News

Lent - The Strength of the Word of God
In the Mount Gambier Catholic Parish Bulletin, Fr Dean continues to share with us the words of Pope Francis as he encourages us on our Lenten Journey to Easter. At the Angelus in St Peter’s Square on 5 March Pope Francis said:

“During the 40 days of Lent, as Christians we are invited to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and face the spiritual battle with the Evil One with the strength of the Word of God... For this reason, it is important to be familiar with the Bible: read it often, meditate on it, assimilate it. The Bible contains the Word of God, which is always timely and effective. Someone has asked: what would happen if we treated the Bible as we treat our mobile phone? Were we to always carry it with us, or at least a small, pocket-sized Gospel, what would happen? Were we to turn back when we forget it: you forgot your mobile phone - “Oh, I don’t have it, I’m going back to look for it”; were we to open it several times a day; were we to read God’s message contained in the Bible as we read telephone messages, what would happen?

... It calls for reflection. Indeed, if we had God’s Word always in our heart, no temptation could separate us from God, and no obstacle could divert us from the path of good; we would know how to defeat the daily temptations of the evil that is within us and outside us; we would be more capable of living a life renewed according to the Sprit, welcoming and loving our brothers and sisters, especially the weakest and neediest, and also our enemies.”

That is great food for thought as I navigate the challenges of being present to the world in which I live, while also engaging with and benefitting from the advances of technology and social media. I guess Lent is an ideal time to deepen that reflection and find meaning for myself and others, in a way that enhances life and community.

24 Hours for the Lord – Friday 24 and Saturday 25 March
We look forward to again being involved in this worldwide initiative called for by Pope Francis to invite all people to receive the mercy of God through Eucharistic Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is intended to be a time of reflection and prayer, an opportunity to speak with a priest, and a chance to rediscover or perhaps discover for the first time the great mercy at the heart of the Catholic Faith.

In Mount Gambier the 24 hours will begin with 9:00am mass on Friday 24 March and conclude with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 9:00am on Saturday 25 March, followed by mass at 9:15am. It will be held at St Paul’s Church.

A range of year levels and classes will participate and with my own languages teacher bias, I am delighted that a group of senior Italian students will be praying in Italian between 10:45am and 11:45am.

The 24 hours will also include a 4:00pm – 5:00pm session for Tenison Woods College staff prayer.

The Youth Hour will be 9:00pm - 10:00pm, and will be complemented by live music during the hour. There will also be a dinner beforehand at Belgiorno’s at 7:30pm. Students are asked to let Chloe Shanahan know they would like to attend dinner.

Reflecting on our identity as Catholic School – Over a Coffee!
Following on from last week’s information in relation to this significant initiative for our College community, I inform you that this week you will receive an email with the information required to complete the Catholic Identity survey.

The survey will take parents 45-60 minutes to complete, and those parents who are able to complete the survey are also invited to present the survey completion slip at the Sugarloaf Café to receive a free hot drink and a muffin. 

The aim of the project is to help us better understand how our Catholic identity is expressed within our school community and to develop strategies for moving forward in this critical area of school life. Further information about this project is available from Michelle Coote at cootm@tenison.catholic.edu.au or myself, and please feel free to make contact with us if you have any questions in relation to this project.

Parent Representatives R - 7 Meetings
I was very pleased that our parent representatives for our R - 7 classes took the opportunity to meet on Monday to discuss how they could support staff in building community. Several interesting ideas were discussed and I look with anticipation to the efforts of these committed community members.               

Taste of Harmony Dinner – Thursday 23 March - 6:00pm in PRC Common Room
Join us for an evening of food, fun and a celebration of diversity. What better way to celebrate diversity and the harmonious country that is Australia, than through a smorgasbord of culinary delights from the countries of our global family. 

Bring a plate of food to share … from your own culture … from a place you would like to visit … or have visited … something your grandma used to make …no rules just come along and join the festivities. Thursday 23 March from 6:00pm.  All welcome!

Earth Hour – A Tenison Woods College Commitment
I applaud our students Year 11 students, Ethan Angus, Daniel Oldaker and Josh Adams, for their commitment to Earth Hour. Tenison Woods College is planning to take part in Earth Hour on Friday 24 March. The initiative has been organised by the students who are hoping to reduce power usage and raise awareness for climate change.

Parents stepping up – Wellbeing and Resilience

If you are hearing parents talk about PERMA +, ETR, Active Constructive Responding, and What’s Most Important, I imagine they are referring to and practicing the skills learnt in the Wellbeing and Resilience Course offered by our community Tuesday evenings.

This free parent ResilienceWerks course is offered as a result of our partnership with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and our aspiration to implement the PERMA+ model across our College community.

Watch this space for further courses as the year unfolds. 

Board Annual General Meeting
I remind parents and caregivers of the Annual General Meeting of the Tenison Woods College Board, which will be held tonight, Wednesday 22 March at 7.00pm in the Pam Ronan Centre. Come and hear about exciting initiatives in the college and our plans for the future.

Parish Planned Giving Rebate

I remind families that parents contributing to the St Paul’s Planned Giving may claim a rebate from Tuition Fees of 50% of their contribution up to a maximum claim of $750. Official Parish receipts are to be presented to the Business Manager after the 30 June 2017 for a deduction to be made.

God Bless,

David Mezinec | Principal

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