Deputy Head of College News

Listening vs Hearing

Can you hear me? Yes. I can hear syllables, which form words, that from sentences. Simple enough to answer I suppose.

Have I listened? A very different question with a very different marking criteria. A criteria that isn't a dichotomous 'Yes' or 'No'. There's an array of possible pieces of evidence one could put forward to state their case.

Have I been listened to? Another very different question, often very simple to answer, usually from our gut or our hearts.

We all have experienced the struggle, difficulty, pain or frustration of not being listened to. Whether it be being passively ignored or actively sidelined, not being listened to can quickly hurt us or accumulate over time causing similar hurt. Out of our drive for answers, solutions or outcomes, we can sometimes not pay attention to the process, the listening.

Listening is not doing what someone wants you to do. Rather, listening is understanding another, developing compassion for another, caring for another's humanity. Sometimes it will change what is done. However, more often it changes how things are done.

The art of listening was a focus for our Santa Teresa Immersion group comprised of eight Year 10 and 11 students and two staff. We were gifted with the opportunity to be with the Eastern Arrente people of Ltyentye Apurte ('ginger porta')place of the Breadwood Tree) or Santa Teresa as it can be commonly known - 85km south-east of Alice Springs. As we met the young people and teachers of St Teresa Catholic Primary School, the volunteers of the local Meals on Wheels and the Youth Group staff and the array of young people it supports, we tried to go beyond hearing and closer towards listening.

Our daily ritual of the post-dinner reflection with Br Mark provided a perfect environment to share what we 'listened' to. This included listening to our own biases, judgment and preconceived ideas. Each of us quickly discovered that something seemingly quite simple is actually much more complex, often grounded in a history.

The people of  Ltyentye Apurte ('ginger porta') model a way of listening to us. They shared stories of joy and stories of empowerment. They shared stories of pain and stories of reconciliation. They shared stories of struggles and stories of determination. They shared stories of optimism and stories of hope. Not a bad storybook to 'listen' to for a week!

In the coming weeks, our Santa Teresa Immersion students will share their stories of listening to the College. As we 'hear' these stories, may we also 'listen'. Listen to the change of heart, the change of mind experienced by our students. For within here is where we learn and grow for the common good.

Safe and Considerate Parking

We need to ensure we all are considerate and careful when parking on and around College grounds. Although we aren’t able to completely line-mark car parking spaces, newly installed parking markers are becoming a feature in the pool car park to assist suitable spacing is provided for carparking. Your support with using these parking markers will be greatly appreciated by fellow car parkers.

Additionally, being courteous to our neighbours is important when parking nearby the College. Our Frasers Road neighbours have recently experienced issues with people parking across driveways, making it difficult and dangerous to enter and exit. Our neighbours would appreciate considerate and courteous parking and driving behaviours.

A reminder, access across the Glenlyon bridge is only available to staff and patrons of our swimming club. Similarly, the nearby drop-off bay is for swimming club patrons only. Parking in the swimming pool carpark (from the east end of the pool to the bridge) is for staff and swimming pool patrons. Parking alongside and behind the pool is for staff only.

These arrangements are to mitigate on-site traffic to promote the safety of students, staff and community members. Your attention, cooperation and support of these arrangements are greatly appreciated.

Catholic School Parents Survey