2025 Newsletter Term 1: week 6

Dear parents,

Asceticism comes from the Greek word ascesis meaning 'training'; training for a particular goal. This is what Lent is for - training for holiness. Indeed, this is the meaning of jubilee. The jubilee may be a fallow year, but it is not a celebration, as such, but a year of spiritual renewal marked by serious training for discipleship, mission and the setting of our hearts on the things of heaven. In this season of training, SMMC has begun a new training program.

I am sure you are familiar with the task of asking your children to undertake jobs around the home. I am sure you are equally familiar with the task of having to ask each and every time, rather than our children seeing the (painfully obvious, how could you possibly not see it) need and doing something about it. 

In response, what if we could exchange our passive-aggressive frustrations for some training program or formative experience that could help our children to see the need and act generously to resolve the matter before them? Look no further, if you are a parent of students in Years 5,6,7&8. These parents will be the envy of others after today's launch of Salt and Light.

Each week, students in these cohorts will identify a task that is either new and challenging or an act of service, though preferably both, plan an approach to meeting the challenge and then perform the task. A process of reporting back is integrated into the Salt and Light cycle to ensure that the experience is consolidated before launching into the next sequence.

Proactivity, ingenuity, courage and kindness are just some of the ideas that Salt and Light seeks to integrate into the formation of the students. I would like to wish the students well in this mission, as well as Mr Benke, Mr Carcarello, Mr Taylor and Mr Hayward who will be overseeing the weekly cycle of growth ingenerosity. May they be salt and light for the Church and the world.

Thank you for your support.

Warm regards,

Ian Smith

Principal