Principal's Report

No greater love …

This week we remember all those who have been killed in wars. It is 101 years since the guns fell silent in Europe to end World War 1 and this week’s Remembrance Day is the 100th since then. The selflessness of their sacrifice and the magnitude of the death toll in various wars around the globe over many generations brings to me an overwhelming sense of humility and sorrow and also highlights the extreme futility of war and conflict.

Days like 11 November make us stop and reflect on our responsibility to work for peace in the world and to pray for our world that it may become a more peaceful place.

Eagle or Scrub Turkey?

There is a story about a person who came upon an unbroken eagle’s egg that had fallen from its nest. Unable to climb to the top of the tall tree, the person put the egg into the nest of a scrub turkey, where eventually it hatched. The fledgling eagle looked at the other scrub turkeys and did as they did; he accepted and imitated their daily routine. One day, an eagle flew over and the now ageing eagle looked up in awed admiration, as the great eagle soared through the sky. “What is that?” he gasped in astonishment. An old scrub turkey replied, “I’ve seen one of those before. It’s an eagle, the strongest and most magnificent of all the birds. But don’t get ideas that you could be like that. You’re like the rest of us, a scrub turkey.” So, shackled with this belief, the eagle lived and died thinking he was a scrub turkey.

Human beings are blessed with being able to break from the shackles of inappropriate beliefs and alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. Our attitudes not only determine how we choose to regard ourselves, but how other human beings will treat us. Our attitudes and the choices that we make today will be our lives tomorrow, for our reactions can take us forward or take us down.

As we approach the final weeks of the 2019 academic year, it is going to be the attitudes that students bring to their work that will determine whether or not they make the most of the learning opportunities provided to them.

Those who accept their responsibilities as students will achieve well. Those who don’t will open end of year reports and experience regret that they did not work hard enough throughout the year.

Every student has the ability to commit to their studies and to demonstrate a solid work ethic that will bring good outcomes. Unfortunately, experience tells us that not all students adopt an attitude that necessarily maximises the benefits to be gained from being actively involved in their learning.

I would encourage all parents and students to have a discussion in the home as to what attitude each student is going to bring to these final weeks of 2019 and into the future.

“By performing the ordinary duties of your day well you will perfect yourself, and your day will be full of merit and good works.”

Bishop Daniel Delany founder of the Brigidine sisters congregation.

God bless.

Michael Delaney

Principal