Principal's News
'And, remember, I am with you always;
yes to the end of time'
These are the words from the gospel this week as we celebrate the Ascension.
These words of Jesus enliven our faith, hope and love. They truly stir a deep sense of joy in our faith in God.
The feast of the Ascension reminds us that we now carry on the work of Jesus—but not alone but with his help!
Lord, help me in the circumstances of my life to show others the way to you.
Family Week
For over 30 years, CatholicCare has invited schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne to acknowledge Family Week. Every week is Family week and I know this from my own personal experience as a father, brother, husband and uncle. Even though last week was the week devoted to celebrate Family Week, I believe that we celebrate it every week. We are all encouraged to reflect on our own families and the vital role family plays in enriching and supporting all within our family and wider family. Recognising and celebrating the importance of family is a key component of a healthy society. It is a time to appreciate and cherish the meaning of family and to make the most of family life.
In 2017, the theme for every Family Week is ‘Champions for Change’, in recognition that our children can play a role in building more kind and equitable societies. We model this as parents and our young ones pick up on the modelling we provide. Recently I heard of a Year 6 student who visits with her grandfather to the soup kitchen run by St Vincent De Paul in Fitzroy. This is being a champion delivering a change in difficult circumstances and a belief that our communal family is one where inclusion, love and justice can shine through in a world that is trouble at times.
It's time to #Evacuate The Camps???
When people are at their most vulnerable state there is a need to extend our compassion, kindness and love. The need to alleviate the disgraceful incarceration of our brothers, demands that our 'Christian' leaders act with human decency to ensure the safety and security for those who have had years of trauma layered on them in the countries from where they fled and further trauma imposed in our name. Barriers to compassion are not on. It is incumbent on us as Australians to challenge the prejudicial and rejection mindsets held by our government.
In under a week, the situation on Manus Island has deteriorated rapidly. This week detainees were told that the detention centre they are currently residing in, will be closed and demolished.
Professional Learning
Yesterday in the Star of the Sea auditorium , the staff from St Finbars Brighton, St Joan of Arc Brighton and St Mary’s Hampton gathered to view the film ‘Most Likely to Succeed’. The film presents a view of education that places the students at the centre of their learning.
Key questions that were addressed included:
The skills and traits that are essential for children in the 21st Century
Who owns the learning?
What is the impact of making children's work public?
At what age should a child make all their decisions and what role should school play in ensuring the success of their transition?
Who should be designing learning experiences?
What does it mean to learn?
What is the purpose of assessment?
Is creativity alive in our schools?
How do we foster a growth mindset?
What is the purpose of school?
Can our existing schools be transformed?
The strength and development of the Brighton Hampton Cluster of schools is dependent upon the collaborative input of all schools to ensure that as as a collective of schools with many similarities, we design an education that is contemporary and engaging for our children.
The film highlighted some key areas of inquiry of which as a collective and as individual schools, we can explore.
In Term 4 last year St James commenced a two year school plan to undertake action research that investigates effective methods of teaching and learning. Donna Anderson is facilitating this study with us. The film's screening confirms our direction as an educational community.
Safety Chat
As many of you may know, amendments to the Working With Children Check come into effect from the 1st of August 2017 for any person intending to participate in Child Related Works. The changes are intended to further support the recommendation from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The main amendments to the act aim to broaden the requirement for individuals to obtain a WWCC by:
1. Expanding the definition of ‘direct contact’ to now include any person who has ‘oral, written or electronic communication including face-to-face or physical contact'.
Previously, the term ‘direct contact’ only referred to physical contact or face-to-face oral communication with a child. In order to reflect the growing use of technology, which is presenting more opportunities for grooming children, the new definition of ‘direct contact’ has been expanded to include the following types of contact:
a. face-to-face contact
b. contact by post or other written communication
c. contact by telephone or other oral communication
d. contact by email or other electronic communication.
2. The removal of references to ‘supervision’ in the Act. This means that even if a person’s contact with children as part of their ‘child-related work’ is supervised by another person, they will still need to apply for a Working With Children Check.
a. Now, a Check is required whether contact with children is supervised or not. This amendment responds to the Royal Commission’s findings that perpetrators can often groom children in the presence of other people.
3. The Act now also allows for ‘non-conviction charges’ against a person for serious sexual, violent or drug offences to be considered as part of Check assessments and re-assessments. A non-conviction charge is a charge that has been finally dealt with other than by way of conviction or finding of guilt. For example:
a. a charge that has been withdrawn
b. a charge that has been discontinued
c. a conviction that has been quashed on appeal
d. a charge that has led to an acquittal.
This change brings Victoria into line with all other state and territory WWC Check regulators.
The base line is that any person intending to participate in ‘child related’ or ‘child connected works’ is required to maintain a current WWCC. At St James we keep a register of parents who have a current WWC Check and that they have signed the Code of Conduct that was recently available on CareMonkey. Parents whose WWCC has expired will be notified to update their status.
School App
Please find attached information re a phone app which St James has implemented. We are aiming to start using the app early next term, which will give parents a few weeks to download the app.
Brendan