TEACHING AND LEARNING:

STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY

(Pupil Free Day)

FRIDAY, 19th September 2008

Our Staff Development Day will support developing our understanding and skills in bringing 21st century technology to our children.

The 21st century Learning Space is the now of the World.

As such our I.T. investment of close to $100,000 in 2008 must be supported by professional development which will continue to build the capacity of our teaching team.

In many ways our children’s ability to engage in our exciting world continues to be measured by success in a number of different activities.  Last week alone saw success for our children in the “Tournament of Minds” and Year 6 “Voice of Youth Cluster Finals”.  These challenging events require from the children confidence and competence in communicating at the highest level.

I sincerely congratulate and thank our Year 6 teaching team of Mrs Easton, Miss Kurczewski, Miss Friend and Mr Crowley and Mr Sabotic for the work in challenging, motivating and believing in the capabilities of our great children.

COMMUNITY:

2008 Target—80% of families to attend the St Michael’s Family Fun Day this Sunday.  Can we do it?

11.25am Parade of Flags and Children

11.30am K-2 Choir

11.40am St Michael’s Band

12 noon St Michael’s Dancers

12.30am St Andrew’s Big Band

* The Big Aussie BBQ

* Food from Around the World

1.00pm Games

2.00pm Competition—Crazy Cake Auction!!!

COME ALONG AND SIMPLY CELEBRATE OUR COMMUNITY

REFLECTION:

As you can see by the Photo Spread our Father’s Day Liturgy was a great time for our dads and their children to spend time celebrating their love, celebrating their life together.  This prayer might be shared around the table.

Lord Jesus Christ look with love and kindness on all fathers.  May they be a guide to their children as they grow in their care.  May their love and gentleness be a blessing on each member of their family as they share special moments together.  May their openness to your love and understanding continue to nurture their faith and provide rich example to all.

Regards

John Laffan

PRINCIPAL

TEACHING AND LEARNING:

In this week’s Saturday newspaper the headline was TEACHERS to be tested. This issue of teacher appraisal and professional standing is receiving some attention by politicians and I believe a lot more debate will take place.

However in looking at some of the criteria I couldn’t help but feel a sense of great pride in what my colleagues achieve on a daily basis. Lets take a look at some examples.

Explicit teaching of literacy, numeracy and other core requirements.
As you know at St Michael’s our core goals are published each year. In 2008 the areas of literacy and numeracy have been boosted by intensive professional development, extensive resourcing and critical examination of student results and growth. This work has impacted directly on the day to day teaching practice.

Successful behaviour management strategies.
On a daily basis teachers, children and our parent community follow and live out our motto ‘Love One Another’. On a daily basis we at St Michael’s know that ‘Getting to know the child’ and building same side relationships are the keys positive reinforcements in successful behaviour management.

Our framework calls for:

• Understanding children’s behaviour
• Communicating issues of concern with parents, support staff (counsellors, teachers aide etc.) and specialists.
• Writing individual programs
• Constantly reshaping our own approach to different behaviours.
• Upholding the wellbeing and welfare of all.

Expertly evaluated different approaches to learning
Last week alone provides some good examples as to the professional approach your children’s teachers take in being Leading Teachers.

• At our leadership team meeting, three of our teachers briefed all coordinators on new advances in IT. The development of 21st century technology is now being matched by intensive professional development.
• At our Staff Meeting  8 members of staff gave demonstration lessons on effective and successful Literacy Block activities. The high quality of expertise was evident and is indicative of the depth of educational leadership within our school.
• During the week children were further supported by special programs including:
  Rock and Water
  Tournament of the Mind
  Music
  Dance
  P.E.

Mentor other teachers
At St Michael’s an important element of our framework is Peers supporting Peers.
Through:-

• Creating individual programs
• Analysing student data and results
• Planning and evaluation of teaching/learning programs.
• Providing demonstration lessons
• Team teaching etc.

we have been able to share the wealth of knowledge and experience that is held by Leading Teachers at St Michael’s.

REFLECTION:
Creating an inclusive and welcoming community at St Michael’s
How are we doing?
Events like assemblies, special fun days and of course our celebrations of the Eucharist and Liturgies are times we can unite.
The Family Fun Day will be a focal point in bringing us together. This day and all other communal events allow us to behave in ways that are welcoming and inclusive. Stephanie Bowrick writies,

“A moment of generosity and thoughtfulness can make all the difference between someone feeling like an outsider … and feeling included.”

So my invitation is simple, look at ways of involving yourself and your family in making our community a place where all feel welcomed.

“An easy sense of belonging is essential to feeling safe, inwardly and outwardly. Whatever our age or status, we are free to appreciate that sense of belonging and to offer it freely to others. It is an exceptionally uplifting way to move through the world.”

 Dear Parents & Friends,

TEACHING AND LEARNING:

The Science of Teaching

Last week the St. Michael’s Core Maths Team led two professional development events exploring the science (pedagogy) of teaching and learning Mathematics.

In exploring new ways of approaching Mathematics we reinforced a core belief.

Learning is an active and interactive process of making connections with what is currently known, producing deep knowledge and understanding.

So what was the days learning from last weeks professional development?

Success in Mathematics will occur when:-

¨ The learning/activity has meaning and relevance in the child’s world.

¨ When the learner’s prior knowledge and experience are understood and built upon by the teacher.

¨ The teacher/student maximise the time using mathematical language to explain the process/operation.

At the staff meeting the teachers explore the Newman “analysis of errors” strategy for identifying why children make mistakes in written mathematical tasks.  Through a use of appropriately worded questions teachers are able to explore the mathematical thinking of an individual child, how to best understand any patterns of errors and can provide a sound and explicit formulation for future classroom planning and teaching.

REFLECTION:

This weeks Gospel is all about “Faith”.  Do we really trust that God is there always calling us, always within us?

Do we believe that we are all born Spiritual Devine people and our purpose is then to become fully human?

Peter said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  He said, “Come”.  Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water towards Jesus.  But when he said how strong the wind was he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord save me!”.  Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him.

Peter began to walk on the water.  But then his preconceived notions took over.  When he realized that walking on water just didn’t happen, he had enough faith to believe that Jesus could do the miracle, but not enough faith to believe that Jesus would do it for him.

So then, as we journey and fall, get scared and at times loose hope, Jesus teaches us that God will always be there to take our hand.

Our faith calls us to simply Reach Out.

COMMUNITY:

Our FAMILY FUN DAY is growing all the time.

SUNDAY

14th September

This is a day for celebrating our community.

We don’t want to raise money—we just want to celebrate and give thanks.

GAMES—MUSIC—DISPLAYS—BBQ

ENTERTAINMENT

Regards

John Laffan

PRINCIPAL 

Dear Parents & Friends,

X STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY X

Friday, 4th July 2008

X WORLD YOUTH DAY X

commencing 14th July to

Sunday, 20th July 2008

X STUDENTS RETURN X

Wednesday, 23rd July

TEACHING & LEARNING:

Term 2 has produced some great results in respect to our 2008 Goals in Literacy and Numeracy.

Our teaching and learning community continues to build in both resources and teacher capacity ensuring the best possible learning environment for our children.

Over the last week your children’s teachers have been analysing reading and retell results.  We are seeing wonderful growth across all grades in reading fluency.  Our challenge will be to continue building skills in retell/comprehension.  Our reading resources continue to grow with just over $10,000.00 being spent on listening posts and associated readers as well as Intractive White Board reading resources.

In Mathematics our understanding of a K-6 approach on problem solving is nearing completion.  Interestingly this work has confirmed a number of generic teaching/learning skills that are appropriate for all key learning areas in problem solving.

Another important development in 2008 has been the development of our own Mentor Programme.  Throughout the year teams of St Michael’s teachers have been inserviced in specific teaching/assessment skills.  This capacity building is now gaining rewards as teachers work with their peers in ongoing training and reflection on student outcomes.

Finally, the term has seen continued work on the rewriting and development of our Human Society and Its Environment units.

All in all we have a lot to be proud of as we strive to build our teaching programmes around our Vision & Mission statement of:

T Reflect

T Engage

T Empower

COMMUNITY:

STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY

Friday, 4th July 2008

WORLD YOUTH DAY commencing

14th July to

Sunday, 20th July 2008

STUDENTS RETURN

Wednesday, 23rd July

REFLECTION:

This Sundays reading from Matthew has great significance for us at St. Michael’s as we live out our great Catholic tradition.

Jesus said, “And so I say to you, you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church….

I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth shall be found in heaven:  and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

And now 2000 years later like Peter you show incredible love of God and faith in our church by continuing the Catholic tradition and living within the faith filled community of St. Michael’s.

Through this faith Jesus says to you also,

“Blessed are you.”

This decision carries with it a tremendous responsibility to impart to those children in our care, our faith, our stories and beliefs.  At the centre of all our teachings is the simple truth that our children are “Made in the image of God, Sons and Daughters of Christ”.

As the Church prepares for World Youth Day the challenges around organisational logistics should pale into insignificance when one considers the clear message in today’s reading.

“Blessed are You!”

Regards

John Laffan

PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents & Friends,

STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY

Friday, 4th July 2008

(last day of Term 2)

TEACHING & LEARNING:

As you know our Core Goal in 2008 is improving children’s ability to gain meaning from what they are reading.

In our teaching we at St. Michael’s recognise that like our students we are constantly reflecting on and developing new ways of teaching.

In supporting our ongoing Professional Development we are creating Mentor Groups.  These mentors are members of our teaching team who through attending inservice, reading and ongoing evaluation together with practice are becoming experts in their field.

Over the last couple of weeks mentors have been working with our teaching teams in developing skills in Literacy, Maths and Behavioural support.

Wellbeing

This week stage 1 teachers examined the “Three Pillars” in “Kagans Win Win Theory”.

Same Side

The ultimate goal is learned responsibility.  Here the teacher understands where the student is coming from.

Collaborative Solutions

The student and teacher share the responsibility of co-creating discipline solutions.

Learned Responsibility

The discipline solution leads to critical new learning for the student.  The student learns more responsible behaviours to meet his/her needs, so disruptions are less likely in the future.

Maths

Through the leadership of the Maths Core Team the teachers at St Michael’s have been developing a greater understanding of student progress in Mathematics.

The use of Diagnostic Tests in Grades 2-6, school entry assessment in Kindergarten and portfolio assessment tasks in all grades enables teachers to analyse children’s learning in Mathematics access all substrands.

Using a teacher inquiry and knowledge building model the Maths Core Team will lead the teachers in upcoming Staff Meetings.  We will be explaining a number of crucial questions to promote valued student outcomes in Mathematics.  Some of these questions are:

1. What are our student’s learning needs in Mathematics?

            a)       What do they already know in Mathematics?

            b)      What source of evidence have we used?

            c)      What do they need to learn and do?

           d)       How do we build in what they know in Mathematics?

2. What are our own learning needs in teaching Mathematics?

               a)       How have we contributed to existing student outcomes?

               b)       What do we already know that we can use to promote valued 

                         outcomes?

               c)       What do we need to learn to promote outcomes in Mathematics?

By focusing on student needs and raising teacher capacity we will continue to increase student learning in Mathematics at St Michael’s.

In Literacy:

Mentors have been training colleague teachers in the skill of Visualizing and Verbalising.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND REFLECTION:

World Pilgrims bound for St Michael’s.

To be exact 356 pilgrims are planned to occupy classrooms at St Michael’s between 14th July and 21st July.  This week I will be assisting my colleagues to volunteer their time from 7pm-9am on each night of the pilgrimage.

In our own way this helps us connect young people with our Church.  It provides these young Catholics with an understanding that the Catholic faith is broader than a parish, diocese and country.

Would you like to help prepare breakfast with us?  Stay tuned.

World Youth Day Prayer

God our Father,

We consecrate to you the World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008.  Guide and protect Pope Benedict and all the leaders of the Church.  Inspire and direct all those leading and planning the World Youth Day.  Unite and protect them by your fatherly care.  Amen

Lord Jesus Christ,

Before you ascended to the Father, you promised to send your Holy Spirit so that we might be your witnesses to the end of the earth.  Bless and multiply the efforts of all our staff and volunteers.  Help us to take up our cross and follow you under the heavently sign of the Southern Cross.  Amen

Holy Spirit,

Pour out your grace on this Great South Land of the Holy Spirit and grant to us a New Pentecost.  Make of this land a true place of welcome for the young people of the world.  Grant to those young people who come conversion of life, a deeper faith, and love for all.  Enable them to build a new civilization of life, love and truth.  Make them true witnesses to your power and grace.  Amen

Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Help of Christians—pray for us.  Blessed Mary MacKillop—pray for us.

Regards

John Laffan

PRINCIPAL

 Dear Parents & Friends,

A Time to Grow 

In this week’s newsletter I don’t want to focus on our Core Curriculum Goals or Current Plant Development.  Instead I would like to share with you another important vision and mission of our school and that is building community.  I believe the time has come for us to reflect on some important questions.  

As a community how are we promoting the life of our church? 

In what ways do we support the sacred work of Father Kevin and our faith community and finally, what opportunities are we creating in building our own St Michael’s School community. 

Before and after school I enjoy the opportunity of meeting you and exchanging a hand shake, smile and greeting. I enjoy seeing small groups of parents talking with one another and enjoying each other’s company. 

It is well documented that children’s success at school can be linked to the level of parent involvement within the school community. When I reflect on the tradition of the Catholic school, working bees, social functions, fundraising events and links with parish were part of a strong school/parish life. 

These days we are working longer and weekends are not what they used to be, our time has become precious. This being the case I’m conscious of using school funds to meet ongoing maintenance and grounds and so reducing the need for working bees. 

The irony is that in the past school events as mentioned helped cement positive relationships, building communities and bringing people together. 

So what does this all mean? 

I think we are seeking balance. When I met you at our enrolment meetings you spoke of wanting to belong, being part of a community, united by care for our children and keeping our faith tradition alive. 

In 2008 our Parents & Friends Association have a dream. Their dream is to involve more than 80% of all our families in the St Michael’s Family Fun Day. This will not be about raising money it will be about celebrating who we are through Prayer—Song—Dance—Food and lots of laughter. 

So then lets start by placing the date on the calendar. 

St Michael’s Family Fun Day

Sunday, 14th September 

Over the next weeks we will provide opportunity for you to become part of this day. We will need support in:-

* Preparing our grounds

* Managing the entertainment

* Preparing the food

*  Managing games and activities 

This is not an event to raise money—

this is an opportunity for our community to

Grow as One

 REFLECTION: 

Christ Still Present with Us 

In the 21st century our world can seem pretty bleak, natural disasters, economic downturn and political unrest are constantly taking centre stage on our media. 

Its no wonder in such a world that we also read of the growing numbers of Australians who are seeking support for mental illness. 

But within our lives through our Baptism. Christ is Present—right now he says “I am with you always”. 

Please take some quiet time and reflect. 

No matter where, when, or how Jesus ascended, before he left he commissioned his followers to go and make disciples of all the nations (v19). Brief as this commission is, it’s a communication of the authority that Jesus mentions as being his, both in heaven and on earth (v18). And it contains the conditions of membership in Christ’s Church: faith in him, baptism, and observance of his commandments (v20). The Chinese proverb says that a picture is worth a thousand words. But the one word that’s worth a thousand pictures is that word ‘go’. It brings to our mind’s eye ardent missioners in kayaks, on donkeys, in primitive carts, in worn automobiles, and on foot to bring Jesus to hidden corners of this planet earth.This amazing command is possible of fulfillment because Jesus’ concluding words:

“I am with you always”

Matthew had begun his Gospel with the promise of “God-with-us” (1:23); now he concludes with this strengthening assurance of Jesus. A more magnificent conclusion couldn’t be found. 

Regards     

John Laffan

PRINCIPAL  

Dear Parents & Friends,

TEACHING & LEARNING:  

As you know our Core Goal for 2008 is the development of reading and comprehension skills for all children at St. Michael’s. 

To ensure real development, real growth all of us need to maintain a consistent approach on supporting reading and comprehension both at school and home.  After all Aidan Chambers once said the “quality of a school (and community) could be gauged by how much time was allocated to reading and how well this time was protected.” 

So then, enjoy reading with your child:- 

· Make reading a special time together

· Show your enjoyment of stories and books· Be patient

· Make a regular time for reading every day that is free of interruptions. 

Remember that…

Reading is about getting meaning from print, so make sure that what you read is interesting and makes sense. 

Talking about the book.

Before reading, talk a lot about the book—cover, title, author, pictures, words and ideas. 

Go through the pages and ask things like:- 

· What do you think this story might be about?

· What is happening now?· What might happen next?

· What do you think could happen in the end?

COMMUNITY:

Term II is all about building our “knowledge of the child” and promoting Individual Programs. 

My invitation to you is to consider making an appointment to meet with your child’s class teacher to discuss any area of development or challenge your child may be experiencing. 

Although portfolios, assessments and reports will be sent home in Week 10 together with Parent/Teacher Interviews, I want to clearly state that you are welcome to initiate interviews with your child’s teacher. 

Some important dates in this term include:-

· Mothers’ Day Stall—Wednesday, 7th May

· P & F Leadership Planning Meeting—Wednesday, 14th May

· P & F Meeting “Child Protection”, School Behaviour Policy, Wednesday, 18th June 

REFLECTION:

In today’s world of “spin” the messages we hear and see can sometimes be misunderstood. 

When Jesus speaks the clarity of his message can be confronting and challenging but never confusing.

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all natians, baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…..  And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” 

The challenge is that we must realize that heaven isn’t up and out and away—heaven can and is within, and the Lord is with us.  Our challenge is to share this with others. 

Secondly, this message is the ultimate triumph of the new human life which God is bringing into existence through the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

Once again God reminds us to “Be at Peace…   I am with you always.”

Regards

John Laffan

Principal  

 Dear Parents & Friends,  

                      Christ has died

                                    Christ has risen                                            

                                                         Christ will come again 

Our centre colour spread features some of the reflective movements during Holy Week. 

As this is Catholic Schools Week, I thought we should open our newsletter with a look at our Vision & Mission Statement. 

This document influences everything we do at St Michael’s.  In creating relationships around teaching and learning, children and family wellbeing, plant development and finance, the Vision & Mission invites all of us to: 

               Reflect

                        Engage

                               Empower 

We reflect the life and mission of Jesus by:

· Promoting a vibrant life through prayer and liturgy

· Providing a quality Religious Education program, which nurtures the intregration of faith in the lives of all

· Living out our school motto “Love One Another”

· Developing an awareness of justice and equality issues through active participation

· Contributing to the pastoral works with St Michael’s Parish 

We engage each in their own learning by:

· Educating the whole child—academically, physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually

· Encouraging growth through creative and critical reflection with others

· Creating a school environment in which teaching and learning is purposeful, relevant, innovative and collaborative

· Recognising and responding to the individual needs, talents and interests of all 

We empower with a sense of hope for the future by:

· Equiping each child with the skills required to work towards their full potential

· Endeavouring to create a school community where Gospel values are shared

· Nuturing resilient learners, who can negotiate change

· Supporting each member of the community in their faith journey 

TEACHING & LEARNING:

The St Michael’s 2008 Targets in Mathematics are:

1. All children achieve above Bands 1 and 2 in Year 3 Numeracy component of NAPLAN (National Testing).

2. All children achieve above Bands 1, 2 and 3 in Year 5 Numeracy component of NAPLAN (National Testing).

3. St Michael’s students achieve above State/Diocesan average for Bands 5/6 in the numeracy component of NAPLAN (National Testing).

4. All children achieve above National Benchmarks in Years 3 and 5 NAPLAN.

5. All diagnostic Mathematics assessment results from Years 3 to 6 placed in an accessible centralised position.

6. Staff develop a shared belief in Mathematical problem solving K-6. 

The St Michael’s 2008 Core Team Goals in Mathematics are:

1. Develop a greater understanding of where the children are in Maths and plan effective strategies for growth.

2. To reflect and evaluate Mathematics Belief and Practice Statement.

3. To develop reading in Mathematics.

4. To develop the languages of Mathematics.

5. To develop a Whole School understanding of the components of a Maths block.

6. To develop a deeper undersgtanding of the use of mental strategies as part of the daily maths block.

7. Complete an Iventory of Mathematical resources.

8. Celebrate Maths as a school.

9. Integrate Information Technology into Mathematics. 

COMMUNITY:  P & F Supports Core Goals

At our last P & F Meeting, Mrs Annie Murray and her executive demonstrated the strong links between the parent community and our school by presenting a cheque for $4,000.00.  This donation will directly support our Core Goal in improving Reading & Comprehension at St Michael’s.  The $4,000.00 will help in the purchase of new instructional readers worth $12,000.00 for Stages 2 & 3. 

At our meeting the P & F executive shared the Goals and dreams for 2008. 

One exciting Goal is the “Celebration of the St Michael’s Community—Family Day” which will be held in Spring of 2008. 

Regards   

John Laffan

PRINCIPAL  

TEACHING AND LEARNING As you know the “development of reading and comprehension skills” is our Core Focus for 2008. Already we have made good gains in our targets around:-

· assessment of children K-6;

· increasing resources in instructional readers;

· developing “take-home” readers K-6; and

· targeting special needs. 

Our Core Focus requires all of us to look at ways of improving reading skills and comprehension.  As parents, your role is that of the “main educator”.  I have listed some home strategies for you to try. 

Stage 1—Years 1 & 2

Don’t leave home without it.  Bring along a book or magazine any time your child has to wait, such as at a doctor’s office.  Always try to fit in reading! 

Once is not enough.  Encourage your child to re-read favorite books and poems.  Re-reading helps kids read more quickly and accurately. 

Dig deeper into the story.  Ask your child questions about the story you’ve just read.  Say something like, “Why do you think Clifford did that?” 

Take control of the television.  It’s difficult for reading to compete with TV and video games.  Encourage reading as a free-time activity. 

Be patient.  When your child is trying to sound out an unfamiliar word, give him or her time to do so.  Remind your child to look closely at the first letter or letters of the word. 

Pick books that are at the right level.  Help your child pick books that are not too difficult.  The aim is to give your child lots of successful reading experiences. 

Play word games.  Have your child sound out the word as you change it from mat to fat to sat; from sat to sag to sap; and from sap to sip. 

Gently correct your young reader.  When your child makes a mistake, gently point out the letters he or she overlooked or read incorrectly.  Many beginning readers will guess wildly at a word based on its first letter. 

Stage 2—Years 3 & 4

Make books special.  Turn reading into something special.  Take your kids to the library, help them get their own library card, read with them, and buy them books as gifts.  Have a favorite place for books in your home or, even better, put books everywhere.

Get them to read another one.  Find ways to encourage your child to pick up another book.  Introduce him or her to a series like The Boxcar Children or Harry Potter or to a second book by a favorite author, or ask the librarian for additional suggestions. 

Crack open the dictionary.  Let your child see you use a dictionary.  Say, “Hmm, I’m not sure what that word means… I think I’ll look it up.” 

Talk about what you see and do.  Talk about everyday activities to build your child’s background knowledge, which is crucial to listening and reading comprehension.  Keep up a running patter, for example, while cooking together, visiting somewhere new, or after watching a TV show. 

First drafts are rough.  Encourage your child when writing.  Remind him or her that writing involves several steps.  No one does it perfectly the first time. 

Different strokes for different folks.  Read different types of books to expose your child to different types of writing.  Some kids, especially boys, prefer nonfiction books. 

Teach your child some “mind tricks”.  Show your child how to summarize a story in a few sentences or how to make predictions about what might happen next.  Both strategies help a child comprehend and remember. 

“Are we there yet?”.  Use the time spent in the car or bus for wordplay.  Talk about how jam means something you put on toast as well as cars stuck in traffic.  How many other homonyms can your child think of?  When kids are highly familiar with the meaning of a word, they have less difficulty reading it. 

COMMUNITY

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with members of the P & F Leadership Team. 

In looking at 2008 the P & F will continue to:-

· Build opportunities for all members of our community to meet, pray and celebrate with one another.

· Support the core goals of St Michael’s, particularly the development of reading and comprehension skills and the completion of the Wellbeing Policy. 

Finally, our next P & F Meeting will be on: 

Wednesday, 19th March at 7.30pm 

Our guest speaker:Mrs Margaret O’Hearn

123 Magic“Helping You Help Your Child” 

Hope to see many of you there. 

REFLECTION

Recently I was honoured with the opportunity to sit with a member of our community who is suffering from great loss in their lives.

During this conversation I was struck by their strength and resilience.  When I read this piece from John Shea it all made a little more sense.

My Turn

Fyodor Dostoevsky spoke for many believers:  “There is only one thing I dread: not to be worthy of my sufferings.”  This fear haunts people once they have shed the illusion that their lives will be free of suffering.  Everyone suffers.  The degrees are different, and the degrees are exceedingly important.  But the fact is universal.

Freedom forces many questions on us.  How will I respond when it is my turn?  Will I be worthy of my sufferings?  In other words, will my response to suffering reveal the transcendence of the human spirit?  To be worthy of suffering is to show love, courage, and hope in the face of anguish.  We never know how we will respond until we undergo the test.

A side effect of all suffering is the feeling of isolation.  We do not get around the way we once did, and some of our friends may even feel awkward around us.  It can appear that we are gradually being abandoned.  That is why we need our family and friends around us.  We live in community; and as we diminish and die, we should stay in community.

We also need to pray.  We come from a Mystery; we live within a Mystery; and we return to a Mystery.  In suffering we must be open to that Mystery and realise its graciousness.  Jesus said it for us all:  “Into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).  Beyond acceptance is surrender.

Do not let anyone go it alone.

Regards

John Laffan

PRINCIPAL