Prayer for Pope Francis

Pope Francis is a personal hero of mine. He has spent his ministry placing the Church where I believe it belongs, among the people. Simple acts as going to regular stores to buy a Pizza, where simple but powerful messages, that the Pope believes he needed to be with people, not above them. He ordered many people within the Vatican to reach out to the community rather than sit behind desks. He has been a friend to all people, working hard to bring people of all faiths together. There are also many non- religious people who have really seen a great example in living through Francis. Therefore, in his time of need, I hope that you might be able to Pray this prayer for Pope Francis.

Loving and Merciful God,

We come before You in prayer, lifting up Your servant, Pope Francis, in his time of need. You are the Source of all healing, and we ask You to surround him with Your loving presence, granting him strength and recovery. May Your divine grace rest upon him, restoring his health and filling him with renewed vigor to continue leading Your Church with compassion and wisdom.

Amen

Traffic Safety

Yesterday I attended the Casey Council School Traffic Safety Forum. It was an interesting and powerful session and really got me reflecting about my role as Principal, but also as a Dad.

We heard from Michelle McLaughlin. Michelle lost her 4 year old boy when he was hit by a car. She has bravely made it her mission that no other family has this experience. She presented the following statistic in her brochure

“On average, one Australian child dies per week in a road fatality. It is the leading cause of death for our country’s children aged 1-14. Yet, it is almost entirely preventable”

– Michelle McLaughlin

Michelle never thought she would be part of this statistic. It can happen so quickly. She has one simple message: ‘Hold My Hand’.

I will share more from her research over the coming months. However, the simple fact that children’s cognitive function is limited, with increased impulses mean that they are more likely to be distracted or run out on a road and be hit. They are shorter, which means they may not be seen by oncoming traffic.

So, for us all, please ‘Hold Your Child’s Hand’ when crossing a road, particularly outside of school.

I also strongly encourage families to use our drive through pick up zone, or the alternate exit on Bottlebrush Drive. Pittosporum Grove is busier and busier. I will be meeting with the council about it, however, we have limited control on outside traffic.

If we all work together, the life you save may be your own child’s.

This week is Catholic Education Week and we are pleased to shine the light on Gisselle and Ilion who both had artwork chosen for the 2025 Catholic Education Week Creative Arts Exhibition. Their artwork will be on display at the Celtic Hall, Catholic Leadership Centre, 576 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne 3002 (Entry via Victoria Parade or Albert Street) until 4pm Saturday 22nd March.

Thank you

Thank you to all the families who attended the Dr Billy Garvey session and showcase. I hope you got a taste of what Billy can provide for parents. His podcast and book go into more specific detail about certain topics and I would encourage any family to reach out to myself, Pauline, Connie or your child’s teacher if you would like more information about any topic such as anxiety, peer pressure, neurodiversity, language development and social skills.

The Podcast is called Pop Culture Parenting and the Book is ‘10 Things I wish You Knew about your Child’s Mental Health.’

If any families took any photos on the night and are happy to share them with us that would be great. We were all so in the moment that we didn’t capture a lot on the night. Please email them to principal@hfdoveton.catholic.edu.au.

Road Safety With Children