From Br Steve Hogan fsc
At Oakhill College, we strive for personal excellence in all areas of our lives. Lent gives us the opportunity to reflect, refocus, refresh, and recommit our lives to goodness and the pursuit of our potential.
In an article I read recently, it spoke of an author who was trying to learn what distinguished good architects from the mediocre ones. It was not the fact that good architects did things right the first time, it was their willingness to revise, rework, and redo. This is what determines excellence in almost any field, whether architecture or acting, music or cooking, literature or athletics. In general, people are not born excellent; they become excellent largely through their willingness to work hard at what they do. A goal kicker only improves by practicing long hours day after day, a swimmer only improves after long hours morning and evening in the pool. It is the same in regard to mathematics and physics, reading and spelling: revise, rework, redo.
Melannie Svoboda SND in the article ‘Rummaging for God,’ says in a way we are all architects - architects of ourselves. Jesus referred to himself as a building when he said to the religious leaders, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). We are all fashioning ourselves into a temple from the materials life sets before us. How hard are we willing to work at this fashioning? Are we prepared to revise, rework, redo? Are we eager to settle for nothing less than the best? Jesus encourages revisions. His call is nothing less than the call to revise our behaviour, to rework our attitude, to redo our priorities. (adapted from ‘Rummaging for God’).
Most of us are familiar with the Indian proverb “it takes a village to raise a child”. Oakhill College is such a village and I encourage parents to continue to be involved and stay connected to their child’s learning. It was most wonderful to have all our Year 7 parents at the ‘Meet Your Tutor Group’ event on Wednesday evening, 21st February. Adrienne Alton-Lee in her work the ‘Best Evidence Synthesis’ has identified that parent engagement in school is the second largest contributor to improved student outcomes. Parents of teenagers can help by attending sports, drama, music events, and parent-teacher meetings. Parents can help by asking how things went today (a grunt in reply is often typical and OK). Parents can help by ensuring that during the week there are still those opportunities for the family to have a meal together. Parents can help by having homework done on the kitchen table or at least under some supervision. Parents can help by having down-time from the mobile phone, WhatsApp or Snapchat. Parents can help by ensuring students are now well settled into routines. Parents can help by creating space for Year 12s, who have their mid-year exams in a few weeks. Parents can help by encouraging Year 7 and 8 to practice the basics and drills taught each day. And, everyone needs time and space to read.
Lent reminds us it is time to reflect, revise, rework, and redo.
Br Steve Hogan fsc
Principal
