From the Principal
Managing Consent – Ensuring Respect
Thank you to the many parents who have made contact expressing their positive support of my letter last week “Managing Consent – Ensuring Respect”. As parents and educators we share a collective responsibility to teach young women the importance of respect in relationships and how it can be achieved and maintained within the school and social settings. I am hoping my letter has triggered many positive family conversations around these issues which will support our Marist girls.
International Women’s Day Breakfast
As previously mentioned, on Friday 5 March the College Captains and myself attended the 2nd annual International Women’s Day breakfast hosted by Catholic Schools NSW at Doltone House. The breakfast, which included student leaders, MPs, representatives from Dioceses, Principals, and other education agencies, explored the 2021 International Women’s Day theme ‘Choose to Challenge’. Those gathered were privileged to listen to a wonderful keynote address by Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley OA QC, Governor of New South Wales. I share with you the thoughts of the College Co-Captains, Jessica Challenger and Emma Serrao, who were inspired by the Governor’s words:
Jess Challenger: “Her Excellency Margaret Beasley’s anecdotes of her own experiences of gender bias in the workplace particularly resonated with me during her keynote presentation at the recent International Women’s Day Breakfast. Her enduring courage to overcome these situations with such perseverance and wit, while remaining dignified, evoked a determination from within myself, to challenge, and overcome the future inequities I may experience due to my gender, playing my part to forge a gender equal world.”
Emma Serrao: “It was a privilege and honour to be able to attend the International Women’s Day Breakfast and hear from Her Excellency Margaret Beasley, who was once was a young, determined and driven leader like myself. Margaret’s courage to open up about the gender bias that she has been subjected to within her various professions, provided me with a sense of strength and confidence in myself to take action or “Choose to challenge”. As young women, it is our responsibility to inspire and empower each other to take a stand on all gender inequalities, in order to strive for a more equal world.”
As we continue our Lenten journey in the lead up to Easter, I have been encouraged by the generosity of our students. In the remaining two weeks of the term we hope to further support the work of Caritas and the overseas aid they provide through Project Compassion. This support is a very tangible way of reaching out to others, a responsibility that as a Marist community we are called to do.
