Mercedes College Newsletter
Vol. 40 Number 12 / Week 6 Term Three / 29 August 2013
Mission Leader?s Musings
I am particularly fond of the writings of
Joan Chittister and read recently
about the importance of recognising
and honoring our giftedness. In this
climate
of
positivity
and
our
acknowledgement that we are all
made in the image and likeness of
God, it is important to encourage our
students to be mindful of their many
gifts and be grateful!
To know our gifts is to know our role in
life. We are what we are. But the gift
of self unfolds as we go, often slowly,
always with surprise. It can take years
before it becomes clear—the real gift
that is hidden within us. Finding the
gifts that God has given you takes
courage; it takes risk; it takes
exploration; it takes failure as we
stumble from one arena to the other.
But in the end what I get back is the
wholeness of myself. We all come
with a gift in our hand designed to
make life a better place. The only
question is whether we spend it on
others or only on ourselves.
It is learning that the gifts we have
been given are given for the rest of the
human community that makes us
more human!
Taken from: The gift in our hand by
Joan Chittister
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful
for every good thing that comes to
you, and to give thanks continuously.
And because all things have
contributed to your advancement, you
should include all things in your
gratitude.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ms Rosa Speranza - Mission Leader
together in a positive and creative way. I feel very blessed and privileged to
work amongst such a generous, confirming and obliging community. So I say a
huge thank you to our small band of P&F committee members, to all the
Friends groups, Mums, Dads and even grandparents, who support our staff
and young women. Already, the P&F are planning for the Quiz Night on 8
November, so please put the date in your calendars now! Also, there is lots of
conversation about guest speakers for parent nights for next year so keep a
look out for those opportunities too. 2014 is shaping up to be an even bigger
year for parents and, believe me, your daughters love having you around and
involved.
Today we welcomed many of our dads in to have breakfast with their daughters
to celebrate Father?s Day on Sunday. I hope all our dads and granddads have
a wonderful Father?s Day and enjoy being s poiled.
I know the word „resiliency? has become almost overused today, referring to so
many broad issues related to how young people cope rather than specifics.
Michael Grose, Parenting Educator, talks about the language of resilient
families. He says that children and adults in resilient families tune into the
needs of each other and develop their own words and phrases to help each
other get through the inevitable tough times that each person experiences. He
gives ten examples of the language of resilience and I will quote these over the
next editions of Sorelle.
1. “Come on, laugh it off.” Humour is a great coping strategy and a powerful
tool for resilience. It is a fantastic way to release stress and handle feelings
of helplessness. As a parent you may need to lighten up tense situations by
introducing humour of your own, which is something that many dads do
really well. (Insights No 1, Michael Grose)
Finally, we have the Federal Election coming up on 7 September, and the
outcome of this election will no doubt have a huge influence on education
policy. The Director of Catholic Education, Dr Tim McDonald, has been actively
lobbying and submitting an Issues Paper to the Department of Education,
Employment and Workforce Relations (DEEWR) and the Federal Minister for
School Education, highlighting the key issues faced by the WA Catholic
Education System under the new Better Schools Plan. Two fact sheets from
the Director can be accessed below. It is crucial that we are informed. Please
take the time to read them.
Catholic Education Fact Sheet A
Catholic Education Fact Sheet B
Peace and best wishes
Sheena Barber, Principal
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