Fathers’
Association
The objective of the Mazenod Fathers Association (MFA) is to work in conjunction with the school to build on a community spirit through social activities. With social distancing and group gathering restrictions coming into force from March, the Fathers Association needed to postpone a number of planned social activities. Since April, Australians have adopted online methods of group gatherings to replace physical gatherings. With the support from the school, the annual Father’s Day Mass and Father–Son Discussion was moved to the Google Meet platform. With over 30 families and several staff participating, our thanks goes to Tim Ford and the staff for contributing their time and effort to continue this important tradition. During the evening we discussed the relevance of the Character Strength Program the school has adopted. We also thank Fr Sherman for his very powerful blessing at the conclusion on the evening. Continuing with online communications, the MFA, through the weekly newsletter, is listing social support and mental health services for those in need. We have also started a Dad’s Joke section to bring some light hearted humour to our readers. The MFA meetings have moved to the Zoom platform and include the regular presence of Tony Coghlan, Principal and Michelle Symms, Development Manager. As I write this in September 2020, I remain optimistic that we will be able to run our end of year BBQ for the community. There are also tentative plans to run another Google Meet community catch up before the exam period. The MFA is composed of fathers from the school interested in College operations and in the spirit of the Catholic faith, to bring the community together. I thank the current members of the MFA for allocating their time to contribute to the association and in participating in various activities. We welcome all new Dads and male caregivers to participate, even in small ways, without regular commitment. We can be reached via email for any concerns or questions: fathers.mazenod@gmail.com Gavin Hopper Mazenod Fathers’ Association President 2020
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