The Year of St Francis: Walking in the Footsteps of Peace

As we celebrate the Year of St Francis, our school community is invited to reflect deeply on the life and teachings of St Francis of Assisi—one of the Church’s most enduring symbols of peace, humility, and joy. His example calls us, in his own words, “follow the teachings of our Lord and to walk in His footsteps”.

St Francis showed that true holiness is lived through simple acts of kindness, compassion, and respect for all people and all creation. He challenged the world of his time—and ours—to look beyond materialism and ego and to discover God in every part of life. As Francis wrote in his *Admonitions*, “Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, so that He who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally.”

Throughout this special year, students will engage in prayer, learning, and service opportunities inspired by the values St Francis embodied: care for creation, compassion for the poor, peacemaking, gratitude, and joyful simplicity. His reminder that “A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows” encourages us to be bearers of light in our school and wider community.

May this Year of St Francis help each of us embrace the call to be people of peace—greeting others, as Francis so often did, with the words: “Peace and all good.”

A Prayer for the Year of St Francis

Lord, make us instruments of Your peace.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that we may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we awake to eternal life. Amen

What Messages Are We Sending Our Children?

My sincere thanks to the overwhelming majority of our parent community who have quickly adapted to and followed our Kiss and Ride arrangements.

Our aim is to alleviate much of the traffic congestion around the College. I have been out and about each morning and each afternoon. Over the last week, Kiss and Ride has been empty from 3:35 PM! That means that the arrangements are safely and expeditiously sending our students home in a 25-minute period. Secondary students and their Primary siblings are being collected quickly, efficiently, and safely, under staff supervision, from 3:25 PM until 3:35 PM, 10 minutes!

However, even after warning parents/carers about the Council’s and residents’ concerns in Merley Road, Barker Road, and Newton Road, I have been finding students waiting, all alone, way past 3:35 PM, unsupervised and all this, at the direction of their parent(s).

The only place to drop-off and pick-up students is in the Fraser Street dedicated Kiss and Ride Zone.

Not Merley Road.

Not Barker Road.

Not Newton Road.

Not Inveresk Park.

Not Beresford Road.

Not Dickson Street and definitely

Not in residents’ or College driveways.

My staff and I have been sending students back to school when we find them waiting alone in side streets and challenging those being dropped off in other places, particularly Merley Road, in the morning. Next week, we will commence issuing sanctions.

Why are we making such a strong point about Kiss and Ride?

Student Safety when getting in and out of cars: There is a minimal risk of any boy being hit by a car in Kiss and Ride. There is rostered teacher supervision, so we ensure they get in curbside and do not dart across busy roads or between parked cars in areas where drivers are not expecting to see students.
Students are not isolated in side streets: Imagine the real possibility of a driver having a medical episode and mounting the curb. We do not know they are there and cannot render assistance. Seeing a young 9 or 10-year-old waiting alone at 4:00 PM, vulnerable and at risk, is simply too great a risk for me to accept. They should be in the library, safely reading or doing homework until they are collected from the McGlade Library.
Open flouting of road rules: Waiting to be collected in no-stopping zones, crossing a busy road with no pedestrian crossing, and sitting on residents' fences is not good citizenship. Mr Byrne and I have wasted hours in the last week fielding genuine and well-founded complaints from Police, Council Rangers and residents.

I know that this is only a minority of parents/carers, however, this minority of parents/carers is making it impossible for the College to exercise its duty of care to its students.

Parents/carers openly defying practices and procedures that have served us well are not using the best judgement: they are sacrificing safety, supervision and collective wellbeing for their own selfish convenience and expediency.

What messages are ultimately sent to students when their parents defy school rules?

Modelling Disregard for Authority: Children observe their parents' behaviour closely. When parents openly defy rules, it communicates that authority figures (such as teachers, school administrators and even the Principal) can be disregarded or challenged. This confuses children about the importance of rules and boundaries.
Questioning the Validity of Rules: Parents who openly defy school rules may unintentionally convey that rules are arbitrary or unnecessary. Children might start questioning why rules exist and whether they need to follow them.
Emphasising Personal Preferences Over Collective Wellbeing: Defying rules often stems from personal preferences or convenience. Parents who prioritise their own desires over adhering to rules may inadvertently teach children that individual needs supersede the wellbeing of the community.
Creating a Double Standard: When parents break rules while expecting their children to follow them, it creates inconsistency. Children notice this disparity and may feel resentful or confused.
Undermining Trust in Authority Figures: Open defiance erodes trust in authority figures. Children may generalise this distrust to other contexts, affecting their relationships with teachers, peers, and other adults.
Impact on Problem-Solving Skills: Parents who openly defy rules miss opportunities to model problem-solving. Instead of finding constructive solutions, they demonstrate that breaking rules is an acceptable way to handle challenges.
Stress and Anxiety: Witnessing parental defiance can cause stress and anxiety in children. They may worry about the consequences or feel caught in loyalty conflicts between parents and school.

In summary, parents' actions significantly influence their children's attitudes toward rules, authority, and community responsibility. It's essential for parents/carers to model respectful behaviour and engage in open communication about rules and their purpose.

You chose our College for a reason: it has an enviable record of student achievement, strong and firm boundaries all within the Catholic context of striving to improve the collective wellbeing of others above our own needs. Please work with us!

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

SPC boys can do anything!

**except divide by zero

College Notices

No Homework Club - Friday 6 February