Community News – 7 March 2019

Parent Focus Group

Last year we launched our Parent Focus Group at St Francis Xavier College. We are looking for additional members to join the group.

It is our desire that, through the deepening of the culture of positive learning partnerships informed by positive psychology, student achievement will be enhanced. We invite parents to work together with staff to assist students to have a productive, fruitful and enjoyable experience at St Francis Xavier College.

The Parent Focus Group offers an opportunity for parents to gather and share a parent perspective regarding school matters such as Catholic Identity, wellbeing, pathways and connectedness to the College.

The group will work to:

• Assist families to understand the College’s vision, mission and curriculum objectives;
• Assist students to succeed at school;
• Ensure students develop skills to operate efficiently in our constantly changing society;
• Enhance the health and wellbeing of students.

We know that home/school partnerships provide the opportunity to develop a shared understanding of learning and the needs of adolescents. It is our intention to help parents support their children during their secondary schooling knowing that one of the most influential factors in creating success for students is you.

Parents appointed to the Parent Focus Groups would be expected to;

• Support the Catholic ethos of St Francis Xavier College;
• Listen the opinions of others with respect, courtesy and fairness;
• Be willing to engage in positive relationships;
• Have the capacity to work as a team;
• Commit to attend scheduled meetings;
• Advocate for the College.

We look forward to working collaboratively with you so that all students can reach their full potential.

SIS Performing Arts

We have students across all year levels participating in the SIS Big Night. 

Relay for Life

Congratulations to all staff who represented St Francis Xavier College during the Relay for Life last weekend. In very hot weather conditions the team participated enthusiastically and raised approximately $2,500 for cancer research. Thank you to Mrs Anne Marie Davine for coordinating the team.

Wellbeing Tips

RESILIENCE

by Michael Grose

Recently, I saw a mother give a simple, yet profound resilience lesson to her school-aged child, after he missed a much-anticipated excursion due to poor behaviour at school. Replying to the child’s protests about teacher unfairness and his over-reaction to missing out on a learning opportunity his mum simply replied, “Oh well!” Then she busied herself with other tasks. The child stunned by her reaction, shrugged and headed off to complete his homework.

Adult reactions matter

It’s in our reactions to children’s and young people’s every day mistakes, mess-ups, muck-ups and hurts where the real lessons in resilience lay.

The lessons for this child were simple but profound. “Oh well” meant:

• Stuff happens
• Don’t look for fault or blame
• Keep your perspective
• Pick yourself off and continue with what you were doing

How to react

The resilience lesson for this mother were equally as profound. When a minor mishap with a child or teenager occurs:

• Match your response to the incident
• Stay calm and be positive
• Don’t look for fault or blame
• Remember, stuff happens

Resilience lesson for parents – “Oh well”

Every day there are opportunities for parents to give their children lessons in resilience.

A child misses being picked for a team that he had his heart set on joining. “Oh well. Let’s see how you go next time”

When a boy experiences rejection in the playground at school. “Oh well. You’ll find that some people don’t want to be your friend.”

When a teenage girl doesn’t get the mark she thinks she deserves in an assignment. “Oh well. Sometimes we don’t get the marks we think we deserve.”

Match your response to the challenge to promote resilience

There are times when “Oh well” won’t cut it. When a child is bullied he needs your continued support.

When a student’s continuous efforts at improvement are constantly met with criticism then you may need to act on his behalf and meet with a teacher.

When a child always struggles to make the grade and is never picked for a team then you may need to help him make different choices.

These types of situations also present opportunities for daily lessons in resilience, but they require more parental support and teaching.

The resilience lessons learned are deeper and include concepts such as ‘things will eventually go your way,’ ‘there are times when you need to seek help’ and ‘this too shall pass.’

Promoting personal resilience focuses on helping kids cope with life’s hurts, disappointments and challenges in the present, while building strengths for the future.

Daily lessons in resilience are everywhere. You just need to be ready to make the most of these valuable lessons when they come your way.

Michael Grose