As we prepare to embark on the student vacation period, I want to express my gratitude to all members of our community for your support during what has been a challenging and very unusual term. Thank you to the many parents who took the opportunity to discuss their child’s Semester 1 Interim Report and to set goals for learning in Semester 2.

It is very timely as we prepare to move forward into a new semester of learning to highlight the ways we can teach our children strategies that will assist them to cope in the face of challenges they may encounter now and in the future.

As a parent, if you were asked the question, ‘What do you want for your child?’ many parents would possibly instinctively reply that their ultimate goal is to ensure the happiness of their child. Social researcher and psychologist Hugh Mackay challenges us in his book “The Good Life”, to consider that a more appropriate response might be to seek wholeness, rather than happiness for our children. Often in the pursuit of achieving the goal of happiness, the usefulness of the negative emotions that often are our best teachers can be lost. Our modern society’s constant pursuit of happiness Mackay asserts, has caused us to forget that happiness is in fact, just one emotion on the emotional continuum. In order to fully experience any positive emotion, we must in fact, have also had an experience of negative emotions. Emotions that we often view as negative, such as sadness, disappointment and even failure are essential to provide a frame of reference for the experience of positive emotions such as joy, happiness and success.

As parents, we can help our children to develop the qualities of patience and acceptance by encouraging our children to set and strive towards the achievement of personal goals. These goals do not have to be only in the academic area, but could include any aspect of their lives that need to be developed. We can also support children to work through negative emotions or experiences as a normal part of life, rather than attempting to shield them from such situations when they come along. Difficulty and difficult situations are actually quite normal and in fact, are usually our best teachers.

The Kingdom of God (wholeness) is not just a future reality that we must strive towards, but it can be a present reality, that exists in our daily life experiences and through our interactions. We must develop our ability to become attuned to these moments and model this ability for our children. Hugh Mackay believes a good life is determined by our capacity for selflessness and our willingness to connect with those around us in a meaningful and useful way. A focus on developing an appreciation on ‘we’ rather than ‘I’ nurtures the reality that we are social creatures and can only find wholeness within the context of our human family.

Wishing all members of our community many opportunities to focus on wholeness for yourself and your children during the vacation period.

Let Christ continue to be our way and life as we rest and recharge in readiness for Semester 2.

Tina Murray

Principal

DOGS IN SCHOOL GROUNDS

Unfortunately, parents are advised that dogs are not permitted on school grounds. 

The NSW Companion Animals Act 1998 No 87 states that dogs are prohibited in some public places. Section (e) of the Act specifically refers to schools and states that this applies to dogs whether they are leashed or unleashed.

We thank you in advance for complying with this legislation that has been made to ensure the safety of every child. 

MUSIC BUS

At this point the advice from the Catholic Education Office Wollongong remains the same and states that visitors for non-essential purposes are still not permitted on school grounds.  Although some external adult providers are able to visit the school this is limited to those providers who support the delivery of the curriculum.

As the Music Bus is an external service that is contracted by parents and does not involve delivery of the NSW syllabus we are still not able to support attendance. 

Like many other organisations, COVID-19 has forced us to reflect upon and evaluate many areas of our school operations. In an already disrupted year we are keen to minimise as many interruptions to the delivery of the curriculum as possible. Please be advised that we have communicated to the operators of the Music Bus service that we are strongly reconsidering our ability to continue to support this initiative at Mary Immaculate and have recommended that this be information communicated to the relevant parents as soon as possible.

Please add the following Staff Development dates to your calendar.

Students will not be required to attend school on these dates.

• Monday September 7 – Week 8 Term 3 - Staff Spirituality Day -all staff will be offsite
• Monday October 12 – Week 1 Term 4 - Staff Development Day

HAIR STYLES / UNIFORMS - During the holidays children will undoubtedly have haircuts etc. in preparation for Term 3. A reminder to parents that hairstyles for the school term should be ones, which do not attract attention. Hair for both boys and girls should be neat and tidy and of natural colour. Shaved indents, undercuts and hair covering eyes etc are not permitted.

Please also be aware of the school’s uniform policy especially in regards to sports socks and sport shoes. Socks should be white fold over and shoes are to be predominantly white in colour with white laces.  Thank you for your support.