From Br Steve Hogan fsc
Greetings,
We are halfway through the year with mid-year holidays just a few weeks away. Year 12 will then only have about six weeks of lessons (excluding Trial exams) and Year 11 only eight weeks of lessons before the end of their respective years. I have been visiting Year 12 classes and I am very impressed with their mental focus, serious attitude and their hard work aiming to achieve their best - both a personal best, and collective best. A collective best will help each individual and all students in their class when it comes to scaling for ATAR. Some may ask why such an emphasis on achieving one’s best. I explain to the students that “if not, why not”. God has given us talents and to develop and hone these talents is our Christian and human responsibility. If we do not develop our potential then there is a loss, a gap to what could be. We are, each of us, gifted and talented in unique way with a special purpose and function to fulfill. If we do not achieve what we can, then what we can do will not be done and the world and humanity will be the lesser because of it. Sounds familiar – Panda Bear!
Celia Lashlie in her work on boy’s education once said, “boys overestimate their ability and underestimate the effort required to achieve it”. This may apply to some girls as well. Therefore, let us all set up the structures to help students achieve their potential. An old Indian proverb says, “it takes a village to raise a child”.
These past two weeks I have had the opportunity to attend some of the rehearsals for the musical, Mamma Mia. I have always been a huge promotor of musicals. Liao Xi, a contemporary of Confucius, says that music is the nectar of the soul. Music draws one to listen to the internal and helps develop empathy, compassion and understanding of the other. Musicals also require us to do something beyond our comfort zone, but on stage, behind lights, with mates and friends, it is a safe experience, an experience of teamwork that results in collective success. Musicals are also a lot of fun as you will see and with Mamma Mia.
In the last Newsletter I mentioned teaching and learning is a partnership between home and school and successful achievement is influenced by the quality of this partnership. In this Newsletter I wish to share with you letters E, F, G, and H from ‘education world’ (www.educationworld.com).
E - Empathy is a person’s ability to identify and feel other’s concerns. Parents can help to develop this important virtue in many ways: Let your child know how pleased you feel when he or she behaves in a kind way; point out positive differences when children do kind acts no matter how small; when reading with your child, ask how people in the book feel in their situation; help you child identify how someone feels and then identify a way to help.
F - Failure. Did you know that Abraham Lincoln weathered many failures before he became President? When a child experiences failure – on a test, the field or court, or anywhere – acknowledge those feelings of frustration and disappointment. These are natural feelings. Do not try to minimise the situation because it does matter to your child. Help your child evaluate the cause for the failure and use whatever he or she has learned to create a new strategy and try and try again.
G - Grace means giving children what they need, not what they deserve. It means accepting children as they are and understanding their feelings and obstacles. It also means that we provide the unconditional support our children need to make positive changes. Grace, however, must be balanced with accountability or we risk enabling children to excuse unacceptable behaviour or failure to achieve reasonable goals. If we balance grace with accountability, we let children know we expect them to grow and learn.
H - Homework provides practice, and it enables parents to know when a child is having difficulty with schoolwork. Parents can support their school’s homework policy by providing a ‘homework area’ that is well lit and free of distractions; setting a daily homework routine (some parents call it school-work); offering a snack or break time or using this as an incentive.
Finally I would like to take this opportunity to thank Carina Morales and Nicole Moog and all the P&F Committee, the P&F helpers, supporters and volunteers and all the College community - staff, students, parents, friends and alumni - for your amazing support of the College always, but in particular on Gala Day on Saturday, 25th May. It was a most amazing day and celebration of who we are as family.
Br Steve Hogan fsc
Principal
