st clare’s high schooltareesc.catholic.edu.au/media/1197/st-clares-high-school-newsletter-7... ·...
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St Clare’s High School Davis Street, Taree 2430
Telephone (02) 6552 3300
Fax (02) 6552 3656
NEWSLETTER 7/2016 11 MARCH 2016
Dear Parents and Friends of St Clare’s
Catholic Schools Week gives us the opportunity to reflect upon the great work Catholic Schools
and educators at Catholic Schools do as they prepare our young people to be happy, active and
useful citizens.
As part of Catholic Schools Week I have visited our Catholic Primary schools in Taree, Forster,
Wingham and Bulahdelah. I will visit St Joseph’s, Gloucester next week. The aim of the visits
is to continue the development of a collaborative approach to education between St Clare’s and
local Catholic Primary Schools staff and to
encourage students and parents to continue
their education at our Catholic Secondary
school.
It is a wonderful experience to sit with
students, parents and staff and hear them
talk with pride about their primary school
and the importance they place on
achieving a quality education. Many of
the young people with whom I have
spoken are looking forward to joining the
St Clare’s community in 2017.
Students playing chess at St Joseph’s, Bulahdelah
The annual St Clare’s Open Afternoon will be held on Monday, 21 March from 4 pm to 5:30 pm.
The Open Afternoon is designed to help people gain a clear understanding of the excellent
facilities and great learning and teaching that St Clare’s has to offer the local community.
Following a short presentation in the School Hall at 4 pm, students and parents will be able to
talk with staff and enjoy a student led guided tour of the school
The Open Day signals the start of the enrolment process for Year 7 2017 at St Clare’s. Enrolment
packages can be collected from your local Catholic School or from the St Clare’s office.
The Parents and Friends held their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 11 March. This
dedicated group works hard to represent the parent body in the decision making process at the
school and provides wise council on matters that concern our community.
I am delighted to announce that the office bearers for the Parents & Friends Association for 2016
are:
President: Jackie Burley
Vice President: Lawrence Lee
Secretary: Linda Page
Treasurer: Michelle Jones
Federation Rep of P & F: Lawrence Lee
ST CLARE’S HIGH SCHOOL
TAREE
ENROLMENTS FOR YEAR 7 2017
OPEN AFTERNOON AT OUR SCHOOL
MONDAY 21 MARCH 2016 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Presentation in the School Hall
at 4:00 pm followed by the opportunity to
visit our classrooms – talk with staff
Further details call the school office on
6552 3300
Continued research into a suitable sun smart hat to be worn as an alternative to the school cap
has thrown up a number of options. Following discussion amongst students, staff and the Parents
& Friends Association a preferred option has been identified. Thanks to Year 11 students,
Willow Mackay and Jacob Parker, for modelling the bucket hat. The hat is adjustable, won’t
show the dirt, can be carried in a pocket
very easily and will not be costly. At
present the plan would be to make the
wearing of either a school cap or school
bucket hat mandatory during PE and
Sport classes. I invite feedback on the
bucket hat to either myself or the P & F
whose next meeting is shown below.
Willow Mackay Jacob Parker
Last year you may have been lucky enough to see the African Children’s
Choir perform with our St Clare’s and St Joseph’s combined choirs.
This year we have been chosen as a tour stop for Ubuntu “The African
Children Choir Graduates”. They will be staying in Taree from the 26th to
the 29th of May and we are hoping to provide host families for them during
their stay.
One of the main criteria is that you are able to house a minimum of 2 billets. They are happy to
share a bedroom so you will need one spare bedroom
If you are interested in being a billet, please contact the office to register your interest. There
will be a meeting for interested families on the 31st of March at 6pm, otherwise please contact
Mel Hunt at St Joseph’s Taree on 65577031.
God Bless
Principal
PRAYERS: Please pray for those who are currently experiencing health difficulties and continue
to pray for community members experiencing challenges, pain, sickness and grief in their lives
at this time.
P & F – NEXT MEETING, WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY 2016
6 PM SCHOOL LIBRARY
CHAPLAINCY/PASTORAL CARE: A reminder to all that the school has a Chaplain. Please
feel free to contact our Chaplain, Deacon Vince Ryan, through the school office if he can be of
assistance to you or any member of our whole school community.
PRAYER POINT: 5th Sunday of Lent - 13 March John 11: 1-45 The raising of Lazarus
When Jesus calls his friend Lazarus (who has been dead for four days) out of his tomb it touches
a longing in my heart to hear Jesus call out to me.
Jesus loved Lazarus. He called him from his tomb: “Lazarus, here! Come out!” And out walks
Lazarus still wound up in his burial sheet: “Unbind him, let him go free.”
Let us pray that this Lent will unbind us and let us go free.
Have a good week
Denise Ryan, Ministry Coordinator
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK: On Tuesday the 8th of March, Deacon Vince transported four
of our Year 11 house leaders (Ruby Jones, Hannah Lewis, Willow Mackay and Sarah Ward)
to Newcastle to participate in the celebration of Catholic Schools Week for 2016. The celebration
consisted of a Mass celebrated by Bishop Bill and members of the diocesan clergy, staff and
student leaders from various Catholic primary and secondary schools. The theme of Catholic
Schools Week is: ‘I belong, You belong, We
belong’. Mass was then followed by a light
lunch and group activities with Bishop Bill
and members of the Catholic Schools Council,
where secondary school leaders were invited
to express their views on the positive values
and challenges of attending a Catholic school.
Overall, we really valued the day and were
grateful for the opportunity to represent the
school. Ruby Jones and Hannah Lewis,
Year 11
CONGRATULATIONS TO ELIJAH
DOHERTY: On Saturday night, 5 March,
and on Tuesday at the Catholic Schools Week
Mass, Elijah Doherty, Year 9, was awarded the
Bishop William Wright Award for students
who are involved in the life of their Parish
(Taree-Wingham). Congratulations! Elijah
has been an Altar Server for many years. He
enjoys being an active member of his parish
and finds being up on the altar a very peaceful hour in his busy week. He has enjoyed, over the
years, the chances he has had to spend time with the priests of the Parish, Fr George in particular.
St Clare’s is very proud of the witness Elijah gives to the school and the parish community and
is very glad the award has gone to a very worthy recipient. Well done, Elijah Doherty.
Denise Ryan, Ministry Coordinator
Ruby Jones, Sarah Ward, Elijah Doherty, Hannah Lewis
and Willow Mackay
Mass Times
Our Lady of the Rosary,
Taree 75 Albert St, Taree
Saturday Vigil: 6:00 pm
Sunday Mass: 9:30 am
Our Lady of Perpetual
Help, Wingham
8 Farquhar Street, Wingham
Sunday: 8:30am
St Bernadette’s, Krambach Bucketts Way, Krambach
Saturday: 6:30 pm
Sunday: 9 am
(Mass is celebrated on
alternate weekends – please
speak to Deacon Vince or
Mrs Denise Ryan at school
for information on which
weekend mass will be
celebrated)
Our Lady Star of the Sea,
Harrington Pilot St, Harrington
Saturday Vigil: 6:00 pm
(1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays in
each month)
Saturday Liturgy of the Word
and Communion: 6:00 pm
(2nd and 4th Saturdays of
each month)
St Therese's, Lansdowne Cundle Rd, Lansdowne
Saturday Vigil: 6:00 pm
(2nd and 4th Saturdays of
each month)
Our Lady of Fatima, Old
Bar 20 Hall St, Old Bar, Sunday
Mass: 7:30 am
St Patrick's, Cundletown River St, Cundletown
Sunday Mass: 6:00 pm
Forster-Tuncurry Catholic
Parish
Holy Name of Jesus Parish
Church, Forster 33 Lake Street, Forster
Sunday Mass: 9:00 am
St Mary, Star of the Sea
Church, Tuncurry 15 Peel Street, Tuncurry
Saturday Vigil: 6:00 pm
Sunday Mass: 7:00 am
CAREERS CORNER: The NSW regional universities (Charles Sturt, Southern Cross and New
England Universities) conducted a Roadshow at Chatham High School in February. All students
in Years 11 and 12 from St Clare’s attended. These universities have sent a list of important
dates for 2016 Year 12 students this week. Although this list is issued through these three
universities, the dates apply for all universities.
As shown on the timeline below, students may, in late May/early June, apply to sit the UMAT
(Undergraduate Medicine & Health Sciences Admission Test). UMAT is developed by the
Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the UMAT Consortium
universities. The test is used specifically to assist with the selection of students into the medicine,
dentistry and health science degree programs at undergraduate level (i.e. students who have not
completed a university degree) at the universities listed on this website. Last week’s Careers
Corner article mentioned that ACER has recently developed a similar test for entry into the NSW
Police Force effective immediately.
UMAT scores can be used for admission to any of the UMAT Consortium universities ONLY in
the year following the test. For example, results from UMAT2016 can be used for undergraduate
medicine or health science courses beginning in 2017 but NOT 2018. Do not register for
UMAT2016 unless you are planning to apply for a course commencing in 2017 AND you meet
the eligibility criteria specified in the UMAT2016 Information Booklet.
The Careers Corner article may appear to focus on university entries but the reality is that most
St Clare’s Year 12 consider university courses as a possibility. From the Class of 2015, 62% of
students went directly to university with others planning to attend in the next year or two.
Information regarding entry into the workforce, TAFE or attendance at other tertiary providers
will be mentioned as this becomes available and relevant.
One non-uni possibility involves the ADF Gap Year…
Australian Defence Forces 2017 Gap Year applications are now open!
Students can now apply to experience their Gap Year in the Navy, Army or Air Force.
The ADF Gap Year program is an excellent way for students to experience military life and to
gain a greater understanding of what's involved. On completion, they can continue serving in the
Navy, Army or Air Force, or offer the skills and experience they've acquired to an alternative
career path.
In 2017, there are 11 roles to choose from ranging from admin to artillery, and flight crew to
logistics. Places are strictly limited and will only be open for a limited time.
Things to know:
Details of all the Gap Year roles are available at defencejobs.gov.au/gapyear
Employment commences early 2017
Applicants must have completed Year 12 and be aged between 18 and 24 as of 1 April 2017
(Navy), 31 May 2017 (Army), or 7 April 2017 (Air Force).
In one action-packed year they will:
Gain valuable skills and work experience,
Enjoy a good salary package plus free healthcare,
Live a varied, active and healthy lifestyle,
Make friends with like-minded people.
Year 10/11 students are reminded that requests for targeted work experience (for those
students planning to leave school during/at the end of this year) should be sent to the Career’s
Adviser, Ian Evans. Years 11/12 students are reminded that requests for work placement
associated with VET/TVET Courses, should be made through their teacher then forwarded to the
VET Coordinator, Karen McCann, and the relevant Year Coordinator – Karen McCann (Year
11) and Bronwen Wesley (Year 12). Ian Evans, Careers Adviser
MOBILE PHONES: A short message regarding Mobile phones and their use
at school. At a full school assembly on Tuesday this week I reminded all
students about the expectations regarding the use of mobile phones at school,
this included:
1. Phones should be switched off at all times while at school.
2. Students that need to go to sick bay will need to hand their phone into the
office staff. (new)
3. If a student needs to make a phone call or check their phone for important messages they can
see one of the Year Coordinators or myself and request permission.
4. Teachers may give students permission in class to use their phones for educational purposes,
especially in Years 8 and 9 who do not have computers.
5. Students found using a phone without permission will be asked to hand the phone into the
office, and collect the phone at the end of the day: 3:25 pm.
6. Students not following a teacher’s instruction regarding use will receive an automatic Medium
zone. Continual breaches will entail the student being required to submit the phone to the
office every morning and may lead to the school requesting the student not to bring their phone
to school at all.
We understand that students having access to a mobile phone is essential for a number of families,
especially in a regional centre, and we are fully aware that they can be very useful learning tools
when used correctly.
It is important that all families support the school in this matter of phone use, and request all
parents and guardians to contact the school if they need to pass a message on or speak to their
child. On the flip side if your child does contact you on their phone, ask them the question, ‘Do
you have permission to use your phone?’
Please be assured that if a child is sick/injured and needs to be picked up a staff member will
contact you. Mr Gibney, Assistant Principal
DISABILITY PROVISIONS FOR EXAMS: (Formerly known as “Special Provisions”)
I would like to advise that if your child has a learning difficulty or disability that may, in a
normal examination situation, prevent him/her from reading examination questions, and/or
communicating his/her responses you may make an application to the school for your child to
receive disability provisions for exams.
Some of the provision options may include:
reader
writer
extra time
coloured exam paper
larger font size
rest breaks
and/or separate supervision
All applications for disability provisions must be made annually and be supported by current
medical and/or academic assessment reports. To make an application for disability provisions
for your child, please contact the Learning Support Coordinator, Bernadette Boere, at school or
return the slip below, no later than Friday, 4 March 2016.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISABILITY PROVISIONS
Please return to Mrs Boere, Learning Support Coordinator (Via Front Office)
by Friday, 4 March
I would like to make application for my child _____________________________ of PC___ to
receive Disability Provisions for exams in 2016.
Parent/Carer Signature: ________________________________ Date: _______________
Parent/Carer Name: _______________________________
Spirits were high when we all gathered at Taree Railway Station at 9:30 on Monday morning.
Three days to be spent on an excursion in Sydney: you can't complain about that! Our train was
right on time, maybe even a bit early, after some confusion about our seats; we began the long 6
hour trip to Sydney. It actually went by pretty fast, what with all the interesting conversations
circulating around the carriage and some fine tunes from us. Before I knew it we were pulling
into Central Station. From there we walked a short distance to the Youth Hostel, where we
stayed. It was quite a nice place.
Back row: Jordan Brown, Daniel Bell, Clayton Wisemantel, Mr McDougall, Johnathon Black and Nirian Boelling-McDougall
Front Row: Emily Fowle, Zachary Walton, Thomas Lee and Maddison Hayes
That evening we went to the Opera House for the annual Encore concert. Our seats were two
rows from the front so we could clearly see the performer’s faces and gestures. The showcase
was amazing; it was both incredible and fairly daunting to see some of the best HSC pieces in
the state. I think most people's favourite was the Big Baboon played by a girl on the tenor recorder
and the hilariously good performance of C’est Moi. Afterwards we took the scenic route back
and to the Youth Hostel from the Opera House.
Tuesday came around quickly, and soon Year 11 was off
to The Australian Institute of Music, where we met our first
escort and she took us to meet a guy called Scott, who
manned what appeared to be a huge PA system. He ran us
through the recording process a little and had a couple of
us add clapping sounds to a piece he had up at the time.
We then moved on to a practice room on a different floor
where we showed off some of our pieces for a couple of
instructors. They gave us feedback and told us where we
could improve, but overall they seemed quite impressed.
By then it was lunch time, and after we'd eaten we sat in
on a lecture on one of the higher floors.
That evening, after a wonderfully filling and inexpensive
dinner at Chinatown, where Johnno learned to use
chopsticks for the very first time, we hit the Jazz club.
I realised just how amazing a live concert sounds; the way
the double bass stirs the air and resonates through the body,
and the way the sound of the sax and trumpet fills the air. It was beyond incredible!
The concert finished around 11:30 pm, and at its conclusion, our weary little group of 11 headed
back to the hostel.
Our final day, Wednesday, saw us heading off to the NSW Conservatorium of Music.
The first building looked like a castle, adorned with towers and beige brickwork. Year 11
students attended a short aural lesson, while the Year 12 students attended a small performance
showcase of sorts. We then swapped.
Year 12 Music 1 Class at the Conservatorium
We spent a little bit of time at the Conservatorium library before preparing for our trip home. We
all grabbed our things at the hostel, headed to Central Station, and began the 6 hour trip back into
Taree. Maddison Hayes, Year 11 Music 1 Student
Thank you to Mr McDougall who was instrumental in organising the excursion. It was a
tremendous experience for all. The diversity of the music and the standard was invaluable for
the students. Whilst Year 11 went to AIM on Tuesday, the Year 12 class travelled to Our Lady
of Mercy College, Parramatta where we had a Stage 6 Day with students from OLMC, St Joseph’s
Regional College, Port Macquarie and St Paul’s, Kempsey. Here the students were able to
perform an HSC piece, attend a Viva Voce Session and an Aural Workshop.
Congratulations to all involved.
Year 11 Year 12
Nirian Boelling-McDougall Daniel Bell
Thomas Lee Jordan Brown
Maddison Hayes Emily Fowle
Zachary Walton Clayton Wisemantel
Johnathon Black
Viva La Musica,
Mrs C Brown
MATHS WORKSHOP - Mathematics Workshop provides the opportunity for every student to
obtain assistance and support in improving their understanding of
mathematics. Four mathematics teachers are available each week
to explain the concepts you are finding difficult or give assistance
to enable you to complete your homework, assignments or any
work that you may have missed due to absence from class.
WHEN IS IT ON? Wednesday lunchtime - every week.
Bring your lunch!
WHERE? Room 10
We hope to see you there!
Mrs Julie Rowsell- Mathematics Coordinator
LEAVE NOTES & STUDENT MESSAGES: It would be appreciated if parents/guardians
would send in a written note if their child needs to leave early for appointments etc. Notes
should be handed in at the front office in the morning before roll call. If parents/guardians need
to notify their child of a change of afternoon arrangements, it is necessary to phone the school
prior to 2:25 pm (End of Lunch – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday) or prior to 1:55
pm (End of Lunch – Thursday Sport) as it is often difficult to locate students if their last lesson
is a PE Prac or there has been a room change.
Students cannot be collected from the school during school hours by anyone other than a parent
or guardian without written permission. Thank you.
LATE NOTES: Lateness to school is recorded as a partial absence and must be explained to the
school the same way as other forms of absence. Arriving Late for school requires a
handwritten note from a parent/carer or a phone call from a parent/carer or the absence is
recorded as an unexplained partial absence. Thank you.
SCHOOL CLINIC: Students are reminded that if they are unwell whilst at school they are to
advise their teacher who will then send them to the Front Office. If necessary, the office staff
will contact a parent while the student waits in the Clinic. Students are not to contact parents on
their mobile phones as this leaves teachers and office staff unaware of the situation and is also in
breach of the school policy – use of mobile phones. Thank you.
MONDAY 14/3 Alison Hockey-Lee
TUESDAY 15/3 Diep Atkins, Ros Hia
WEDNESDAY 16/3 Help Urgently Required
THURSDAY 17/3 Help Urgently Required
FRIDAY 18/3 Jane Murray
VACANCIES STILL EXIST
MORE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS
IF YOU CAN ASSIST PLEASE CONTACT CHERYL KINGSFORD
AT ST CLARE’S: 6591 2104, HOME: 6552 1857 OR
VIA EMAIL: [email protected]
COMING EVENTS - 2016
Term 1
Week 8 Monday 14/3 ♦ HSC Mid-Course Exams commence
Tuesday 15/3 ♦ Dio Swimming Carnival
Week 9 Wednesday 23/3 ♦ Sleep Out
Friday 25/3 ♦ Good Friday
Week 10 Monday 28/3 ♦ Easter Monday
Week 11 Friday 8/4 ♦ Last Day of Term 1
Term 2
Week 1 Tuesday 26/4 ♦ First Day of Term 2
Wednesday 27/4 ♦ School Social
Friday 29/4 ♦ Year 7 Vaccination – 2nd dose
♦ CCC Swimming Carnival
Week 3 Tuesday 10/5 ♦ NAPLAN
Wednesday 11/5 ♦ P & F Meeting – 6 pm (St Clare’s High School)
Week 7 Wednesday 8/6 ♦ P & F Meeting – 6 pm (Holy Name Primary School, Forster)
Week 10 Thursday 30/6 ♦ NAIDOC Day Assembly
Friday 1/7 ♦ Last Day of Term 2
Term 3
Week 1 Monday 18/7 ♦ First Day of Term 3
Week 2 Monday 25/7 ♦ Students from Kobe Kaisei arrive
Week 3 Sunday 31/7 ♦ Year 9 Snowy Excursion Departs
Wednesday 3/8 ♦ P & F Meeting – 6 pm (St Joseph’s Primary School, Wingham)
Thursday 4/8 ♦ Kobe Kaisei students depart St Clare’s
Friday 5/8 ♦ Year 9 Snowy Excursion Returns
Week 6 Thursday 26/8 ♦ Year 7 Vaccination – 3rd dose
Week 7 Wednesday 31/8 ♦ P & F Meeting – 6 pm
Week 10 Friday 23/9 ♦ Last Day of Term 3
Term 4
Week 3 Wednesday 26/10 ♦ P & F Meeting – 6 pm
Week 7 Wednesday 23/11 ♦ P & F Meeting – 6 pm
Shining a light on mental illness - Xavier's speech Xavier Eales
St Ignatius College Riverview 2015 school captain Xavier Eales shared his experiences
battling depression at his school assembly in the hope of raising awareness among his
peers. This is his speech. Read the accompanying interview here.
Fr. Ross, Dr. Hine, my mother Tara, and my peers.
It has been a long time coming to the speech. After much negotiation and discussion with my
parents, counsellors, staff and close friends, I have committed to saying what I’m about to say,
and to face whatever consequences may come with it.
If you haven’t picked up on the hints, I’ve foreshadowed this in speeches past.
Sitting down to write this speech after such a long build-up was extraordinarily difficult, and it
took many attempts. Before I say anything substantive, however, I see it necessary to outline
my intention.
Dealing with mental health has always been a passion of mine. I view it as an often overlooked
part of society, and those with mental health illnesses are frequently shunned or made to feel
abnormal. Too often, when someone drops the slightest hint that they are feeling down, we as
men awkwardly tiptoe around the issue so as not to have to talk about our feelings. The
pressure we feel to appear stoic is immense, but hopefully through my words today, I can show
you that sharing feelings IS a sign of strength.
* * *
From the age of 13 up until December of last year, I had a diagnosable major depressive
disorder. I became filled with an overbearing feeling of emptiness for which I could draw no
cause. Thinking that there were people out there in far worse situations than I made me feel
guilty and worsened the depression. I lost enjoyment in things I previously loved to do -
singing, playing instruments, watching sport, going out with friends and so on.
Slowly, this emptiness began to eat away at my concentration, my appetite and my attitude
towards others. I became irritable and argumentative. Eventually, I convinced myself that
isolation in my bedroom for hours on end wasn’t as a result of my own choice, but rather as a
natural result of not being loved. Crying became a regular ritual before falling asleep, and my
bed-time extended to the 1-2am mark so that my parents wouldn’t notice my tears. Eventually,
these tears and the emptiness which they prolonged eroded feeling altogether, until I seemed
almost devoid of emotion. All the while, I still put on the same happy mask every day when
going to school. I was a different person at school to who I was at home, but I felt like my
school-self was an illusion. I never felt comfortable meeting up with friends outside of school,
because I knew that they would see through my mask into who I really was, and I was ashamed
of that person.
Going through some of my assignments between Years 7-9, a clear picture begins to form - I
was a boy crying out for help. If I may, I’ll read you out a paragraph from a personal recount I
wrote for English in my earlier years, hidden under the title of 'creative writing'. This was the
raw, unbridled emotion of a 15 year old desperate to escape a mind which oppressed him.
'You would rarely see me not on my computer checking my online self. Why? Am I just
another addicted teenager? No. It’s my only opportunity to try and craft my perfect self. It’s an
easier path to the self-fulfillment that I seek, and it’s the only place I can gain the courage to do
what others do. I constantly see girls my age posting stories of their troubles, and all of their
friends flock to their rescue. I can’t even do that. I don’t even have the courage to tell people
I’m somewhat sad. I know I have a problem, that’s obvious. I detest seeing advertising telling
teenagers to seek help or call hotlines. They honestly expect people like me to just produce the
courage needed to tell someone about my difficulties.'
By this point, it was becoming frustrating. I felt like no-one was hearing me, but I wasn’t
shouting loud enough. My English teacher asked me if I was OK after reading it, and all I could
answer was 'of course'.
Fast forward to Year 10, and the pressure and hopelessness of meeting the academic bar I’d set
for myself was overwhelming. Petty arguments with my family became drawn out in my mind,
leading myself to the genuine belief that I was unwanted. The unrelenting dullness of the world
began to eat away at me. After a particularly bad breakdown, I led myself to a park while I
contemplated exactly who I was and whether I even had a purpose.
The words that my father sent me that evening still hit deep:
'On another issue Xav, I must tell you how important it is that you stick to our agreement. That
being that you will call me when you are distressed. And now let's agree it is when you hit the
50% mark - don’t wait for it to reach 100%. You also know that if you can't get me then you
can get mum, or your uncle. I'm glad you called your friend today (that's what friends are for)
but I'm anxious that you didn't call me first. I am concerned about letting you leave the nest
without trusting that you will make that call. It is essential mate. Do you see that? I need your
100% promise on this one.
'Finally Xav, I want to say again how much I love you and of course your mum loves you. We
got through yesterday and we will all get through all of this together mate.'
The raw emotion in his writing reminds me that he, like all of my family, have been the
cornerstone of my support network throughout my life. It is only at times like this that you
realise the sheer love that a father has for his boy, or a mother for her child. Whilst I’m partly
saddened to think that a condition once had me put my own family in a place of fright, I’m
equally unsurprised that they instinctively wanted to accompany me on a journey of recovery.
Year 11 was my first year boarding, and having friends around me 24/7 really helped in
allowing me to vent and to never feel alone. Nonetheless, old habits started coming back to me.
Singing practice quickly became a dark place for me, and I spent many Wednesday nights
mouthing the lyrics and tearing up at the seeming futility of everything, since it was the only
place where everyone was looking forward and no-one would notice my face. Some nights I
would return to my room, stare at the wall in front of me and know that I would not get an
ounce of study done for the next 3 hours because it was just 'one of those nights'. Depression
came across me like a cold.
Year 12 brought my most difficult challenge. School captain speeches quickly turned into my
worst nightmare. Although many people would compliment me on my words, the barrage of
criticism was amplified in my mind making me incredibly nervous at each new attempt. Once
again, I masked this feeling with the confidence that I’d made a key part of my character at
school. Gossip from the staff room seeped through to me from a range of different sources, and
hearing the scathing ad hominem from some of my teachers hurt a lot. Over time, I learned that
this is a part of life, and that I should consider everything that’s said to me without letting it
affect me personally. Funnily enough, assembly speeches have since become my favourite part
of Year 12.
On one of the most difficult evenings of Year 12, I made the best decision that I’ve ever made. I
typed a panicked email to a College counsellor, saying that we needed to talk. Within a month,
we had studied effective coping mechanisms, and I had been directed to a psychiatrist who
prescribed me medication which I still take daily, and it has largely ridded of my depression.
Recounting this now, it leaves me wondering how different my teenage years would have been
had I typed up that email on day 1 of this trouble starting in year 7. I would have avoided a
whole world of desperation, and my speech today would sound very different.
The materialistic nature of my triggers strike me. Petty arguments, below-trend academic
results and assembly speech criticism are hardly concerning in the wider scheme of things. It
reminds me of one of the quotes which helped me in my recovery: 'Life is a tragedy when seen
in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.' Looking back at this makes me realise that there’s more
to life than the amount of awards you get on speech day, or how much praise you get for a
speech. There’s a beauty simply in existing that we too often forget, and it’s humorous to think
that we ever cared about much more. I see a boy who had everything, but had nothing. I’m sure
there were people out there who envied what I had, but it meant nothing to me. I was jealous of
those who supposedly had nothing, but were happy on the inside. That is why I sincerely ask
you today not to compare yourself to me or anyone around you, and rather to consider yourself
in a vacuum, independent of society’s ideal construct of a successful person.
Needless to say, sharing my experience with you isn’t meant to make you feel sympathetic or to
scare you. I’m the same Xavier you’ve always known - many of my closest friends have known
this side of me for years. Rather, I’d like to shed light on how we as a community can minimise
this condition’s prevalence throughout our school.
Firstly, I want to make it a challenge for every person in this room to take the time to ask just
one person per day 'How are you going, really?' By that I mean, make sure that they answer
with something more substantive than just 'good'. If more people can show an interest in the
lives of those around them, then we all feel just a little bit more wanted. And plus, if someone is
not going well, you may just be privileged enough to be the one who they choose to confide in -
and you can help them to do something about it. When engaging in one of these conversations
just a few months ago, I found a friend who I now look up to for speaking up about what they
were feeling. It didn’t change how I felt about them. Instead, it enhanced our friendship, as I
felt like I was given a supporting role.
A conversation which BeyondBlue recommends having in these situations goes as follows:
1. Begin with 'You alright? You don’t seem yourself lately.' or 'No pressure, but is there
anything going on you want to talk about?'
2. Tell your friend what you’ve noticed about them. Maybe tell them 'You seem a bit flat.' or
'You seem pretty tired', and see what they make of those observations.
3. Ask 'what can I do to help?' Often someone who’s down will know best what can help them,
but if not, just being there for them to vent is good enough.
Seeing the counsellors or chaplains has also been a huge resource for my senior schooling and
something which I’d recommend to you all. Walking into these guys’ office shouldn’t be
something you’re ashamed of. I like to just walk straight on in there during a lunch time, but if
you’re nervous, feel free to pop in during class-time when no-one is around.
Mateship is something which we’re very lucky to have instilled in us at such a good school, and
its importance can’t be underestimated. The friendships I have with others are what have
brought me to this point of my schooling, and they will push me right through to the end of the
HSC. Bullying, however, is the enemy of mateship. Before you have a joke about someone
behind their back, consider what that person may be feeling and hiding from the public.
Consider the futility of bullying, and as such, don’t be afraid to say to someone “stop” if they’re
doing the wrong thing. The respect you will gain from your courage will long outlive the initial
embarrassment. By the time you’re an adult, the boys involved will be able to understand that
you were right all along.
To conclude, Steven Fry says, 'If you know someone who’s depressed, please resolve never to
ask them why. Depression isn’t a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just is,
like the weather. Try to understand the blackness, lethargy, hopelessness, and loneliness they’re
going through. Be there for them when they come through the other side. It’s hard to be a friend
to someone who’s depressed, but it is one of the kindest, noblest, and best things you will ever
do.'
I think this is a message we can all live by, and if you can take anything away from my speech
today, I hope that it is this.
If you are troubled by any aspect of this report you can contact LIFELINE on 13 11 14 or go to
www.lifeline.org.au.
Statement by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference on Asylum Seekers
Asylum seekers May 2014
The Australian Catholic Bishops have been involved in many ways with asylum seekers. Some
of us have detention centres close to home, and we have worked hard to ensure that asylum
seekers receive proper pastoral care and human assistance. We renew that commitment here.
The Bishops have also intervened with Government in an attempt to make policy more
respectful of human dignity and basic human rights, which today are being seriously violated.
We now make this urgent plea for a respect for the rights of asylum seekers, not only in
Government circles but in the Australian community more broadly. Federal decision-makers in
both major parties have made their decisions and implemented their policies because they think
they have the support of the majority of Australians. Therefore, we want to speak to the entire
Australian community.
The current policy has about it a cruelty that does no honour to our nation. How can this be
when Australians are so generous in so many situations where human beings are in strife?
Think of the way the Vietnamese boat people were welcomed in the 1970s and 80s. The
question becomes more pointed when we think of the politicians who are making and
implementing the decisions. They are not cruel people. Yet they have made decisions and are
implementing policies which are cruel. How can this be so?
Island dwellers like Australians often have an acute sense of the “other” or the “outsider” – and
that is how asylum seekers are being portrayed. They are the dangerous “other” or “outsider” to
be feared and resisted because they are supposedly violating our borders.
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Do racist attitudes underlie the current policy? Would the policy be the same if the asylum
seekers were fair-skinned Westerners rather than dark-skinned people, most of whom are of
“other” religious and cultural backgrounds? Is the current policy perhaps bringing to the surface
not only a xenophobia in us but also a latent racism? The White Australia policy was thought to
be dead and buried, but perhaps it has mutated and is still alive.
There may also be the selfishness of the rich. Not everyone in Australia is rich, but we are a
rich nation by any reckoning. The asylum seekers are often portrayed as economic refugees
coming to plunder our wealth. But the fact is that most of them are not being “pulled” to
Australia by a desire for wealth but are being “pushed” from their homeland and other lands
where there is no life worth living. No-one wants them.
The policy can win acceptance only if the asylum seekers are kept faceless and nameless. It
depends upon a process of de-humanisation. Such a policy would be widely rejected if the faces
and names were known. Bishops have seen the faces; we know the names; we have heard the
stories. That is why we say now, Enough of this institutionalised cruelty.
We join with the Catholic Bishops of Papua New Guinea who have voiced their strong
opposition to the use of Manus Island for detention. They have urged Australia “to find a more
humane solution to people seeking asylum”. We do not accept the need for off-shore
processing. But even if it continues, it surely does not require such harshness.
The Government and Opposition want to stop the boats and thwart the people-smugglers. But
does this require such cruelty? Could not the same goals be achieved by policies, which were
less harsh, even humane – policies which respected not only our international obligations but
also basic human rights? Can we not achieve a balance between the needs of people in
desperate trouble and the electoral pressures faced by politicians? We believe we can; indeed
we must.
The Australian Catholic Bishops call on parliamentarians of all parties to turn away from these
policies, which shame Australia and to take the path of a realistic compassion that deals with
both human need and electoral pressure. We call on the nation as a whole to say no to the dark
forces, which make these policies possible. The time has come to examine our conscience and
then to act differently.
Bishop of Darwin Eugene Hurley and Bishop of Broome Christopher Saunders are both
available for interview on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops.
Mercy, maths and the Crucifixion
Fr Jim McDermott SJ
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, God’s forgiveness of our sins is only possible
because of Christ’s death on the cross. But what does this really mean? Fr Jim
McDermott takes a deeper look.
The older I get, the more I feel like I might be becoming kind of a cranky Christian. It’s not just
that I find myself yelling at the neighbour kids to get off our lawn – excuse me, are they
planning to reseed those divots themselves?
No, it’s bigger than that. Beliefs and teachings that earlier in my life I accepted without
question now stick on my tongue. I can’t just swallow them because someone tells me.
Take for example the way we Christians can talk about the death of Jesus, the mathematical
ways we sometimes interpret our belief that ‘Jesus died for our sins.’ Jesus dies = We are saved.
In the calculus of the ancient world, that kind of an equation made sense. Gods were believed to
be appeased through violence. The stability of society was reestablished through sacrifice.
But we are not living in the ancient world (despite how American presidential candidates and
others sometimes behave). We know today that murder does not save. Indeed, as the recently
deceased philosopher René Girard wrote, Jesus’ cross was an indictment of that way of
thinking. It displayed the innocent victim, the brutality at the heart of such an equation.
I know, these questions seem kind of above our pay grade, don’t they? How could we possibly
claim to appreciate God’s sense of order or logic? Seriously: even the words theologians use to
try to understand the mind of God are hard to understand. And don’t even get me started on
explaining the Trinity. To paraphrase Butterfly McQueen in Gone with the Wind, ‘We don’t
know nothin’ ‘bout birthin’ them babies.’
But still, ‘Others’ death=Our salvation’ sounds an awful lot like human logic, doesn’t it? And
what kind of a God would be OK with human sacrifice anyway? Not one we would hope to
meet when we die, I suspect. Or even run into at the footy. (In fact I’m pretty sure I have met
that God at the footy. He seemed especially keen on the hot jam donuts.)
It just doesn’t add up. And honestly, I don’t know about you but I don’t want my nephews and
nieces growing up thinking God might work like this, might in fact require or be responsible for
anyone’s death. The story of our salvation is the story of God rescuing humanity from precisely
such notions and societies. Even in the Old Testament, where God is often portrayed as violent
and unpredictable, God at times comes to rescue Israel from Himself.
When it comes to the crucifixion, we need other ways of thinking. Jesus is not the answer to a
maths problem. He does not ‘solve for X.’
I’ve tussled and turned with this for some time (even before my ongoing descent into old man
veranda yelling). And the idea that has most helped me is that when it comes to the logic of
God, maybe we need to stop thinking in terms of ritual scapegoats and start thinking in terms of
love.
He’s just that into you
Jesus is a man, God become flesh, who came among us because he saw how much we were in
need, how hungry and confused and sad we were, and wanted to be the light that would shine in
our darkness, illuminate the Lord who loves us, and help us on our way.
And his death really came from that commitment. It was just as true then as it is today: If you
really want to scare people, tell them that you love them. His commitment threatened both
individuals great and small, and the overall religious and political systems, which marginalised
some to ‘protect’ the faith or state. And so of course some wanted him dead.
Jesus could have run away or stopped preaching. But that would have meant walking away
from the people, those who knew they were hungry for hope and kindness and looked to him
for help, and also those who were just as hungry and didn’t know it, whose pain was pushed
back behind their rage and grief and condemnation.
Walking away: that’s not who God is. So Jesus kept on going, knowing it probably would not
end well for him. And boy was that an understatement.
Faithfulness – for me, that’s the key that unlocks the story of our salvation. The life and death
and resurrection of Jesus is a story of God demonstrating, not some sort of weird ancient
murder logic, but a dogged unrelenting faithfulness to us. Jesus was so faithful to us that he not
only came down to earth to be with us, he refused to run away when threatened. And when he
died, God the Father raised him up, demonstrating in one final and miraculous way just how
committed to us he is.
It’s a package deal, Jesus’ life, crucifixion and resurrection. Together they express one truth,
that God does not give up on us, ever. That he will be faithful to us to the very end – and even
after that.
They call it Good News for a very good reason. And I guess Good Friday, too.
- See more at: http://mediablog.catholic.org.au/statement-by-the-australian-catholic-bishops-
conference-on-asylum-seekers/#sthash.1czvgohw.dpuf