This month is devoted to the prevention of Domestic Violence.  Poor weather last Friday prevented many of our students participating in the annual ‘Walk Against DV’ march.  Domestic Violence is a scourge in our society.  If the stats are correct, many of our Shalom families have had some experience of DV.  Around 50% of all call outs of Bundaberg police are related to DV complaints – what an awful waste of resources.  Being the dad to a son and a daughter who have recently graduated from Shalom, I hope each of them learnt something about how to navigate this issue as they mature.  I hope that they both will live lives believing that every person they meet deserves to be respected – even if they don’t particularly like that person.  Respect must be unconditional.  Especially for my daughter, but not exclusively, I hope that she doesn’t ever accept poor behaviour from a man and to certainly never believe that she has the capacity to ‘change’ someone else.  For them both, I hope that they won’t let themselves or the person that they might love, hide behind an excuse like, ‘You made me mad’.  No one makes me mad – or sad, or glad or any other emotion.  My emotional reactions are my responsibility, not anyone else’s.  I will tell my daughter and my son to run for the hills if they ever hear excuses like that from a partner or friend.  I believe that Shalom is a really good school but the test of that will be in our graduates – who are young women and men are in two, five and twenty years after leaving the College.  I hope we’ve given them the skills to start a successful pathway in life but, more than that, I hope that they will be people of integrity and people who respect the people that they love.  I hope that they won’t hide behind excuses for the mistakes that they may make but will be able to own those mistakes and undertake to not make them again.  The prevention of domestic violence is in everyone’s best interest. Respect must be non-negotiable.

Don’t Miss this Week – Lauren Jackson on Thursday night and Tom Busby on Friday night at Shalom.  Tickets still available. Two amazing talents coming to Shalom.

Home Stay Required – we have senior student desperately requiring a home stay placement to enable them to continue studying at Shalom.  If any family has the capacity to assist, I would love to hear from you.

Mr Dan McMahon
Principal
Daniel_McMahon@rok.catholic.edu.au