Especean

Principal

Ash Wednesday

Today marks the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday, the great penitential season of the Church year.

As I reflected on the readings for Ash Wednesday, one word from the First Reading in Joel 2 today stood out to me: "reLENT." The prophet Joel calls on everyone to unite in acts of self-denial and repentance so that GOD might "relent" from the punishment deserved due to their sinfulness. While our English word "Lent" originates from the Old English term for "springtime," it is interesting to find other double meanings in words. "ReLENT" derives from the Latin words re ("again") and LENTus ("slow" or "sticky"). Therefore, "reLENT" means to slow down once more and avoid making hasty judgments. 

 

During LENT, we need to "reLENT." We should slow our fast-paced lives and take time to reflect on our relationship with the Lord Jesus and our relationships with others. Indeed, LENT is our "springtime," transitioning from the dead of our souls' winter to the new life GOD offers. We should make good use of these days "LENT" to us to draw closer to the One who shared our human life and was willing to suffer and die so that His Abba would "reLENT" from the punishment we deserve.

 

LENT is like a retreat, giving us 40 days to prepare spiritually. It is also a special time to pray for and with those who will be welcomed into the Church at the Easter Vigil.

 

The personal question/action for today:  How am I going to make Lent a time of drawing closer to the Lord Jesus? What forms of almsgiving can I perform besides just giving money?  From what can I fast so that I will have time to be with the Lord Jesus and be filled with the blessings that GOD has in store for me? In what extra ways will I spend time in prayer during Lent?  How can I help others have a more spiritual experience of Lent this year?

PRAYER

 

Blessed are You, LORD GOD, almighty and ever-forgiving, 

willing to relent the punishment we deserve for our sins, 

if we but turn to You. 

 

Through Your GOoDness, 

You desire that we draw closer to You 

through this Lenten season. 

 

You call us to honestly look at our lives and see what it is 

that blocks us from fully following Your Son 

as He leads us to a closer relationship with Him and with You, 

in union of the Holy Spirit. 

 

Help us to repent of our sins, turn our lives more fully towards You.  

You ask us to participate in the suffering and death of Your Son, 

Jesus, as we die to ourselves through acts of 

almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. 

 

Help us to stay focused so that at the end of this Lent, 

we will be able to share in the newness of life 

that comes from the Risen Lord. 

 

 We make this prayer through Jesus, Your Son, 

our Brother and Master-Teacher, 

Who has gone before us in His suffering and death, 

and Who is the Resurrection and New Life, 

and Who is living and reigning with You, 

and the Holy Spirit, our one and only GOD, 

forever and ever.  

 

Amen.

International Women’s Day, 8 March 2025

International Women's Day on 8 March (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. Our assembly this week focused on IWD with the aim that our students learn to recognise the limiting stereotypes about girls and how to challenge them. 

 

IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organisation-specific.

 

Gendered stereotypes can harm young people's confidence and limit their leadership opportunities. Although we can’t eliminate those stereotypes (at least not right away), we can reduce the power they have. Research shows that teaching people to recognise and think critically about stereotypes can change attitudes about gender roles, improve girls’ self-esteem, help girls see themselves as leaders, help boys see girls as leaders and boost their resilience to bias and barriers.

 

As a female leader, I can attest to the stereotypes that I have faced over the years!

  1. I’ve been treated like I’m too dramatic or overly emotional.

  2. I’ve been treated like I’m too loud or too opinionated. 

  3. I’ve been treated like I’m helpless or incapable of doing something.

  4. I’ve been treated like I’m illogical or unintelligent.

  5. I’ve been treated like I’m too bossy or demanding.

  6. I’ve been treated like I’m weak. 

My responses to those stereotypes:

  1. Dramatic or overly emotional: “I’m not too emotional, I am passionate about things that matter.”

  2. Too loud or too opinionated: “I’m not opinionated, I am standing up for my values.”

  3. Helpless or incapable of doing something: “I’m not incapable! Just because I do things differently or on my own timeline doesn't make me helpless or incapable.”

  4. Illogical or unintelligent: “I’m not unintelligent—I have perspective and insights that add value.”

  5. Too bossy or demanding: “I’m not demanding, I’m a leader with a vision.”

  6. Weak: “I’m not weak, I'm resilient and capable.”

A challenge for our boys in the coming weeks is to push back against stereotypes. As actions, they can:

  • Share with you at home what they know about stereotypes and if they have seen them in action, especially against women.

  • Do something they supposedly wouldn’t like or be good at according to stereotypes (like knitting or cooking).

  • Take a keen interest in what they see in social media, movies or TV shows, especially in sit-coms where men are commonly seen as hapless and the butt of all the jokes with the all-knowing mother that is always in the home, never at work and never a hair or make up out of place.

Year 5 Parent Cocktail Evening

Last Friday night, I was privileged to attend the Parents’ and Friends’ Year 5 Welcome event, Cocktails by Scientia. It was well-attended and a marvellous opportunity for parents to grow their network connections in our community.

One of the best possible ways to influence healthy friendships for your child is to be aware of and involved in them. There is a fine line between being involved and being nosy; you need to make sure not to overstep those boundaries. You should aim to keep an eye on these relations to ensure that these friendships, which are so fragile at a young age, stay positive and healthy.

One of the easiest ways to support your son is to open your home to your child’s friends. Let them feel comfortable in coming over and hanging out with your adult supervision in the background; this way, you know what they are up to, and it is an excellent way to get to know these new friends. You can get to know more about them when they are relaxed and in the mood to talk. It is a great idea to also get to know one another. Get a feel as to whose parenting you feel comfortable with – without judgement!

 

I surveyed Year 5 before the event and shared a summary of their responses to the question: Any advice for your parents? They are genuinely enlightening (and cute!)

  • To be provided with support for work if needed. And that parents should give advice to their sons about how to make a friend or how to fix a problem.

  • Allow plenty of rest and big dinners at home because school and travel are tiring!!

  • Be organised! 

  • Allow me to have fun.

  • Help me establish a daily routine that includes time for homework, play and relaxation. This balance can reduce stress and improve focus.

  • They need to be told advice to not push it too hard and to help me more if I need it. That’s all.

  • Maybe that a happy and thriving boy needs a lot of sport.

  • A quiet space to learn and help if needed.

  • Friends and a good education, which St Patricks can give you. 

  • That us students should be pushed more in learning.

  • Good environment with no noise so that they can work. 

  • Dr Lavorato should tell my parents that I need to see more new friends outside of school.

  • They need to be prepared for what is coming at SPC.

  • Talk to me about my new friend relationship with all the new people I've met.

  • To give them time to get used to the more homework than their old school.

  • A non-distracting place to study.

  • They need to know that doing their best is okay, no matter how good the work is. If you got 50% per cent in an assessment, but you did your best, that's okay. They can study more next time to do better!

  • Here's what you should say "A Year 5 boy should be happy and thriving with his schoolwork and be learning together with his classmates, he should be happy with his life and happy with all his friends he has made on his journey."

  • A pencil case to work

  • Let us learn through our mistakes. for example, I lost my PE shorts after PE, and now I always double-check to make sure everything is in my bag.

  • Encourage them every day so they can be excited for school every day.

  • Helping me to stay organised.

  • Dr Lavorato please tell my parents that their support on learning at home can make me happy and thriving at school, but freedom and trust is also important.

  • Remind parents that it is a not a race but a marathon, one step at a time.

Staff News

  • Please keep Mrs Melanie Vescio (teacher of 6 Green) in your prayers as she commences a period of leave this week as she undergoes treatment for a health issue. Mrs Vescio will be on leave for the remainder of the first term. Her class will be taken by Mrs Giulia Ralton and Mrs Sarah Tatola during this period, and they will ensure a seamless transition in the teaching and learning of that class.

     

  • This week, Mr Mark O’Halloran (PDHPE) commences a period of parental leave. His son, Lachlan Thomas was born today. Mum and bub are doing well.

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

 

SPC boys can do anything! 

**except divide by zero