Marian Catholic School, Currajong Gratitude, empathy and mindfulness (G.E.M.) are qualities we all aspire to show but we often need guidance in how to achieve them. Fortunately, this year Marian Catholic School is part of the highly successful Resilience Project that aims to deliver an emotionally engaging program to students to build positive mental health, resilience and happiness. Miss Therese is leading the lower school classes in their exploration into what gratitude, empathy and mindfulness actually mean to them and the classroom teachers are enjoying working through the program journals in their own classrooms. With current research telling us that one in seven primary school students will experience mental health problems this year, it is important that we all work on G.E.M.
Ryan Catholic College, Kirwan The staff and students farewelled Fr Dave Lancini at their Opening Liturgy and thanked him for his friendship, goodness, compassion and service, and his invaluable contribution over many years. Just as the parish is named after Jesus the Good Shepherd, Fr Dave was a good shepherd to students, staff and families in many ways – guiding, protecting and nurturing them on their faith journey. He always used analogies and props to explain the meaning of stories, but at the Opening Liturgy the roles were reversed with Fr Dave being dressed up as a shepherd! At one stage he was asked to close his eyes and take a rest (like a shepherd takes a rest under a shady tree), but he was quickly woken by 2000+ sheep from his flock bleating in the audience! Just as a shepherd protects its sheep and brings back those who’ve strayed from the flock, Fr Dave did just that with the Ryan Catholic College community. He is much loved and will be greatly missed.
St Clare’s Catholic School, Burdell In 2021, St Clare's Catholic School is embedding 'The Resilience Project' and looking at ways to show gratitude, empathy and mindfulness in their everyday lives. The Peer Leaders have been teaching their classes the basics and have loved being leaders. In action the children will show gratitude to God in prayers of praise. Jesus is the perfect model of empathy, so the students are looking for moments of empathy or acting this way with others. Mindfulness is something St Clare's Catholic School does well when they meditate.
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