Especean

Junior School

A reminder about the Importance of Standards

I hope you will forgive me a stern word to the community about a recent drop in standards that is having an impact on many people. Unfortunately, I am not talking about students but parents and carers.

 

I am disappointed that since our return to face-to-face learning, we are finding an increasing number of parents/carers choosing not to abide by the College’s expectations and actively encouraging their children to do what is convenient for them, at the expense of others in the community. We have seen parents/carers:

  • cutting into the Kiss and Ride line
  • telling children to get picked up on Merley Avenue and Hydebrae Street
  • entering the College without an appointment, mask or scanning in
  • demanding to collect children early without a signed note
  • calling and texting their children during the school day.

To those parents and carers, I ask: how can we expect children to do the right thing just because it is the right thing to do, and to grow into young men who are considerate of others, when the most important model they see undermines that?

 

Please understand that we know MOST parents and carers actively play their part in the community and teach their children to do the same. We know that most of you are sensitive to the needs of the College’s neighbours and our responsibility to be good local citizens. We know that most of you will never try to pressure support staff to break the rules ‘just this once’, because you respect the people who care for your children each day. To this majority of parents and carers, I ask a favour – please use your voice appropriately in conversations with other families, and where appropriate on social media group chats, to gently influence those who put themselves before others. To the boys, we call this being an ‘upstander’ rather than a ‘bystander’. The power of positive peer pressure can help to shape the culture of the parent community in ways that really make a difference.

Selfless Silence fundraising

A reminder that Junior School students are currently fundraising, seeking sponsorship for their pledge of Selfless Silence in solidarity with our local partner St Edmund's, our national partner Catholic Mission, and our global partner Chetanalaya in India. We do this in the spirit of the Gospel and Edmund Rice, as one of the ways we animate and express our commitment to the EREA Touchstones of Justice and Solidarity and Gospel Spirituality. Last Sunday’s Gospel story of the poor widow was also the reading from our recent Mission Liturgy and reminds us that those who give generously are indeed looked upon favourably by our Lord.

 

Please support the Junior School children in their fundraising efforts and help them reflect on why taking such action is such an important part of our tradition.

Year 6 Students of the Fortnight

The most recent Year 6 Student of the Fortnight Award recipients are:

  • Luca Di Gori
  • Hugh Trainor
  • Jeremy Basseal
  • Harrison Ticli
  • Xavier Milewski
  • Matthew Daoud.

Congratulations to all these boys!

 

God bless,

 

Ben Munday

Director of Junior School