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Secondary boys college Est. in 1950
News
Acting Principal's Update 12 September 2025
Dear Members of the Marcellin College Community,
Over these past two weeks, it has been my privilege to walk alongside you as Acting Principal. It has been a busy time, but stepping into this role has allowed me to see our College from a slightly different perspective. I have enjoyed engaging with staff, students and families, sharing in the daily life of the school, and noticing in new ways the many strengths of our students and the values that guide them.
Father’s Day Breakfast
One of my first opportunities was to attend and speak at our annual Father’s Day Breakfast last week. It was wonderful to see so many fathers sharing this occasion with their sons. Events like this remind us of the importance of fathers in the lives of their children, not only through the support they provide but through the example they set.
Champagnat Day
Earlier this week, we celebrated Champagnat Day, the Feast Day of St Marcellin Champagnat and a highlight of the College year. It was a wonderful celebration from start to finish. Following our mass, we began with the walkathon and before continuing with a variety of activities on the ovals - from a dunk tank to a human soccer table. All before concluding with House challenges and a trivia competition that nearly saw our House Captains topple the seasoned duo of Mr John Diano and Mr Shun Wong.
This year, the celebration was particularly significant because we find ourselves in the College’s 75th year. On this occasion we were reminded that Marcellin College is part of something much bigger – a charism and a history that has shaped generations and continues to shape our students today. In his homily, our celebrant Fr Mark challenged the boys to look beyond themselves with hope, to recognise that they too are part of this unfolding story, and to consider the difference they can make in the lives of others.
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Marcellin College Hall of Fame
During our Champagnat Day assembly, in the absence of Mr Di Cesare, I had the honour of inducting a new member of our Hall of Fame. This year, we recognised Old Collegian Daniel Carison for his outstanding achievements as an international opera singer. A graduate of the class of 2011, and of The University of Melbourne, Daniel now has an impressive repertoire of more than 40 operas performed across Europe and Australia. Along the way he has been recognised with significant awards, among them the Sir Robert William Askin Operatic Scholarship through the Australian Council for the Arts. Beyond opera, he co-founded The Second Golden Age, a project celebrating forgotten English composers, which continues to reach audiences internationally.
Daniel’s journey reminds us that success is not just about talent, but about resilience, hard work and remaining grounded in the values nurtured here at Marcellin. His story is a powerful example for our young men of where their Marcellin education can take them when they carry these values into the wider world.
Transitions
In recent weeks, we have been meeting the next generation of Marcellin students through our enrolment interviews for the Year 7 Class of 2027. It is always a joy to meet families beginning their Marcellin journey and to hear the hopes and aspirations they hold for their sons.
These conversations naturally draw our attention to the other end of the school journey, as our Year 12 students enter their final weeks with us. For those completing VCE, this is the time to make the most of trial exams and feedback in preparation for their final assessments. For our Vocational Major (VM) students, the focus is now on exit interviews, folios and workplace learning. In my exit interviews, I have greatly enjoyed hearing about their experiences, the apprenticeships many are pursuing, and the plans they are putting in place for next year.
I encourage all students to finish well, knowing that their effort and persistence will serve them in these last important steps.
Together, these moments - from welcoming new Year 7 families to farewelling our graduating class - capture the same message we celebrated on Champagnat Day: that what makes Marcellin great is not only what happens here day to day, but what we are becoming together and the impact our young men will have when they look to the future with hope.
God Bless,
Suzanne Farley
Acting Principal
Deputy Principal Learning & Teaching
