Term 2, 2026 Newsletter: week 2

Dear parents,

All bar one of my children have moved out of home or are studying full time in Sydney, and my youngest is spending this weekend with her siblings in the harbour city. Nappy-changing and nighttime get ups is a long way in the rear vision mirror, but how to be present to my children in this new phase is a real challenge.

I once asked an older friend what his strategy was and he said that he set aside time, an appointment if you will, with each of his children once a week. Not that he didn't see them at dinner time and elsewhere, but time spent, one-on-one with no interruptions was the key, he said. Whatever our strategy is, we live at a time of fractured attention when we need to be intentional about how to interact with our children or risk the opportunity getting away from us. 

In this vein, I commend to you the attached article by Alvaro de Vicente on parental presence. De Vicente presents four dynamic images, each corresponding to a way of being present depending on the age of the child: holding the hand, holding the bike seat, holding the steering wheel and holding the phone. Integrated with these stages of presence are various types of presence. Over and above physical presence, de Vicente proposes intellectual, moral and spiritual presence as opportunities to have telling and long-term impact on our children; praying, "Let me be the parent I want my children to become."

I would like to invite you and every family to enter the cenacle at the Pentecost Novena, which will be held at St Mary's Church, Jindera on Thursday 14th May at 7.00pm. It will be a beautiful evening of readings and prayer, à la Lessons and Carols at Christmas time, to begin the 9-day pilgrimage to Pentecost. Fr Byrnes will preside and an extended SMMC choir will highlight the readings with soaring sacred music.

Thanks for your support.

Warm regards,

Ian Smith

Principal

Week 2 Term 2, 2026 Newsletter.pdf

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