Over the last few days I have been attending a Professional Development event encouraged by the Catholic Education Office. One of the presenters was Rev Dr Richard Leonard who is a world renowned Australian Jesuit priest. Fr Leonard made reference to this weekend’s first reading which is the Genesis story where Adam and Eve eat the apple in the Garden of Eden. He pointed out that the main focus of this story was that Adam and Eve ate the apple because they believed that it would enable them to be God’s equal. The idea that we can be in complete control of everything that occurs around us and to us is a dangerous perspective. Whilst our thinking and actions will certainly have an impact, we must be prepared to accept that there is a greater force at play that we must sometimes accept even though we may not understand. This is not to suggest that we believe anything is fate or predetermined. We each have free will to make decisions but we cannot control others or events. Sometimes our biggest mistake is believing that we can, rather than working toward a compromise or changing our own actions or perspective. We might benefit by considering in situations whether we are ‘eating the apple’ in an attempt to ‘be God’ or we are willing to accept parameters and work within them.

Today was the College Champagnat Day celebration following the feast day of St Marcellin yesterday (June 6). Each year, the College celebrates the two major charisms that contribute to who we are, namely St Marcellin and Our Lady of Mount Carmel (early next term). The days are a way of building community but also reflecting on what is important to us as a Catholic community. The invocation of saints or of Mary our good mother, enables us to feel a relationship with God that includes others. In the Catholic tradition, our relationship is personal and communal. We build our connection with God but do this practically as well by building relationships with those around us. The Marist charism builds on five characteristics that I would hope the students have heard, understood and reflected upon. They are; Presence, In the way of Mary, Family Spirit, Simplicity and Love of our work. Each of these ensures that we can guide our decisions and behaviours in a way that helps us to lead toward God. When we approach Our Lady of Mount Carmel day, I will outline the Carmelite charism and how that is present in our community. For now, I thank all the staff and students who were involved in making Champagnat Day a wonderful celebration. A special thanks to Mrs Borg, Mrs Meharg and Ms Toogood for their organisation of the day.

Next Wednesday we have two events on the College calendar that are worth note. The first is the College captains zoom with Bishop Brian Mascord. This is a regular event and builds on the Captains leadership day that occurred late last year. Bishop Brian talks with the captains of each of our schools and gives encouragement and guidance. The second is the Information and Communication Learning Technology (ICLT) evening. This will take place in the College library starting at 7pm and is open to all parents. This evening follows a request from parents earlier in the year and adds toward our college goal of building a sense of belonging and welcome. There is no expectation that parents attend but a warm welcome is extended to all. 

Over the last few months we have been reflecting on the way that parents and staff communicate. One of the things that has become evident in our modern world is the frequency that emails are used and the improvements in communication that this supports. I am conscious however that like all individuals, our staff do need their own down time and time with their families. Whilst I encourage staff and parents to communicate via phone calls and emails, I ask parents to be realistic when it comes to expecting a response. I do not expect staff to answer emails after hours or on weekends. Whilst I ask them to try to respond within 1 business day, this may initially be an acknowledgement that they have received your email. Many issues may take significantly longer to address and I ask parents to be aware of this and understand the realities of our situation. As always, I am happy to take feedback on our processes.

Ite in Veritate