4th March, 2014 Reflection Lord, as we begin this holy season of Lent, grant us a change of heart that we might turn away from sin and follow your Son’s Gospel. We ask you to fill us with a hunger for what is just. By your grace, may our lives become more deeply rooted in prayer, self-sacrifice and a willingness to share. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus said to the disciples, “Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Some thoughts for parents of teenagers
Parents and Friends news
A newsletter article from Andrew Neal (Principal, Bacchus Marsh Grammar) caught my eye last week, and I republish below with the author’s permission. It addresses the issues around parenting teenagers in today’s world. I have observed in schools and in sporting clubs that I am associated with a tendency for some parents to “micro- manage” their children’s lives which doesn’t help their kids in the long run. I endorse Andrew’s comments below for parents to reflect on.
At our Parents and Friends meeting last Wednesday, we decided to bring forward the starting time for meetings to 7pm. Also a request was made for parents to have an opportunity to inspect the new Trade Training Centre. As parents are aware I conducted a tour of the TTC last Saturday morning. Another opportunity will be on Wednesday March 26 at 6.30pm. Also current families are welcome to join our school tours which are of one hour duration - please book with Kerrie Ann Matthews (kmatthews@crcmelton.com.au). Dates: Monday March 16 at 9.15am and Wednesday March 26 at 2pm.
“We have a slight outbreak in the Junior Secondary area of over protective behavior from parents. From the age of 12/13 students really start to cease being children and need to start being considered as young adults. Part of that process is enabling students to become increasingly responsible for their actions or indeed lack of action. In the school setting we start to increase the expectations we have of students to be responsible for their organisation and learning and to also appreciate that in life there are consequences for our decisions or actions. Parents do their children no service by attempting to protect them from the consequences of inaction or not being organised. Equally they do not assist them by continuing to “micro-manage” their lives. Part of the education process is learning to deal with the fact that there is a consequence for forgetting your sports gear or that a teacher doing their job will hold you to account if you have not completed your homework. I would ask that parents rather than immediately jumping to protect their child from a consequence look at the issue more broadly and allow your child to understand that sometimes not doing things will have a consequence. I can guarantee that learning the lesson whilst younger in a relatively mild way will be a great deal easier than having to learn it later when facing the hard realities of adult life.” Andrew A. Neal, Principal, Bacchus Marsh Grammar Feb 19,2014”
Working Bee Thanks to all parents, students and staff who attended Saturday’s working bee. The school certainly looked much cleaner and in good shape when I walked through the school grounds on Monday morning. Special thanks to the Parents and Friends committee who prepared and cooked a fine lunch on Saturday. Mark Sheehan Principal