Year Level Masses

Due to Covid and associated delays, we had to postpone some of the year level Masses last term. This means that we have five year level Masses this term. All Masses are held with the parish community at St. Mary’s Church on Tuesday mornings at 9:00am. Students walk down from school at 8:45am and return in time for Period 2 classes. Parents and family are welcome to join us for Mass.

• Year 9 Mass – Tuesday, May 17 (week 5)
• Year 8 Mass – Tuesday, May 31 (week 7)
• Year 7 Mass – Tuesday, June 14 (week 9)

Visitation of Nursing Home Residents

On Friday, April 29^th 2022, Ms Noo Shepherd from the Churches of Christ Aged Care facility talked to our students at Assembly about serving the community through a visitation program. The connection formed between younger and older people, when they participate in such a program, is valuable to both groups. The simple act of sharing a cup of tea (or Milo) and sharing a few stories helps to reduce a sense of isolation and depression for the residents of aged care facilities. There are clear benefits for our students as well, as they learn new skills and grow in their understanding of both the challenges and joys of aging.

So far, we have had a quarter of the student population register their interest in being a part of the program. An amazing response! In the coming weeks we will be communicating with interested students and their parents around the logistics of this program. I will also be consulting with The Oaks and Akooramak to see if they are interested in being a part of the program.

“…by isolating the elderly and leaving them in the care of others without the closeness and concern of family members, we disfigure and impoverish the family itself. We also end up depriving young people of a necessary connection to their roots and a wisdom that the young cannot achieve on their own.”

Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship, 2020

Edmund Rice Day

With the launch of our new media campaign scheduled to occur at our annual Open Day the very next day, I thought it was very timely to reflect on the Rice charism and his focus on liberation. One of the core values of the Christian Brothers, one of two religious orders founded by Edmund Rice, is liberation. Rice believed that compassion for one another demanded action that liberates all. Looking through the L.E.N.S of Assumption College means that our curriculum is one that should liberate not only our students, but everyone with whom they come into contact. If they use their learning to contribute to the common good, then they are truly living the vision of Edmund Rice. This means that, as nice as it is to have a piece of cake for morning tea, we honour the gift of Edmund Rice every time we, as teachers, walk into the classroom, and our students honour him every time they push themselves to reach their learning goals. Essentially, it means that every day is Edmund Rice day.

ACW Thrift Store

This term, the St Vincent de Paul group has developed a new initiative. Inspired by our Faith and Social Justice Leader, Juliana Cruda, we are aiming to raise awareness of the impact of fast fashion on both the environment and people in developing countries. Our liturgical theme for the year is drawn from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si and focusses on how we should respond to both ‘the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.’ Advocating against fast fashion definitely fits with this theme.

So, how are we going to achieve this? We are running a clothing drive throughout the term. We are calling for students to donate any clothes they no longer need/wear which are still in good condition. At the end of the term, we will set up a ‘Thrift Shop’ for students to come in and purchase the donated clothes rather than purchasing fast fashion. All proceeds will be donated to charity.

We will also educate students around the issues of fast fashion by placing small video clips, reflections and activities in the morning notices throughout the term. Please, feel free to access these resources and activities through the Sentral App. There will be a new one each week.

Years 7 and 8 Retreat

On Wednesday, May 25^th 2022 our Years 7 and 8 students will have a retreat day here at the College. Year 7 students will spend half the day in a spiritual retreat and the other half with presenters from Unleashing Personal Potential exploring issues such as growth mindset, resilience and grit. While the Year 7s are with UPP, the Year 8s will have their spiritual retreat and then we will swap.

The two sessions, the UPP session and the spiritual retreat session, are carefully designed to be complementary. In the spiritual retreat, students will explore issues of identity by looking at how they are made in the image and likeness of God.

Prayer

A prayer of thanksgiving for the life of Edmund Rice.

O God, we thank you for the life of Blessed Edmund Rice.

He opened his heart to Christ present in those oppressed

by poverty and injustice.

May we follow his example of faith and generosity.

Grant us the courage and compassion of Blessed Edmund as

we seek to live lives of love and service.

We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Chaplain’s Corner

By Denise Ryan

On Wednesday May 4, 2022 students took part in the Peace Walk and Candle Lighting Ceremony that was organised by Warwick Safe Haven. The candle lighting ceremony takes place on the first Wednesday of May all over Queensland because May is Domestic and Family Violence Prevention month. We attended this service and joined in the Peace Walk from the Town Hall to the Uniting Church where the ceremony took place. There was a guest speaker who spoke about their journey and the event was well-attended by the community. A big thankyou to the students who represented our College so well.

After attending this event last Wednesday, it prompted me to think about an interesting thought process and how it can be used by anyone in any situation when things seem dark and gloomy.

“My situation is TEMPORARY, not permanent. I don’t have anyone to play with TODAY, but tomorrow might be different. I am having a tough time RIGHT NOW, but good times are just around the corner. What is happening now WON’T be happening forever.”

This is important when teaching and explaining to any young person about what is happening now does not need to be a permanent situation. We are given the choice everyday to make better choices than we did the day before. Every choice we make has a good or bad consequence; this means it is up to us to decide what outcome we want from whatever the situation is. 

On another note, thankyou to the volunteers who helped with the setup and pack up of the Open Day Stall. It was much appreciated and was awesome to see all the answers to the various questions that were a part of the Chappy’s Challenge.

“Love yourself. Enough to take the actions required for your happiness. Enough to cut yourself loose from the drama-filled past. Enough to set a high standard for relationships. Enough to feed your mind and body in a healthy manner. Enough to forgive yourself. Enough to move on.”

– Steve Maraboli