I encourage you as a family to reflect what this season means to you as a family and things you might do together. I remember vividly as a child during this season, we would save our lollies till Easter, say a decade of the rosary each night and attend mass on Tuesday and Thursday morning before school. Certainly, as one of five children, Easter Sunday was always a day of great joy.
OPEN DAY
It was an outstanding day weatherwise on Sunday to showcase the College. With visitors arriving in big numbers, both the Junior and Senior school were looking forward to giving people the opportunity to see what makes St Greg’s so special.
Several things stood out for me.
The students of the College who gave their time freely to be heavily involved throughout the morning.
The facilities. Many thanks to Maintenance Team and the Cleaning Team for having the College looking so great.
The staff. The staff were enthusiastic and professional, making the experience very positive for visitors. Particular mention to Ms Watts and Miss Suraci for their overall coordination of the day.
Old Boys. This was a new and welcomed addition to the day and one that had a great impact.
The parents. It was wonderful and more than a little humbling to see so many parents giving up their Sunday morning to espouse the things they love most about St Greg’s and all it has to offer.
I received an email from a family that you can read below:
Good afternoon, Mr Brennan
I am writing to congratulate you and your team on the fantastic Open Day today. My youngest son, Charlie and I attended this event, and we loved it.
We were greeted by an old boy which was lovely, and every staff member, volunteer and student were a pleasure to interact with. I wanted to make special mention of one young man though, with whom my son got chatting in the woodwork room. I overheard his conversation with my son as I stood a little way away from them. They spoke of the work first, with the student explaining the lathe and what he was doing. After that, he said to my son; "Let me give you some advice..." He went on to tell him that he needs to practice reading, writing and Math. He told a story of how much he had struggled when he first started and how important these skills are in every other subject. He gave him tips on what to do and the time to spend.
As a Lead Specialist for Literacy in primary schools, I cannot tell you how pleased I was to hear this advice from a secondary student. When I asked my son what they had been talking about as we left the room, he repeated everything with such clarity, and he was clearly full of respect for this young man. He said he hoped he was not in Year 12 as he would like him to be there when he started in Year 7 next year. I know you are proud of all your students and staff, but I just wanted to highlight this one display of kindness and support.
Thanks again for a wonderful event at St Gregory's College.
The experience, from my perspective, reminded me of how lucky I am to be part of such a special community.
PARENT ARTICLE
Please take the time to read the article below. It is mainly for our Senior School parents, but some good information for all parents in our community.
Teen brains need sleep
Below are a few tips are focused on inspiring and equipping dads with their children.
The older children get, the busier they become and the harder it can be to find moments to connect. Here are a few tools you might use to find a few extra minutes with your teenager.
- Make the most of time in the car - drive them to and from friends' houses or outings and spend the travel catching-up.
- Encourage them to help you cook meals in the kitchen or on the barbecue.
- Watch sport together – either at the game or on TV.
- Exercise together – go to the gym, for a run or sign up for a social team sport together.
- Plan and then take a holiday together.
International Women’s Day – March 8
Equality versus Equity: What's the difference as we #EmbraceEquity for IWD 2023 and beyond?
The words equity and equality are often used interchangeably.
Etymologically, the root word they share is aequus, meaning “even” or “fair” or “equal” - which led to equity being from the Latin aequitas, and equality from aequalitas. Yet, despite these similarities, equity and equality are inherently different concepts, and the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme seeks to help forge worldwide conversation about this important issue and its impact.
So, what's the difference between 'equity' and 'equality' - and why is it important to understand, acknowledge and value this?
The IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme seeks to get the world talking about why "equal opportunities are no longer enough" - and can in fact be exclusionary, rather than inclusive.
A great video for all the family to watch can be found below, explaining the important difference between equity and equality. I encourage you to watch it as a family.
Equity v Equality
Further information about this year’s theme can be found on the link below:
Equality versus Equity: What's the difference as we #EmbraceEquity for IWD 2023 and beyond? (internationalwomensday.com)
I would encourage all of us to reach out to a significant lady in our lives on March 8 and make that call we have been meaning to make and wish them well!
In our Prayers
Please keep Hayden Brown (Year 12) and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Hayden sustained a spinal injury whilst training for the Trampolining National Championships and is currently in Prince of Wales Hospital.
Enjoy reading the many wonderful things that have occurred in recent weeks, in both our Junior and Senior schools. It has been a time of great positivity and many new connections have been made and significant learnings achieved. There have also been many opportunities for parent and family involvement, and I invite the families to attend as many things as you can in the coming weeks.
May St Gregory, St Marcellin and Mary Our Good Mother, continue to watch over and care for our community.
Mr Matthew Brennan
College Principal (K-12)