I hope you are all well and keeping safe. Unless you are an essential worker, you will be working at home with children and family members all trying to conduct their business around the household. I imagine your workday will be peppered with some time reading work on your daughter’s Canvas page, helping smaller ones with their craft, maths or literacy and then your own work, which doesn’t get done until you return to it. We have shared with staff, over the weeks, several amusing prayers and images of parents at home in lockdown and students managing remote learning. It is so important to keep buoyant and try to see the humour in our days, as we manage this situation that we are all currently in. I hope every now and then you can stop, breathe and affirm yourself for the fabulous job you are doing in these difficult times.

I recently listened to a presentation where the presenter spoke about the need for schools to build good learners and students who are generous, mindful, intellectual, empathetic, compassionate, and humble. The presenter spoke of students with epistemic character. A person of epistemic character is not afraid to face complexities and challenges of their times. They don’t profess to have all the answers or to be the expert, but they believe they have some of the knowledge and there is always more to consider, as new evidence and information comes to light.

In a time of a pandemic, we need people who are agile in their thinking and not afraid of challenging and addressing the difficult issues. Every generation will have its challenges and in dealing with each one of these challenges, we need people who have depth and ability to process the information and make decisions that are formed, with a commitment to the benefit of the greater good. It is often the easy path to look after ourselves and our own needs, but not so easy if we consider what is best for the greater community or population. We are people living in community and as we respect, nurture and care for that community, we all gain and benefit from this. Over the following two weeks, I encourage you to reach out to others in the community. To show you care or that you are there for them. Lets make our way through this situation without more causalities than we need, but with stronger links and connections than before.

I will leave you with the following COVID Poem written by Laura Kelley Fanucci from Jesuit resources.

Blessings

Sue Lennox - Principal

Covid Poem

When this is over,
may we never again
take for granted
A handshake with a stranger
Full shelves at the store
Conversations with neighbours
A crowded theatre
Friday night out
The taste of communion
A routine checkup
The school rush each morning
Coffee with a friend
The stadium roaring
Each deep breath
A boring Tuesday
Life itself.

When this ends,
may we find
that we have become
more like the people
we wanted to be
we were called to be
we hoped to be
and may we stay
that way--better
for each other
because of the worst.

- Laura Kelley Fanucci