Be Kind, Be safe, Be respectful, Be responsible, Be resilient, Be ready

Dear Parents

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, the school participated in a review where the panel tested how well we did implementing the School Improvement Plan (SIP) by interviewing all stakeholders. A review such as this is held every four years to give the school direction for the following four years. I am very happy to report that we did very well in areas such as Catholicity, inclusivity, welcoming, curriculum, staff commitment, and links to the community. We will have our final report in a couple of weeks and then we can start our new SIP. Many thanks to all the staff, Fr Manny, the parents, and the students who were interviewed, for their honesty and feedback. We are excited about the prospects the next plan will bring as we continue to strive to be the very best school community we can be.

“A wise person draws from the well within” Proverbs 20.5

The ‘well within’ is also known as the inner-self or spirituality. It has been described as a sense of connection to something greater than self and that listening to the inner self is like drawing water from a well that reaches down into an underground sea; it is part of self, yet it is greater than self.

Spirituality is a way you find meaning, hope, comfort, and inner peace in your life. Many people find spirituality through religion; some find it through music, art, or a connection with nature; others find it in their values and principles. Spirituality is our awareness of the divine or sacred core that underlies everyday life.

It is easy to neglect our inner resources because we have learned to remain externally focused on people, situations, and problems that fill our daily lives. Positive beliefs, comfort, and strength gained from religion, meditation, and prayer, all contribute meaningfully to a sense of well-being. Through them, we can learn to listen to our inner voice and connect to the ‘underground sea’.

From an early age, children learn about their spirituality from the practical spirituality of those around them, particularly, their parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles who shower them with love, care, security, joy, and kindness. Children learn to feel accepted and valued and that those around them are trustworthy and consistent in their responses to the children’s requirements.

When children trust that all life around them is inner- connected they learn to respect and appreciate themselves and the people around them. Kindness, empathy, compassion, and love grow from this appreciation and trust. It is there, that they can be encouraged to listen to and trust the wisdom of their inner self, to develop a sense of connection to something greater than themselves. So children, in so much as they rely on us for food, shelter, and clothing, rely on us to provide experiences for them that offer them the opportunities to develop their own spirituality to find their inner selves. Of course, as Christians, we have traditions, practices, and rituals that can assist the external expressions of spirituality; however, it is that internal expression that has at its core the true meaning of our being. If we can offer positive, sensitive nurture and experiences to the bodies and minds of children, we are well on the way to developing their inner selves and their spirituality.

Keep smiling

Cathy

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