News

Care for Creation
In June 2015, Pope Francis wrote a letter to the world about caring for the earth, our common home. It was called Laudato Si. Later that year, he declared 1 September to be a World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. This annual day of prayer reminds us that God has entrusted creation to our care.

Pope Francis wrote in Laudato Si that we as Christians are called to contribute to resolving the ecological crisis which humanity is presently experiencing. “The ecological crisis thus summons us to a profound spiritual conversion: Christians are called to “an ecological conversion whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them” (Laudato Si, 217). For “living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (ibid.).

I am delighted that our College community is committing itself with increased intensity to a systemic and planned approach to caring for creation. Such approach is complementing the effort of individual students, staff and parents who are dedicated to ecological sustainability.

God of All Creation,

may your Spirit change our minds and hearts

so that we learn how to care for the land,

the seas that surround us and the skies that overarch us,

and how to wisely use their natural gifts.

Amen.
 

Parent Education Week
We look forward to supporting Parents during Education Week by facilitating parent online participation in the sessions conducted. We will gather in the Tension Woods College Staffroom to view the sessions together, accompanied by refreshments. The sessions will be conducted from 7:00pm to 8:45pm and boast highly regarded speakers.

Session 1 - Tuesday 19 September                                         

• Minister Susan Close, Dr Kristin Alford, Niki Buchan, Jodie Benveniste
• An evening with Minister Susan Close and guests
• The 21st Century child

Session 2 - Wednesday 20 September

• Professor Lea Waters
• Unlocking your child’s potential and learning through strength-based parenting

Session 3 - Thursday 21 September   

• Dr Justin Coulson
• 9 Ways to a Resilient Child
• Learn how to build a strong connection with your child

Interested community members are asked to register intertest with Mary de Nys (denym@tenison.catholic.edu.au) to assist with catering.

Plebiscite on Marriage
I invite community members to consider Archbishop Philip’s letter on the marriage plebiscite, offering also a reflection on the understanding of the Catholic Church. The Archbishop’s letter is available on the Adelaide Archdiocesan website www.adelaide.catholic.org.au  with links to other resources.

Other sites which explain the significance of marriage as one of the seven Catholic Sacraments of the church and answers to questions some people may have in relation to same sex marriage can be found here: https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/

I encourage our community members to consider the above resources to assist with their reflections on this issue.

Staff Formation Day – 8 September
Our Staff Formation Day will be held in Mount Gambier on Friday 8 September 2017. The focus of the day will be to spend some time immersed in the story of Catholic education in Mount Gambier, a place imbued with the charisms of Josephite, Mercy and Marist charisms as well as the passion of committed Catholic educators.

The day will provide us with the opportunity to learn more about the history and the contemporary connections of the story to the work we do. It is anticipated that the day will help us appreciate upon whose shoulders we stand and as a result the nature of our call to service for our community. 

God Bless,

David Mezinec | Principal

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