Principal's Reflection
I’m not sure why it is that I relate to the following cartoon so closely…
Other than that ‘household six year olds’ can be replaced by ‘itinerant adolescents’!!
That said, fatherhood is a wonderful gift and the role that fathers and father figures play in the life of children is profound. Sadly, we regularly see too many poor examples of masculinity in our society but, like most things, those are far outweighed by men doing their absolute but sometimes imperfect best, to be the best men and the best fathers that they can be. Every dad wants to be a better dad for their child than their dad was to them. And for many, that it is a high bar. One of the best pieces of news I heard last week was that there may be a new series of ‘Ted Lasso’ in the works. I can’t wait. I love the wisdom and wit of that show. One of the better episodes that reflected on the place and impact of dads was in Series 2, Episode 8 when the very loveable Higgins commented, “Well, I try to love for father for who he is and forgive him for who he isn’t”. I can only hope and pray that my children will always be able to say the same of me. Happy Fathers’ Day to all of our Dads, Grandads and Father figures.
School Fees 2025 – you will receive from me today a letter outlining the fee structure that has been developed by the Diocese for Shalom for next year. Across the 38 schools of the Rockhampton Diocese, there has been a huge amount of work done to bring each of our schools into line with the funding regime set by the Federal Government. 80% of our funding comes from Canberra and the Government is attempting to make funding to independent and Catholic schools more equitable and transparent. This will mean a lot of change and some increases are inevitable. Shalom needs parents to pay fees to keep this College going each week. We will always do what we are able to support families in financial hardship. I so appreciate all of those families who meet their fee commitment and get fees in on time and finalized each year.
Dance Night was fantastic on both Friday and Saturday nights. Congratulations to all of our participants and the staff who gave them such a wonderful lead. Another sensational highlight of the year for the College.
The Right to Disconnect legislation was passed in Parliament recently. Staff at Shalom, in my experience, are usually very good at responding to parent queries by phone or email. Good communication between school and home is crucial for achieving great outcomes for our young people. I would ask parents to be mindful of teachers’ time out of school hours and on weekends. They will do their best to get back to you in a timely manner.
