Your House is Your Home
The House system plays an important role in fostering a student’s sense of connection and belonging within their House via a range of wellbeing and co-curricular programs.
These include the vertical pastoral care groups at Kinnoull where House Mentor groups are mixed with Year 10 to 12 students. The House Coordinators and Mentors develop pastoral connections with each student in their House during the three years at Kinnoull.
During lunchtime activities, students are provided with opportunities to represent their House in a range of activities. The College Athletics, Cross Country and Swimming Carnivals also provide opportunities for students to represent their House throughout the year. Student academic achievement was recently added as a way to contribute to their House points tally and the Champion House for the year. House areas are emblazoned with achievements.
There are four Houses at De La Salle College which are;
- St Austin’s House (Yellow)
- St Edwin’s House (Green)
- St Leo’s House (Blue)
- St Mark’s House (Red)
Shane Mackintosh
Director of Students — Senior School
St Austin’s House
There is little doubt that each person is affected by the House they are in, especially in the senior years at De La Salle, where I have found the House system more significant. Austin’s House is the place where I spend the first part of my morning at school, where you’ll always find a mate to talk to. Your House becomes a part of your identity at school, the sort of thing that you can take seriously one day, and have a good laugh about the next. Austin’s House feels like a home to me at school.
Patrick Landy — St Austin’s House Lasallian Captain 2020
What really makes your senior years enjoyable is the House system which combines us into ‘vertical’ House homerooms. Austin’s House makes me feel welcomed, happy and relaxed during the times of stress, with fun activities, small competitions and conversations with classmates. Personally, being part of Austin’s House makes me feel very optimistic and enthusiastic to start the day.
Luke Shelley — St Austin’s House Sports Captain 2020
St Edwin’s House
Edwin’s House is full of care, compassion and opportunity. By working with and trusting each other, the Edwins brothers form a powerful army that looks after one another.
The Edwin’s House liturgy held in Saint Miguel Theatre on Wednesday 29 February was a great success, hosted by the House Leaders from Years 10 to 12 and Miss Stevenson, our House Coordinator. The community was able to come together and anticipate the opportunities of this year. Raffle tickets for Edwin’s house charity St Vincent de Paul Society were sold on the night to help support this organisation that reflects our values so precisely.
Joel King — St Edwin’s House Captain
St Leo’s House
In Leo’s, our House is a point of pride for all, especially here at Kinnoull. This sense of pride emanates from an all manner of things, from our established winning culture to the broad interests of each and every Leo’s boy. This communal feeling was especially evident at our House Welcome Liturgy for 2020. Coming together as a House to start the year is always a special feeling and this year was no exception. We enjoyed the musical talents of Sam Martin and Blair Hunter, who really made the night what it was.
St Leo’s House is working closely with Caritas Australia’s ‘Project Compassion’, raising money for the less fortunate people from Africa, Latin America, Asia and Indigenous Australia by helping them help themselves. St Leo’s House is committed to Caritas’ mission and assists in fundraising to raise awareness of the people in the world who are living in poverty, helping to make their lives better.
Jack Lawless — St Leo’s House Captain
Oliver O’Brien — College Vice-Captain
Chris Menara — St Leo’s Lasallian Captain
St Mark’s House
St Marks House seeks to live by the motto “Be The Change”. This clearly outlines that each of the ‘Marksmen’ should, in some way, shape or form, strive to embody and facilitate change throughout their time at De La Salle and beyond.
The House’s Welcome Evening on 19 February reiterated the importance of positively representing Marks House and the expectations for those within the House. The senior members of St Marks House are actively advocating for camaraderie and a positive culture between the junior years so that Marks House can re-claim its Glory days.
The St Marks House charity is Opening The Doors — a foundation which addresses the severe educational disadvantage still being experienced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, providing assistance so that they are able to choose and successfully maintain a positive educational environment for their children. One of the most prominent goals every year is to raise as much money as we can for this foundation.
Flynn Bulman — St Mark’s House Lasallian Captain