Dear St John the Apostle families,

In my house at the moment three of my four teenage/young adult children are rostered on to cook for the family once a week. My wife and I are rostered on as well. When you are rostered on you get to choose the meal. You have to be aware of both the needs of others and what we have in the cupboards and fridge. You have to also go to the shop to get any ingredients needed (I still pay for these). At this point in our lives its a system that works really well for everybody. 

Last week one of my children suggested we get take away Indian food from our favourite Indian restaurant. I liked that idea a lot and I could also tell that while it was a great idea, the onus was on me, on a tired Friday night, to decide the menu, place the order and go and pick it up. I also knew that we had left overs in the fridge if we didn't want to cook. So I suggested there were plenty of left overs, but, it they wanted it, then they could go online, choose the menu, place the order and go and pick it up (they can drive). The result? About 2 minutes into looking online they decided to go with the leftovers. 

I was reminded in this moment that it can be hard sometimes to hold our own children accountable for their needs, wants, choices and actions. Perhaps we find it difficult to watch them be upset or experience difficulty. It upsets us, so we do what we can to alleviate their discomfort or remove challenges. Perhaps we feel that their discomfort or choices might reflect on us as a parent ( believing that 'A 'good' parent wouldn't put their child in an uncomfortable position'). We judge ourselves for their discomfort.

In that simple scenario my child and I both grew a little more. Though I knew my child would be disappointed if we didn't have take away, I reminded them that they are responsible for their choices. If they want something, they have to be the person who does the work to achieve it. Every day, even as a parent of young adults, I have to remind myself that my job is to make myself redundant. At some point in their life they will have to stand on their own two feet, without me. They not only need the practical skills, they need confidence, consideration for others, self-belief and resilience in the face of risks or failure. Every day I am challenged to show love by empowering them to own their own lives.

Annual Survey

Thank you to all the parents who completed our Annual Survey over the last fortnight. It has now closed for the year. We had a large number of families complete the survey, which will provide a good cross section of feedback, opinion and thoughts for us to consider when planning for 2021. Students in Year 3-6 also completed a student survey and staff have completed their own also. All of this information assists with forward planning.

While it has been very wet, we are also very thankful for the rain at the moment. It is good for our local farmers.

I hope you have a restful weekend and there's an opportunity to get out and about a little more. together.

Matthew Garton, Principal

ACT Election - Saturday 17 October

There are 7 weeks until the ACT Election and I am sure you are seeing candidates from all parties at shopping centres (or even receiving phone calls from them). I encourage you to approach candidates at the shopping centres and mention or discuss the value of ACT Catholic Schools and quiz them on their party’s support for ACT Catholic Schools. 

In the ACT, there are 29 systemic Catholic Schools who educate 15,000 students. In Canberra, Catholic schools are very similar to public schools, with our schools having almost exactly the same average ICSEA score (1077-1076). Our schools are inclusive, support families from all backgrounds, and operate on a modest budget.

Did you know that when you compare the total funding that Catholic schools in each state/territory receive, the ACT are the second lowest funded Catholic schools in the country? This is particularly impacted by the ACT Government’s low funding of Catholic schools.

Have a chat to the candidates and mention that you are a parent in an ACT Catholic School and funding of Catholic Schools is an important issue for you.