Principal's Message

One of our goals in our School Improvement Plan is to provide authentic opportunities for community participation.  It was great to see over 250 people attend our Mother’s Day Breakfast on Friday 12 May. To fill up the space in our Gymnasium says a great deal about the strength of community and at Marian in particular. It is worth noting that some special day to honour mothers and mothering is a part of every major tradition, culture and Nation. That is because we know instinctively the wonder, miracle and gift of mothers and mothering. They gave birth to us and they offer us to the family and to the whole world. They give us life and birthed us into the network of relationships which gives that life meaning, the family. They teach and nurture us on the way, by offering wisdom, example and practical experience. They pick us up when we fall and unconditionally love us back when we strayed. 

There is no-one like a mother, no substitute for her place, no equal to her love and placement in our own formation. Mothering is an ongoing relationship of love and care. Mother’s Day began with a simple domestic gesture that caught on. People were encouraged to give a present to their mothers to acknowledge their love and their service to their family. 

The last few years have pushed us to think more seriously about our relationships, including the part of mothers in families. The media have been full of images of mothers left to cope with difficult situations both for themselves and for their families. In all these situations, however, the dominant images have not been of hopelessness but of great resilience, of people finding the necessary inner resources in times of anxiety and threat. They look to the future and not to the past. The images of heroic mothers are a gift to our society. For those of us who are not mothers we need to be careful that we do not take them for granted. Mother’s Day reminds us of the importance for any society of mothering – of making a home in which all are valued and all are listened to compassionately. Once again let us not take that for granted.

Mothering also crosses generations. Grandmothers are an integral part of the life of most families. They are honoured not simply because of their past role as mothers but for the way in which they continue to nurture people in the present.

I often reflect on the meaning of the name of our school, Marian. Here in itself we have a wonderful example of the gifts of a Mother in that it directs us to acknowledge the true example of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Gifts of care, compassion and sacrifice. We need to remember Jesus shared his mother with all of us. Also remember that when Jesus said to his disciple “Behold thy mother” he was also saying “take good care of her.”

So last Friday we took time to celebrate our Mothers (and/or other significant female figures) in the true spirit of the Kildare Ministries value of hospitality. I reminded all the students to continue to be hospitable to their mothers even beyond Sunday. I urged them to move away from the commercialism of the day and then, on Monday morning, go to their mum give her a hug and say “Happy Mother’s Day” because every day is Mother’s Day.

I would like to thank all those who made the Mother’s Day Breakfast possible especially Ms. Jess Cremona, Ms. Chelsea Ciantar, the VET Events class as well as their merry band of helpers. We will look for other ways to welcome parents and families to join with us and give witness to the true value of partnership between all members of our Community.

Raymond Pisani

Principal