Happy St Joseph's Day! Joseph was the husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus. He protected and cared for them, placing their needs before his own. St Joseph is an example to us of how an ordinary person can have an extraordinary love for others. Through Joseph's example, we can learn to trust in God's way.
Our College is proud to be a place of generosity and kindess. In our community, we have many people who offer their time, skill and knowledge as a way of helping our school become the best it can be. Yesterday, at our St Joseph Feast Day Mass and Leadership Induction, we recognised Ros Barnes, the recipient of the Minister for Education and Child Development Volunteering Award for Outstanding Service. Ros has been a Canteen volunteer for a signficant number of years. Over the years, Ros has been very committed to helping in the canteen, she is good hearted and has always been willing to put her hand up.
This time last year the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and the world as we knew it changed slowly then suddenly. In the final week of Term 1, I wrote the following:
“We are indeed living in interesting times. I have been involved in education for nearly 40 years and I have never known anything like the situation we are experiencing now. I can remember school shutdowns in Scotland due to extreme weather conditions, long-term transport strikes that stopped people from getting to work and school, extended flu seasons, but this is unprecedented. A global pandemic has hit our shores and affected the economic and social fabric of our society. We all know of people who have been impacted; lost jobs, cancelled weddings, funerals held with only a few family members, and now we face the absence of Easter services.
I am optimistic that we will get through this, as long as we do our bit. Stay at home – only going out for a daily walk, to buy essential items and for medical care.”
Fortunately in Australia and, in particular, South Australia, we have done an amazing job of keeping us all safe. We are in a very fortunate position compared to the rest of the world; however, we still have a long way to go. I myself have not been on a plane since February 2020. I am very nervous about border closures and I do not relish the idea of having to do hotel quarantine.
School though is very much back to normal and hand sanitiser, QR codes and social distancing have become part of our daily lives. We have been able to complete all of our camps and events such as Swimming and Athletics Carnival. This weekend we will hold the Sister’s Jubilee where we honour those Sisters of St Joseph who have given their life in the service of others.
Recent events have highlighted the importance of discussing with your daughter respectful relationships. Our Pastoral Care program aims to teach students what a respectful relationship looks like and should feel like. We do this at an age appropriate level. Some of our students will have part-time employment and they have a right to feel safe in the workplace and be able to report behaviour that makes them feel uncomfortable. It is a good idea to check in with your daughter that all is ok in their workplace and that they feel supported. Our College Counsellors and Pastoral Care Coordinators are available to discuss any concerns that you may have regarding the matters raised here.
We all have the right to feel safe, however, recent events have highlighted that many women do not feel safe in their own home, in the work place or walking down the street. This needs to change.
Kath McGuigan
Principal
Social