Principal

Correction Day – Change of Date

We were scheduled to have a Correction Day and therefore a Student Free Day on Friday 17 June 2022. However, we received advice late last week that a previously unannounced Student Free Day will be held across the Leongatha Primary, Secondary and Specialist Schools precinct on Tuesday 14th June. As a result, school buses have been cancelled on that day. Accordingly, to accommodate this late change to bus operation the Correction Day has been rescheduled to Tuesday, 14 June 2022.

National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week

National Sorry Day is recognised annually on 26 May. It is a day which marks a time to reflect on the past policies that lead to the Stolen Generation. The first Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998—exactly one year after the Bringing Them Home Report was presented to the Parliament. The report was the result of an inquiry into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, and recommended both an apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and reparations. 

Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College will recognise this important day by firstly participating in a liturgy broadcast to homerooms and then in an act of solidarity students will place flags along the driveway. The flags will be prepared earlier in the week during Religious Education classes with display imprints of hands in the colours of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Flag.

Following National Sorry Day, National Reconciliation Week takes place from 27 May to 3 June.  These two dates are significant as they mark two very important decisions in Australian History. On 27 May 1967, Australians voted in a referendum to change how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were referred to in the Constitution. This referendum was Australia’s most successful referendum and a defining event in our nation’s history. The 1967 referendum saw over 90 percent of Australians vote to give the Commonwealth the power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise them in the national census. 

The end of the week, June 3, commemorates the High Court of Australia’s landmark Mabo decision in 1992, which legally recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a special relationship to the land—a relationship that existed prior to colonalisation and still exists today. Fundamentally, the momentous Mabo case finally acknowledged the history of Indigenous dispossession in Australia, abolished the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’, and altered the foundation of Australian Land Law. This recognition paved the way for land rights or Native Title.

The theme for Reconciliation Week this year is: Be Brave. Make Change. This theme is a challenge to all Australians- individuals, families, communities, organisations and government - to Be Brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can Make Change for the benefit of all Australians. 

Triple P - Positive Parenting Programs

All families with children between birth and 16 years can now get free, expert parenting tips and strategies via the online Triple P – Positive Parenting Program. This FREE program is funded by the Victorian Government and you can get ideas on how to positively support your child’s emotional wellbeing, social skills and more. There’s a program for parents of younger children (0-12 years) and another for parents of tweens and teens (10-16 years). To support children (aged 6-14 years) to recognise and cope with anxiety and worries, parents can do Fear-Less Triple P.

These online programs are interactive with videos, worksheets and activities and can be done anywhere, anytime. They offer practical suggestions to help you:

• raise happy, confident, emotionally resilient kids
• encourage positive behaviour
• set rules and routines that everyone respects and follows
• take care of yourself as a parent
• feel confident about your own parenting choices

Support your children to thrive – these tips and tools are FREE for all Victorian families! Get started today at  www.triplep-parenting.net.au

Year 7 2023 Enrolments

I would like to remind all current families that enrolment applications are due on 31 May 2022. Formal applications must be made for students for enrolment into Year 7 next year. We will accept applications after that date, but as a matter of justice, priority will be given to those who have submitted their applications on time. 

Sapientia Domini Docet Nos

John M Freeman