From the Principal

In the Senior School last week, we welcomed hundreds of parents, with their daughters, to look at education as 'building futures'. There is no doubt that education is a vehicle for building a future. I remind myself, however, of the important role that families—and strong family relationships—also play in influencing a child's future. I know we often pinch ourselves at how the years vanish as children grow into young people and ultimately, women and men. All the things you are doing now as a parent or carer will count in the years to come, regardless of the age of your child. 

I admire the parents and carers I talk to who are strong with valuing family time and limiting screen time. I have great respect for families who create rituals such as celebrating in a particular (cheap!) restaurant every time there is a success in the family, or the fortnightly ice cream run shared between dad and daughter. All those family things are so important in building strong futures. Our website has some excellent curated resources to support your parenting, which you can read here: www.smc.tas.edu.au/your-mind-matters/ 

Thanks to the parents and carers participating in the consultations for the building of our next strategic plan. It is great to have a strong parent voice. Parents and carers may also like to come to our cyber safety evening on Tuesday 8 June with nationally acclaimed speaker, Susan McLean to support your child's wellbeing. There are important messages for parents of children of all ages. Find out more about the event on our website here. Please note, RSVPs close Tuesday 1 June. 

This week is National Reconciliation Week. It is also the week chosen to celebrate 200 years of Catholic schooling in Australia and Gifted Awareness Week. We celebrate our First Nations students, our gifted students and all our students here in Catholic education. We have some students in our school who fall into all three of these categories. It is a big week for those families. 

I’d like to share the prayer we have been using to commence our strategic plan consultations: 

Lord, you are the Way, the Truth and the Life. We ask you to guide us always in our planning and decisions for St Mary’s College.                                                               

* to give us your wisdom so that we may always follow the Truth.                                 

* to walk with us so that your presence may enlighten us in every stage of the development of our school into the future.                                                                  

May we always strive to bring the gospel of Jesus to each other, to the Staff, Students, parents and wider community of our school.                                 

May Mary, our Mother, always protect us and may Nano, our foundress, give us the inspiration to translate her great mission into the needs of the present Church. 

Helen Spencer

Principal