From our Principal

Dear Parents, Students and Friends,

I trust that you are keeping safe and are well in these troubling times.

Last week we celebrated the feast day of the Blessed St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and this week we celebrate the feast day of another of our House patrons, Maximillian Kolbe. It is at times like these that we reach out for inspiration and comfort, and in these two remarkable people we need look no further. Mary MacKillop was quoted as saying "Whatever troubles may be before you, accept them bravely, remembering whom you are trying to follow. Do not be afraid. Love one another, bear with one another, and let charity guide you all your life. God will reward you as only he can”. St Maximillian Kolbe’s story is one of sacrifice, in short, at the end of July 1941, three prisoners disappeared from the camp, prompting the Deputy Camp Commander, to choose 10 men to be starved to death in an underground bunker in order to deter further escape attempts. When one of the selected men, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out, “My wife! My children!” Kolbe volunteered to take his place. The house motto for Kolbe house is “Sacrifice for the service of others”. In both the blessed St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and St Maximillian Kolbe stories we see inspiration characterised by selflessness, of looking outwardly to others and determining through action where they could make a difference in lives of others. If this pandemic has taught me anything it is to honour in practical ways, the works of house patrons such as those mentioned here. It can be summed up in this scriptural reference: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’. No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mk: 12:30-31). The question I pose of myself and of our community more broadly is, “how can we make a difference to the vulnerable and the suffering?” The answer I suspect has a lot to do with “loving our neighbour”, of service to others and letting charity guide our lives.

Remote Schooling

I was invited this past week to enter into the virtual classroom of a Yr 12 VCAL class. With their uniforms and cameras on we engaged in a lesson full of dialogue, creativity and problem solving. The class set about presenting their thinking around how to deliver on two traditional events on our calendar, Activity/Footy colours day and RUOK day. What impressed the most was the engagement level within the classroom, the level of articulation and the committed way students were embarking on their learning. Whist each student within this classroom would dearly have loved being back at school I reflected, as I left that classroom, that the learning occurring and the skills being developed were of the highest quality and were providing students with a skillset to ready themselves for a time in the not too distant future when they pass through our gates for the last time.

Supporting each other

I recently read an interesting article from our former Prime Minister and now chair of Beyond Blue, Julia Gillard. The context was around Mental Health and the growing importance of it in our current circumstance. To quote her: “It’s hard to comprehend the pace and scale of change we’ve experienced over the last few months. These are unprecedented times and teachers have done an incredible job adapting to the many challenges the pandemic has presented. The health and safety of their students has always been front of mind, but I know it’s been tough.

As teachers, students and families work to cope with this ever-evolving situation, schools are putting a greater focus on mental health and wellbeing, bolstering their resilience and capacity to continue to learn”.

Evidence shows the most effective approach to mental health prevention and promotion is one that involves the whole learning community – including leaders, educators, students, families and the wider local community.

As a parent you might be asking what can you do. Here are few strategies:

Reflect on what your children are finding challenging and what they’re enjoying about the changes caused by the pandemic.
Celebrate what’s going well and encourage them to share any anxieties with you.
Manage their stress levels by using positive self-talk and encouraging exercise, healthy eating, connection with their friends and finding ways to enjoy themselves.
Get support from a mental health or wellbeing professional if needed.

Click here for more support services available through Beyond Blue.

What does the future look like?

I’d love to have a crystal ball to see into the future (wouldn’t we all). There are a number of events which are in various stages of planning, these include:

Uniform shop operations
Parent Teacher Interviews
Grade 6 Parent Information evening
Yr 9 Camp
Yr 12 Retreat
Graduation events

Once finalised we will be in a position to further inform our community

Last word

Friday, 14 August 2020 – is a student free day. This was always a calendared event. There will be no remote classes held on this day. This comes at an ideal time as students need a break from their screens. It should be considered a well-being day for students and an opportunity to down books.

Clyde North campus continues to be closed for environmental cleaning purposes. Approval for re-opening this campus must come from DHHS, therefore this campus continues to shut until further notice is given.

Have a good week and stay safe

Mr Chris Black

Principal