From the Principal
Dear families of Killester,
Our Gospel this week comes from Matthew
The Pharisees sent their disciples to Jesus, with a few of Herod’s followers mixed in, to ask: “Teacher, we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion, and don’t pander to your students. So, tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said: “Why are you playing these games? Why are you trying to trap me?” Matthew 22: 15-21
There is a great deal of discussion among biblical scholars about the meaning of this discourse between Jesus and those who are attempting to trap him, and perhaps part of our reflection this week should be on prayer for those in positions of responsibility, that we honour their sacrifice and pray for their continued guidance and strength. Another element to this Gospel is I believe Jesus is reminding us that we have responsibility to both our societal and spiritual lives. We indeed have duty to both, however, it remains incumbent upon us as Christians, and members of our Kildare Ministries organisation that values compassion and justice, to call out inequity and unjust treatment, particularly when it impacts the most marginalised in our society. The treatment of those seeking asylum in our country remains one of the most significant example of this inequity. At times of great hardship, such as a global pandemic, it can be easy to fall into the trap of focussing on the impact on our own individual lives, and that of our close family and friends. Matthew's Gospel today challenges me to think of those to whom I have an additional responsibility; to those in our society, and those seeking to become members of our society, who may be forgotten at this time of turmoil. The work done by BASP: The Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project, is very dear to our heart at Killester and is one of the identified works we support through fundraising and donations of time and goods. Recent work done by BASP to review the Federal Budget and other proposed policy changes, shows great cause for alarm in the impact these will have on those seeking a safe haven in Australia. I invite all members of the Killester community to look at the work being done by BASP at https://basp.org.au/ and if possible find a way to assist at this time of great need.
There has been a great deal of excitement this week as we welcomed back our Year 7, 11 and 12 students. Without doubt one of the greatest joys for all staff has been hearing the chatter and laughter of students in the yard and corridors, a school definitely needs it's students around to bring life and joy. We are busy planning for the return of the Year 8, 9 and 10 students on October 26 and we can't wait to have all students together and back at school. We understand there is some anxiety amongst families about the return to school, we are doing all we can here at school to make sure we remain a safe environment for all members of the community, staff and students. I thank all parents who have attended the successful online information evenings this week, whilst remote learning has provided us with challenges, it has also shown us new and convenient ways to communicate and engage with our families. We are excited about these learnings and we will be speaking to families in the coming weeks to see what aspects of remote communication have been an improvement so we can take learnings from this pandemic and bring them into our new ways of operating.
I am very hopeful that the information evenings during the week provided families with a strong sense of our focus for your daughters for the remainder of Term 4 (wellbeing, connection, engagement with staff, friends and learning) and we were very grateful to parents for giving us feedback about what your hopes and dreams are for your daughters this term. Not surprisingly our focus certainly corresponds with those of parents. However one particular initiative I would like to draw to your attention is the introduction of our mentor program for Term 4. Care Teams meet fortnightly at the College to identify students who may be in need of additional support, this model has ensured no student at Killester "falls through the cracks" when it comes to her learning, social or emotional needs. Commencing next week the College will allocate staff mentors to those students who have been identified as struggling with remote learning. Our focus will not be on "catching up", rather on celebrating what has been achieved and ensuring a positive completion of Term 4 and transition into 2021. Students will be offered the opportunity to work one on one with a staff mentor to ensure they feel supported in their return to school and face to face learning. Mr Steve McPhail, the Learning and Teaching Coordinator, has written explicitly about our approach to supporting your daughters upon their return to face to face classes in his report in this newsletter. The fundamental principles we have adopted across the College for the remainder of Term 4 are ensuring a balance of wellbeing, learning and transition so that students feel supported and welcomed back to school without any trepidation.
We are busy planning ways we can celebrate the achievements of our Graduating Class of 2020, students in Year 12 attended an assembly this week that provided them with the details for these celebrations. A letter will be sent to all families of students in Year 12 early next week outlining our plans for the very important final days of Year 12.
I congratulate all of the students who have returned this week, on their approach to their study and to our safety measures here at school. We most definitely look forward to having all students back on site on October 26. I hope all families have a lovely weekend.
Ms Sally Buick
Principal