for our students. While we will make every endeavour to accommodate student choice, as per our usual practice, demand for the subject might outstrip supply (rooms and teachers). I would like to assure students and families, that should any students miss out for 2025, the capacity to select these subjects in subsequent years will not be impacted by not having completed the subject in previous years.
Student Management System Update
As I indicated in my letter at the commencement of this term, families will need to be re-provisioned in SEQTA Engage. There is a further update, in relation to the new software that has been deployed, that may mean a further re-provisioning is necessary. In light of this, we will delay the re-provisioning so that families will only need to do this once. The expected email will come to families in the latter part of this term.
In the meantime, families are still able to access the usual information in relation to their child’s learning from SEQTA.
