This weekend we celebrate Fathers' Day. The first observance of Fathers' Day is believed to have been on June 19, 1910 in the United States. It was inaugurated to compliment Mothers' Day and celebrates fatherhood and male parenting, as well as honouring and commemorating fathers and forefathers.

We often forget the sacrifice of our fathers and the roles they have played in shaping our lives. Father’s day gives us the opportunity to show and express our love and care for the men in our lives who most deserve our support. Fathers' Day is also an appropriate platform to make us look beyond our own family and honour all those men in our lives who have brought us joy and happiness. Fathers' day is a day to not only honour ones own father, but also all men who have acted as a father figure in your life - whether as stepfathers, uncles, big brothers or grandfathers. The word ‘father’ is often used to honour spiritual leaders, inventors and the originator of an original idea. In this way fathers are often associated with guidance and protection, a person who can be loved, respected and looked up to.

“Fathers are wonderful people, too little understood;

And we do not sing their praises, as often as we should.

And like our Heavenly Father, he’s a guardian and a guide

Someone we can count on, to be always on our side.”

Helen Steiner Rice.

"It has been said that any man can be a father, but it takes

a special person to be a dad."

Happy Fathers' Day to all in our community who hold the title 'Father’.

ACTING ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL - Due to my impending retirement and the appointment of Mrs Lillian Del Giudice to the position of Acting Principal commencing Monday 14 September and for the reminder of the school year, I would like to inform our School Community that Mr Chris McInerney has been appointed to the position of Acting Assistant Principal for the same period of time. I congratulate Mr McInerney on his appointment and I am sure our School Community will support Mr McInerney in his role.

SABBATH WEEK - Next week Mary Immaculate students and staff will observe Sabbath Week. During Sabbath Week we endeavour to observe a period of rest in many different ways – no scheduled appointments, no homework, no staff meetings. Instead, we encourage staff and students to take time to focus on ourselves, and our relationship with God.

BEST OF LUCK - Best of luck to Liam S who is this week representing MacKillop at the NSW PSSA Rugby Competition at Forbes. I am sure Liam will do himself, our school, and our Diocese proud.

Have a great week and let Christ be our way and life.

Don Spencer

Principal

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING - At Mary Immaculate the staff has an ongoing commitment to professional learning. The staff benefit from attending inservices, in curriculum areas, that assists them in providing quality learning opportunities for the students in their class. The following staff have or will attend professional learning and hence will be away from school.

PEER SUPPORT - This week in Peer Support children will discuss skills and how to communicate their feelings and needs to others. The children will discuss skills they use when participating in a variety of activities. When children understand they already have many of the skills needed to succeed, they can feel more confident when trying something new. The children are asked to identify events which trigger different feelings. Encourage your child to remember the skills they have used in one activity when trying something new. Also encourage your child to communicate their feelings and needs.

KIDS LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
Michael Grose – Parenting Ideas

Ever opened up your mouth and heard your own parents speak? I’d frequently speak to my kids when they’d been less than perfect and I could hear my father speaking. I’d use the same words, same tone of voice and same body language as my father. The similarity was a little spooky.

This happens because the ghosts from the past are very strong impacting not just our communication but our parenting as well. Kids copy their parents. Temperament, gender, genetic and birth order factors all play a part in shaping kids. They signify the differences between children’s behaviour, attitudes and interests. It’s in children’s similarities that the impact of parenting is seen.

Are all your kids tolerant, generous, kind and forgiving, perhaps some less than others? If so, there’s a good chance that you possess those qualities or, at least, one parent displays those qualities.

Children learn what they live

When kids live with gratitude, encouragement and affection on a daily basis they are more likely to adopt those behaviours themselves. In fact, those types of behaviours become part of their values system. They may shy away from these behaviours in adolescence yet most kids will return to their core values in their twenties and beyond. Most kids find their identity only after they’ve rejected it.

Similarly, when kids live with criticism, mean-spiritedness and intolerance they are more likely to display those attitudes. Teachers and schools can impact children’s attitudes and behaviours but it can be hard to override the values that kids develop at home. Kids are more likely to reflect their parents’ attitudes and behaviours than those of their teachers.

Do you like what you see?

Take a good look at your kids’ attitudes, behaviours and values, particularly how they treat others. If you like what you see then give yourself a pat on the back because you’ve done a good job through both overt teaching and modelling of raising a person in your likeness.

If you’re not happy with what you see – I’m not referring to the out-of-character, poor behaviour that kids at times display due to fatigue, a stage or some other unknown reason (kids will be kids) – but if you cringe when you see some of the attitudes and behaviours that your kids routinely show then some self-reflection may be the order of the day.

That’s nothing necessarily to be ashamed of. Kids get front row seats to the very best and very worst of their parents’ behaviours. We just need to make sure that our best is amplified and our worst is minimised or, at least, not witnessed by our kids.

It helps to sit down with your partner or a trusted friend and review the type of person that’s on display for your kids every now and then. It will be a worthwhile exercise both personally and as a parent. As your kids are a reflection of you, start the reflection process by looking at the behaviours, attitudes and states of mind they have in common. If you’re happy with what you see then you’re okay. If not, then maybe it’s time for some changes.