Assistant Principal - Mission
Stronger Together: Partnering with Families for Wellbeing and Growth
Last week highlighted the powerful impact of school and family partnerships in supporting the wellbeing of our young people. On Wednesday evening, some of our Year 8 families came together for a practical session focused on ways to build resilience and emotional strength. Led by our Diocesan Parent Assembly, we explored the importance of identifying personal strengths, practising daily gratitude, and learning to shift from catastrophic thinking to contrast thinking - choosing a more balanced and hopeful perspective. The evening concluded with reflection and prayer using the Ignatian spiritual tool The Examen, encouraging families to pause each day to notice God’s presence and respond with gratitude.
Then on Saturday, I was privileged to join over 200 parents at the annual Diocesan Parent Assembly Conference, Thrive in 2025. We were incredibly fortunate to hear from two of Australia’s most trusted voices in parenting - Maggie Dent and Brad Marshall. Maggie reminded us of the importance of connection, calmness, and consistency in raising resilient children, echoing messages from her books like Help me help my teen and From Boys to Men. Brad Marshall, known as “The Unplugged Psychologist,” spoke about managing screen time and digital dependence, offering realistic strategies from his book The Tech Diet for Your Child & Teen.
Both events reminded us that we are stronger when we walk alongside one another - families, schools, and communities - nurturing our young people with wisdom, faith, and love. One point that deeply resonated with me - both as a parent and as a leader in a Catholic school - is the vital importance of every child having at least one ‘lighthouse person’ in their life: someone who helps them feel seen, valued, and unconditionally loved, no matter what.
Assistant Principal - Mission