秀秀直播 News Term 3 Week 4: From the Principal
Dear Parents and Guardians
Wellbeing Week
This week we celebrated wellbeing with a particular focus on gratitude. Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. As a Marist school a key characteristic is our Family Spirit. As a school of 1900 it is this family spirit that binds us in how we walk with each other and in the relationships that we cultivate.
In his book, the Kindness Revolution (2021), Hugh MacKay 鈥� a well-known sociologist, contends that we can restore hope, rebuild trust and inspire optimism through kindness.
In a world that has been so disrupted through COVID-19, geopolitical wars and the imperative of individualism and competition, showing gratitude, if not kindness, is fundamental to supporting the wellbeing of all people.
I attended the Years 9 and 12 assembly this week where students read out gratitude statements about their peers and teachers, a simple 鈥渢hank you for charging my laptop鈥�, 鈥渢hank you for holding my books鈥� or 鈥渢hank you for saying hello鈥�, were so powerful in their simplicity. Our children are grateful for each other and for their families. They imbue a Marist spirit that is predicated on the Gospel鈥檚 imperative of love. Our Founder, St Marcellin Champagnat, asked his Brothers to know and love all people. This is what we want for our College and this is why Wellbeing Week is one small step to ensuring every child, teacher and family member knows that they are valued, are valuable and are loved.
In a week when we celebrate the Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop of the Cross (8 August) and the Feast of the Assumption (15 August) it is appropriate that we reflect on our immediate and wider Marist family. We give thanks for our Marist Brothers as they continue to provide support, wisdom and presence in our Marist Community. I would like to welcome Br Joe Hughes as the newest member of our Marist Churchlands community and we look forward to his presence in our community.
Annual School Improvement Plan Intent – Sustainability
A key priority area in our Annual School Improvement Plan is Sustainability. In 2022 we have committed to developing 鈥�sustainable practices to support an ongoing commitment to the protection of the environment and ongoing sustainability of College resources鈥�, including recycling.
At our last Secondary School assembly, our College Student Leaders, Isabella O鈥橰ourke and Joshua Downes, challenged the students to consider how they could all be stewards for the environment. They informed students that 鈥�over the coming weeks we are trialling recycling and asking students If the recycling bins are filled with food scraps or with items other than the ones we have just mentioned, then everything in the yellow bins is placed in landfill and is not recycled. Landfill breaks down very slowly and can emit toxins into our soil and groundwater, becoming an environmental hazard for years to come. We ask you all for your support and cooperation in using the recycling bins properly so we can make a start becoming a more environmentally friendly school.鈥�
Our Mini Marist at Lavalla have done the same.
Please click here to read the content of my speech.
Marist Schools Australia Biennial Conference, Brisbane
Last week, Vice Principal – Lucie McCrory, Deputy Principal Primary – Lisa McClue, Director, Mission and Catholic Identity – Simon Martino, and I attended the Marist Schools Australia National Conference in Brisbane. Marists from around Australia and beyond gathered together for a series of symposiums and workshops. 秀秀直播 presented two symposiums:
Learning Strand – To Live is to Change; to be Perfect is to have Changed often
Formation Strand – Vision for Mission: To Form 鈥淕ood Christians and Good Citizens鈥�
Both presentations were well received and we enjoyed very positive feedback. Overall, the conference was outstanding and an excellent opportunity for our leadership staff to promote the College鈥檚 School Improvement agenda as well highlight the central role of ministry at 秀秀直播.
COVID- 19 Update
The Department of Health leads our state鈥檚 response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Advice from the Chief Health Officer is that mask wearing has proven to be a highly effective method of reducing the spread of COVID-19. The state government will continue to provide the public with timely and scientifically proven advice. This information is updated regularly and can be found on .
Mask wearing is one of a number of measures we currently have in place to reduce the number of serious cases in the community and to protect ourselves from COVID-19. Whilst strongly encouraged, mask wearing is not mandatory except when travelling on public transport (including school buses) and when following the testing and isolation protocols as a close contact.
Working together, we can all help to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in our school.