Principal

Pope at Audience: Elderly's talents and charisms must be celebrated

It was wonderful to recently celebrate Mother’s Day at a mass at Rosehill Gardens, and what was also wonderful was the privilege of meeting so many proud grandmothers.

As I mentioned at the Mother’s Day Mass, I am soon to be a grandmother for the first time. An article about Pope Francis’ weekly General Audience really piqued my interest!

The Holy Father stressed this message during his Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter's Square, as he continued his series of catecheses "on the meaning and value of old age in the light of God’s Word." He reflected this week on the Old Testament heroine Judith and all the lessons that can be learned from her.

When she was young, Judith had saved her people by slaying the Assyrian general Holofernes. After this victory, she returned home and spent the rest of her life with her family. The Holy Father suggested that Judith can serve as an example for all those older people who, in retirement, find themselves adjusting to a new chapter of life and new opportunities for personal growth.

The Pope said Judith's time of retirement had come, as it does for many people, after "an intense life of work," of "great dedication," or "after an adventurous existence."

"Heroism," the Pope pointed out, "is not only that of great events that fall under the spotlight: it is often found in the tenacity of love poured into a difficult family and on behalf of a threatened community."

“Judith lived to be over 100 years old, a particular blessing. But it is not uncommon today to have so many years left to live after the season of retirement. How should we interpret this time we have at our disposal, how should we make the most of it?”

The Pope recognised that for many, the prospect of retirement coincides with a well-deserved, and much-desired, rest from demanding and tiring activities, but often it is also accompanied by trepidation, where some ask themselves: "What am I going to do now that my life will be emptied of all that has filled it for so long?"

He recognised that one feels a loss after being used to everyday work, which also involves a set of relationships, the satisfaction of earning a living, the experience of having a role, a deserved consideration, a full-time job that goes beyond mere working hours.

He then turned to his views on the impact of grandparents. For grandparents, an important part of their vocation is to support their children in their upbringing. The little ones learn the power of tenderness and respect for frailty: irreplaceable lessons, which are easier to impart and receive with grandparents. Grandparents, for their part, learn that tenderness and fragility are not just signs of decline: for young people, they are steps that make the future human.

Judith was widowed early and had no children, but as an elderly woman, she was able to experience a season of fullness and serenity, in the knowledge that she had lived to the full the mission that the Lord had entrusted to her. For Judith, the Pope said, it is time to leave the good legacy of wisdom, tenderness, gifts for the family and the community: "a legacy of good and not only of goods. At the end of her days, Judith divided her inheritance and set her maidservant free”. With old age, one gains insight.

I have personally found that as I grow in age, I’ve lost a little sight, but my inner gaze has become more penetrating! I have become able to see things that previously escaped me. That is how it is: the Lord does not only entrust his talents to the young and the strong: he has talents for everyone, made to measure for each one.

The Pope called on us to be like Judith and be remembered not only for the accomplishments of our youth, but also for the creativity and passion with which we continue to bear good fruit in every season of life. Pope Francis concluded by praising Judith as an elderly woman who filled her God-given time with the gifts God had given her, and by encouraging the faithful to read the Book of Judith to learn about her courage and strength.

Does NAPLAN help children succeed academically?

This week, NAPLAN was upon us once again for Years 5, 7 and 9, arriving as it does every year, as Term 2 begins to build. And while many parents/carers, teachers, and students are generally ambivalent and nonchalant about this “high-stakes” $100 million plus test, others take NAPLAN very seriously.

For those who are focused on NAPLAN results, there are NAPLAN preparation books for sale in stores around the country. Learning time in class is being disrupted so students can practice taking NAPLAN exams. And to highlight how high the stakes are in some families, “I’m buying my daughter a puppy if she scores in the top band” one mother informed me.

But is NAPLAN useful for understanding your child’s academic capability? How helpful is NAPLAN when it comes to your child receiving an excellent education?

The short answer: not very.

The trouble with NAPLAN

Since its inception, NAPLAN has been contentious, for a number of reasons. Let me summarise, very briefly, some of the main concerns about NAPLAN:

There have been statistical and moral questions raised about the fairness, equity, reliability, and validity of NAPLAN for many years. (Too many to go into here, but important to mention.)
NAPLAN is a ranking system… but education should not be about ranking or competition. It should be about teaching and development, mastery and competence.
Kids get stressed about the test. While it’s true that kids get stressed about tests all the time – and they do need to learn to manage that stress – NAPLAN seems to create high levels of stress, and based on the points above, it’s unnecessary.
NAPLAN has been blamed for kids missing class learning, opportunities to perform musicals, sports, and more due to an ever-crowded curriculum and the push for better results.
It is not helpful to use NAPLAN diagnostically. The test is completed in May and results are returned at the year’s end. To know how your child is performing at school it’s more helpful to ask the teacher than to wait for a NAPLAN result.
You can actually guess how a school will perform based on the average income of the parents/carers whose children attend.

Additionally, NAPLAN doesn’t tell us anything helpful about a school other than how its students scored on that test. It tells us nothing about the teachers and their involvement with students, the culture of the school, what happens on the playground, or how students feel while they’re at school.

For all of these reasons – and more – the Gonski Institute for Education issued a report last year suggesting that NAPLAN be scrapped!

If you want your children to thrive at school, NAPLAN results aren’t a useful measure. But fortunately, we know what is.

Helping Children Thrive at School

The following factors generally matter most when it comes to your child doing well at school:

Reading. If there is only one thing that you do with your children for their education, read to them. This should start as young as possible and continue through toddler years, preschool years, and into big school. Read to them – and have them read to you – as they go through their early primary years. And keep books around right through high school. Reading is one of the best predictors of children’s academic success, and it is associated with increased resilience, particularly for kids from challenged or traumatic backgrounds.
Be involved. Research shows that parents/carers who ask about school, check in on what students are learning, talk with the schoolteachers from time to time, and continue to monitor and stay up to date on what is happening at school have children who do better academically when compared with students whose parents are uninvolved. Getting involved shows you care.
Relationships with peers. Children who enjoy a sense of school belonging, according to Dr Kelly Allen at Monash University, do better at school. They also have higher levels of life satisfaction.
A sense of progress and purpose. These are two separate things, but I’m including them together because they often follow one another. When our children make progress, they feel competent and capable. This increases their motivation, and makes school feel purposeful. If parents/carers can work to help children see the progress they’re making, it will boost desire for more progress, and the work becomes easier and more enjoyable.
People who love them. There is no way of getting around this fact: kids do well for those they love. When a student loves his science teacher, science becomes the best subject ever and he tries hard as a result. Same goes with PE, English, or any other subject. Helping children feel like they are known, numbered, and missed combined with teachers who are enthusiastic about their topics, helps kids do better at school.

Often people will say, “But what about my child?” So many parents/carers are dealing with ADHD, autism, ODD, sensory issues, depression, or other additional health or developmental needs. My response is always the same: those points above become even more vital. Read, be involved, help them make friends, challenge them to progress and find purpose, and make sure someone loves them.

Your child may have sat the NAPLAN test last week. Let them know that it’s not about them. It’s for the school only. Don’t make a deal about their results when they show up. It’s old news by then. And when it’s done, give them a hug, share a milkshake, and ask them about their friends, their teacher, or their favourite book to read… because those things will matter more for their education than their performance on this year’s NAPLAN test.

Some advanced warning for 2023. If you have a child in Years 3, 5, 7 or 9 in 2023, the online NAPLAN tests will be moving to Term 1, from Wednesday 15 March 2023 until Monday 27 March 2023. We are yet to hear as to when results will appear.

Congratulations

We were very excited to hear that Old Boy Alexander Del Popolo (’21) was recently selected to represent Australia in the Javelin Throw Event at the 11th Edition of the Pacific Mini Games - congratulations on this amazing acheivement! This is a multi-sport event contested by countries and territories located across the Oceania region. We wish Alex the very best of luck. Well done Alex!

In Memoriam

We keep in our prayers Joseph BouAntoun (Year 12), Thomas BouAntoun (Year 10), Joseph BouAntoun (Year 9) and Alex BouAntoun (Year 6) on the recent passing of their grandmother, Mrs Sophia BouAntoun.

Eternal rest grant onto her O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her.

May she rest in peace.

Amen.

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

SPC boys can do anything!

**except divide by zero