Filter Content
Dear Parents,
I hope all the dads had a wonderful day on Sunday and for those of us whose fathers are no longer with us, time to reflect on cherished memories.
Yesterday Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria, provided the broad outlines of Victoria’s roadmap for reopening with new information on the potential staged return to onsite learning later this year.
The CECV is continuing to work with the Department of Education and Training on the specific details of the roadmap. I will provide those details later in the week or as soon as practicable.
As per the Premier’s announcement, there will be no changes to the current remote and flexible learning arrangements for the remainder of Term 3.
Thank you for your ongoing support of all of our students and staff.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Parent teacher interviews have now been booked online, for next Wednesday and Thursday. You will receive an email with a link to the google meet this week.
The capacity to report specifically on student learning during a long period of remote learning will be limited. For this reason all conferences will be limited to 10 minutes and will focus on three points for discussion.
- What have you learnt about your child’s learning during this time?
- Teacher to provide feedback on academic progress, based on work handed in during remote learning and on assessments at the end of Term 2.
- Goals for Term 4.
It is important that the interview time is not used to discuss the specific difficulties or challenges that arose during remote learning. Rather, this is a time to reflect on what you know about your child’s learning, receive feedback and set goals. Please come to the google meet prepared to discuss these points (bring notes) which will provide opportunities for your child’s learning into the future.
Google Meets
This is the last week for Term 3 that teachers will be holding google meets with their class. Due to the nature of the activities planned for next week, families can look forward to a lighter workload as we come to the end of the Term.
Coming up Next Week:
- Monday 14 September End of Term Assembly at 9am - a link will be emailed just before 9am.
- Tuesday - normal day but no google meets
- Wednesday and Thursday Online Parent Teacher Interviews Prep - 2 on 16 September, and Yr 3 - 6 on 17 September.
- Wednesday 16 September, will be our usual Specialist Day.
- Thursday 17 September we will be celebrating Grandparents/ Special People Day. A Liturgy and activities will be shared with all families in place of the regular classroom activities to be completed on this day.
- Friday 18 September will be a Pupil Free Day with OSH Club available for any families who require care. All staff will be working off site on this day.
A new Arrival
Congratulations to Katie Lachal and her husband Kirk on the safe arrival of the beautiful Freddie born on 15 July, 2020. Katie has taken to motherhood with style and is loving being a mum!
On Thursday 17th September you are invited to be part of Grandparents and Special Friends Day.
With all that has happened this year sadly we have not been able to come together as a Community and celebrate the gifts of Grandparents.
We ask you to arrange a time on Thursday 17th September where your children can be in contact with their Grandparents/Special Friends or Carers to pray together.
The liturgy link will be sent out to you by email, next Thursday, 17 September, by 9am. You will be able to forward this to your Grandparents or you can arrange a google meet/Zoom/phone call or Facetime.
What we hope is that on this day you can spend some special time with people you love and celebrate each other.
The gift of life is something we don't take for granted and this year has shown us how important keeping in touch is with those we love.
Edward Dooley
Federated Schools Mission and Faith Leader
St Paul's Wellbeing Leader
Yr 4 Digital Technologies Activity
Please click on the link to see what great work the Yr 4s did in week 8.
AWARENESS IS THE KEY TO LIFE
What an amazing Term 3. Who would have ever thought we would be in a situation where we experienced curfews, lockdown, compulsory wearing of masks and remote learning. Some have said that this is a sign from the world saying that we need to take better care of the world we live in.
I am not sure about you but I have experienced a different sort of tiredness this term. From one weekend to weekend and one day to another day I try, or perhaps attempt, to get my one hour of exercise in so that I don’t give in to the feeling of apathy.
Whatever situation we find ourselves in we always have the opportunity of deepening our sense of God.
The key not only to the spiritual life but to life is AWARENESS. Am I aware of what is going on inside of me and around me? When we become aware it gives us the ability to know. And when we know we are able to make better decisions.
Awareness is the key to life.
Edward Dooley (Mission and Faith Leader)
Awareness, awareness, awareness (Sr Joan Chittister)
One day, a traveller begged the Teacher for a word of wisdom that would guide the rest of the journey.
The Teacher nodded affably and, though it was the Day of Silence, took a sheet of paper and wrote on it a single word, “Awareness.”
“Awareness?” the traveller said, perplexed. “That’s far too brief. Couldn’t you expand on that a bit?”
So the Teacher took the paper back and wrote, “Awareness, awareness, awareness.”
“But what do these words mean?” the traveller insisted.
Finally the Teacher reached for the paper and wrote, clearly and firmly, “Awareness, awareness, awareness means… Awareness!”
Awareness of the sacred in life is what holds our world together and the lack of awareness and sacred care is what is tearing it apart. We’re a people who lack awareness. We’re a world that has lost a sense of balance. We’re a people for whom wholeness is a frayed and sorry notion. It’s so hard to think that the herbicides I use in my garden contribute to the poisoning of the planet. Or that the emission from our car is one emission too many for our neighbourhood. Or that things, things, things are crowding out our senses and our souls.
In the face of all of that, Benedictine spirituality does not ask the monastic to be a pauper or a stranger in the land. Monastics, the Rule declares, are to be given “the proper amount of food” (RB 39), “the proper amount of drink” (RB 40), “the clothing of the region, whatever they need” (RB 55). No, destitution is not of the essence of Benedictine spirituality. Benedictine spirituality asks simply for harmony, awareness, and balance. Benedictine spirituality asks us to spend our time well and to be careful that our wants are not confused with our needs and to treat the world and everything in it as sacred. Benedictine spirituality asks us to recognize our connectedness. Benedictine spirituality calls us to be mindful.
Benedictine spirituality asks us to be mindful about things. Monastics must learn to use what they are and what they have for the good of the human race. Each of us has been given something to keep well: a garden, a room, an apartment, our bodies. That much, surely, we could take care of mindfully.
Monastic mindfulness recognizes that small actions are global in their scope and meaning. People who would not litter in a church will litter on the highway because they see no connection between the two. A monastic mentality, on the other hand, considers the two actions the same.
To live a life of Benedictine awareness means we must come to see what we cannot. To the monastic mind, everything speaks of God. What I have and what I do not have. What I want and what I do not want. What I care for and what I do not care for. But the message is not easily extracted. It takes reflection and prayer and the wisdom of others. Life takes working through.
