Mission and Catholic Identity News

Year 10 Reflection Days on Servant Leadership

We have celebrated this week Year 10 Reflection days with a theme of servant leadership.

The reflection day started with prayer and then our Principal, Mr Black took students through what is leadership and particularly what is this thing called servant leadership.

Students were then privilege to have a guest speaker in AFL Hall of Famer, Mr Stan Alves OAM. Stan told many wonderful stories about leadership and what are his key attributes for leadership and to be successful in life. He had the students on the edge of their chairs!

Many other activities filled the day, concluding with a liturgy.

An aim of the day was for Year Ten students to learn about the legacy of St Peter. With an in depth analysis of who he was, what he stood for and what we take from the life and message of St Peter into a living charism for students in their present moment. It had an emphasis on the leadership model lived by St Peter. In particular servant leadership. Students came away understanding the core elements of servant leadership and how they can put into practice the skills and themes of this model of leadership into their current living and into the future.

I thank all staff who supported the day, especially Roger Hampson, Elouise Johnson and David Lawrence who were involved all day and at many different levels with the program.

Refugees and Migrants - contribute a lot to our country

This week has been Migrant and Refugee Week (August 20-26). The reality is that refugees and migrants contribute a lot to our country, both economically and culturally. Not only is accepting them the compassionate thing to do and the right thing to do. It’s the Australian thing to do. We have a great country built on multiculturalism.

Recently I saw a list that went around of refugees who have contributed enormously to Australian society. This is just a select few, it was a long list.

Frank Lowy

Australia’s richest man, founder and largest shareholder of the world’s biggest shopping centre owner, Westfield, Lowy was born in the then Czechoslovakia and left Europe for Australia and started a business delivering small goods. In 1953, he met fellow Hungarian immigrant John Saunders to start Westfield.

The late Les Murray

Australia’s Mr. Football. Number one man when it came to soccer. Host of The World Game on SBS and inducted into the FFA’s Hall Of Fame. Hungarian refugee who arrived in Australia and spent time at Bonegilla Migrant Camp near Wodonga.

Majak Daw

Who I had the pleasure to teach as a teenager. Recruited to North Melbourne at the age of 18 and the first Sudanese Australian to be drafted into the AFL. Fled the Sudanese Civil War to Egypt, then finally made it to Australia.

The late Richard Pratt

Pratt was born in the city of Gdańsk, Poland of ethnic Polish Jewish parents. His family emigrated in 1938 and settled in Shepparton, Victoria, changing their surname from Przecicki to Pratt.

What is A Dad?

As we know from the adverts on TV – coming up soon is Father’s Day. The role of dad for me at this time in my life, with a nine year old son, seven and four year old daughters, is my most important role. The role of fathers or significant males has changed over recent times. I see from my office window at St. Peter’s College, many fathers dropping off and picking up their children.

Research says that dads can offer stability and reassurance to children, particularly when there's a lot going on. As a father we are a role model, a comforter, a care-giver, confidant, and a problem solver. Fathers matter, we are aware of that, but we may not know exactly what a male presence brings to children. Stop for just a moment and ask yourself ‘what’s most important about being an active dad in the picture?’ It is said that fathers help children individuate, in that he is typically more willing to let a child out of his sight than mum will. A father will let the child crawl twice as far as mum will before retrieving the infant. Especially when the football is on TV.

Whether you are looking at the research, or simply seeing the joy on a child’s face when dad is there and engaged, the facts cannot escape us: dads make a difference.

Mr Matt Williams

Deputy Principal - Mission and Catholic Identity