On behalf of the Principal

I write on behalf of our Principal Michael Exton for this Newsletter edition.

There have been an incredible number of wonderful events and activities in our College in the last fortnight and I thank the staff who have given so generously of their time to support all these activities. Congratulations and thank you to the hundreds of students who have put themselves forward and been involved in so many activities, and where the opportunity arose for some, they have represented our College with distinction.

I would especially highlight three events:

1. “PREMIERS” Herald Sun Shield – First XVIII Football (boys)
Congratulations to the Senior Boys Football team who are the first Saint Ignatius Team to win the Senior Herald Sun Shield Competition (Division Two). They played extremely well to win the Grand Final against Westbourne Grammar by 100 points. The First XVIII Coach, Joe Mc Lean, has done a tremendous job with the team to get them through all the lead-up games and to then perform so well in the Grand Final. Well done boys – we are so proud.

For further information see the College Facebook page and the Geelong Advertiser (12th September).


2. College Musical Production - “The School of Rock”
This week is PRODUCTION WEEK at the College and there are several performances across a number of days of “The School of Rock” at the GPAC.

Throughout the whole of this term the staff and students have been rehearsing every Sunday, every Monday after school and there have been other times each week when various groups of the cast have been doing extra practice.

I sincerely hope you have the opportunity to see the show and marvel at the talents of the students.

Thank you so much to all the staff who have been involved and given such an enormous amount of time to support the students and ensure the show was ready for this week of performances.

The main roles undertaken by staff for “The School of Rock” are as follows:
Producer: Marina Brown
Director: Rhea Walker, assisted by student Noah Gullan.
Assistant Producer: Sam Windmill
Musical Director: Linda Pape
Conductor: Veronica Marrie
Choreographer: Kate Lehmann, supported by student William Palmer.
Costume Coordinator: Kerry Horbowsky
Production Manager: Attel Martschinke

The Director, Marina Brown, also acknowledges the invaluable assistance of staff members: Ben Zanghi, Paul James, Alex Simpson, Laura Taylor-Payne, and Tony Berryman-Long; Parent: Christine Johnston and Student: Billy Souflas.

Thank you very much to many other staff who also support the Production by giving up their time for duties like helping out backstage, in the Green room, selling programs etc during the performances.

We are also extremely grateful for the support of many parents as well as the Parents and Friends Association.

It truly is a whole College event.


3. RUOkDay
The College recognized the National Day of Action for RUOK? By holding a range of activities on RUOkDay on Thursday 12th September.

Staff and students were encouraged to wear a splash of yellow in support. Students wore items such as yellow shoelaces, ribbons, ties, beanies etc and many staff wore the official
RUOkDay yellow T-shirt and a yellow RUOkDay wrist band.

The Wellbeing Captain, Nikita Page, and the Student Wellbeing Team (Olivia Whitehead, Sally Barnard and Sarah Somerset) organised a range of events including a BBQ, a Staff v. Student game of dodgeball and a tattoo stand.

Mental health is an incredibly important issue in our modern society, not only for the young people in our care here at the College but also for many adults as well. We are all encouraged to start a conversation by simply asking someone RUOk?
How to start a conversation:

• One in five (20%) Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year
• Almost half (45%) of Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime
• The onset of mental illness is typically around mid-to-late adolescence and Australian youth (18- 24 years old) have the highest prevalence of mental illness than any other age group
• 54% of people with mental illness do not access any treatment
• Every day, at least six Australians die from suicide and a further thirty people will attempt to take their own life

If this information raises issues for you help can be found at:

RUOk? https://www.ruok.org.au
Beyond Blue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support
Lifeline https://www.lifeline.org.au Lifeline Helpline: 13 11 14



Staffing
We have had a staffing change this week as we farewell Mr Ben Collyer who has taken up a position at St Bernard’s Essendon as the Camp Manager for their site on the Great Ocean Rd. Mr Collyer has been a Science and PE teacher as well as the previous Year 9 Year Level Coordinator at our College and he was instrumental in the transition to a whole new style of camp for Year 9s by establishing a partnership for the College with OEG.
We thank Mr Collyer for his years at St Ignatius and we wish him and his family all the best as he takes on his new and exciting role at St Bernard’s.
We welcome onto the staff Mr Cameron Fennell who will be taking Mr Collyer’s classes for the remainder of this year. Mr Fennell has been teaching at Emmanuel College Point Cook for several years and he has recently enjoyed some overseas travel.


Thoughts and prayers
A few staff members have suffered family bereavements in recent weeks and as a College community we offer them our thoughts and prayers at this very sad and tragic time for them and their families.


Blessings and best wishes,
Paul Lewis
Deputy Principal.

At the College this week we have been exploring ways in which we can remove the stigma that still surrounds mental health illnesses. We have reflected upon how we all have a role to play in ensuring that all are cared for and supported. The simple question “R U OK?”, is a catch phrase and ice breaker that seeks to open up a conversation or encourage people that it’s ok to not be travelling well and that reaching out is a sign of strength. This year the week has been particularly confronting personally due to the tragic suicide of a member of my extended family.

We all suffer the effects of mental health illness and suicide. Unfortunately, my experience is not unique. In society there is sense of failure or shame for those who “can’t cope”. Life is difficult and we are impacted by the things occurring around us or to us we suffer. Throughout our lives we move up and down a mental health continuum. There are times when our mental health is very good. Times when we wrestle with mental health illness and for almost half of us we will, for a period of time, experience a mental health illness. For some hope disappears and in their pain they cannot see any way out. Suicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians. Annually “350 young people aged 15–24 take their own lives every year – more than die on the roads. For every youth suicide, there are 100 to 200 more attempts”.

Mental health illnesses are common and a conversation is needed if we are to improve the situation. For young people the effects of social, physical and family changes during adolescence can make the movement up and down the mental health continuum rapid and confusing. This is ‘normal’ and needs to be understood. The report into the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents (2015) is unsettling to read. The number of young people experiencing mental health illness at the serious or chronic end of the continuum, engaging in self harm and suicide has increased since the last report. Although many who experienced mental health problems sought help, a significant percentage were unable to get the support or services required or did not reach out.

In our Church there is still much to be done in this area. Pastoral care is the lived aspect of Jesus’ Gospel ministry and ‘we’ do it very well. There are numerous Catholic organisations that support people in ways that help lessen the pressures of life and others that support people and families to develop supportive relationships and networks. At the College our staff are supportive and compassionate. Our wellbeing team, year level coordinators and home room teachers are highly experienced and trained the professionals who work as a team to identify, refer and support students in this area.

In our Church though there is much theological work yet to be done in regard to the healing miracles of those possessed by ‘demons’. There are numerous accounts in the Gospels of Jesus healing people with mental illness. Sadly, these miracles have not yet been afforded the scholarly attention of other healing miracles. It is easy to believe that Jesus healed the lepers, the blind and those with physical afflictions. But it’s less common for us to understand or believe what occurred when Jesus healed the ‘possessed’. In reality the accounts are quite simple. Although we are still exploring the mind and quantifying what causes mental illness and how the brain in fact functions we can apply a modern understanding on the scriptural text.

In Jesus’ time physical and mental illness were not understood. Jesus knews that he had the power to heal and was compassionate to all who suffered or were excluded from society. In Jesus’ time demons were thought to be the cause of mental illness. In a way this imagery is in fact quite helpful. Demons are dark and powerful spirits that act upon people. Demons cause misery and are very hard to get rid of. Demons are not of God, they torment the person, causing pain and suffering for the person afflicted.

The imagery of the word demon is actually an excellent illustration of what a mental health illness is. Unpacking this term helps the reader understand what actually occurred in the Gospel. Jesus, the Son of God, was a great healer. He felt a deep compassion for those who suffered. He healed physical disabilities and illness. He healed many who had mental health illnesses. For Jesus physical and mental illness was the same. Suffering is suffering and he actively encountered these people in his time and healed them.

In contemplating the Gospel accounts in a modern way we observe that for Jesus there was no stigma. He did not cure only physical illness. He understood the darkness and pain that mental health illnesses had on the young and old. He showed through his actions that there was a better way. We can learn from him and act as he did with the abilities we have.

Our Church and society generally have lived the Gospel message well but have failed to truly act out his teaching in this area. The lack of scholarly work on the healing miracles regarding mental health illnesses is indicative of the stigma that silently informs a view that this area is too hard to understand. For some an archaic simplistic literal interpretation of the accounts inform their view of those who suffer. At Saint Ignatius College we seek to educate our students that the text is not only the inspired Word of God but a complex text that needs to be understood, considered deeply and be applied to modern contexts. It may well be that some of our students will enter into Biblical Studies and shed more light upon how these accounts may inform our community and our Church.

Society is still developing language and behaviours that will lead to change in the way people view mental health illness and how we support those who suffer. Our efforts as a community this week make use of a number secular resources. The question R U OK? and wearing a splash of yellow are small actions that can help us build a more compassionate and supportive community. As a community of faith we can also pray for healing for those who suffer and for the courage to encounter the afflicted. Importantly we can pray for the souls of those who were unable to find peace in this life. We can pray that they rest eternally in the tender embrace of God and may one day be held also by those who so desperately wish they could today. As a community we can make a difference.

Yours in Jesus Christ, our healer,
Brendan Nicholls Liturgy Coordinator


If you or anyone you know needs help:
• Lifeline on 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
• MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
• Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
• Headspace on 1800 650 890
• ReachOut at au.reachout.com

Saint Ignatius College is delighted to present the musical production of ‘School of Rock’, to be performed at GPAC’s Playhouse Theatre starting tonight September 12th with the performance starting at 7pm.

Based on the hilarious hit movie, this new musical follows dropout Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a bit of cash by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. But Dewey isn’t going to teach them algebra or arithmetic, oh no. These kids are going to learn what it takes to become the most awesome rock ‘n’ roll band of all time! But can his new group win the Battle of the Bands without being schooled by their parents and headmistresses, or will Dewey have to face the music?

Purchase tickets to this wonderful production via the GPAC website.

Click here to make a booking: https://www.gpac.org.au/event/1229/school-of-rock

Show times are as follows:

Thursday 12th September 7:00pm                                               
Friday 13th September 7:00pm                                                 
Saturday 14th September 12:00pm 
Saturday 14th September 5:00pm


Ticket pricing:
 
Adult $36
Concession/Student: $26
Child $20

On Monday the 2nd of September the Saint Ignatius Year 9 Italian students joined in the St Thomas Italian Day.

The older students were outstanding in the way they interacted with the primary schoolers and helped them with their Italian language learning in a number of activities.

These included: mosaic making, stained glass window and Tower of Pisa craft, bocce, mini soccer and Leonardo da Vinci “Crack the Code”. Thank you to all the Year 9s for a fantastic day!

Christian Berti

This prestigious award will be presented at Mosaic, Thursday 21st November, 2019 at Costa Hall.

Graduates of Saint Ignatius College Geelong -SICG Old Ignatians- are encouraged to nominate themselves or others.

Based on the following criteria:
Deemed to be living up to the SICG school motto and the Jesuit ethos, ‘Amare et Servire - To Love and to Serve’.
Please respond in 100 words or more explaining why your nominee- yourself or another Old Ignatian- meet this criteria.

We welcome all nominations.

We are grateful for this annual award, made possible by the generous contribution of the Association of the St. Patrick’s Old Collegians–SPOCA.
St. Patrick’s College, East Melbourne, was the first Jesuit School in Australia begun in 1854.

Nominations close: October 1st, 2019
Please email nominations to:
sicgalumni@ignatius.vic.edu.au
Subject: Alumni award Nomination 2019.

Previous recipients:

Please share this with your old SICG friends to maximise potential nominees.

A fabulous reunion was held last Friday 6th September at the Geelong Hotel which was all decked out with blue, red and white balloons, the proud alumni banner and some memorabilia of the year much of which was provided by the teachers.
Lots of reminiscing, catching up and re-connecting while the 2014 Year 12 video was playing in the background much to the fascination and enjoyment of all.
A number of the cohort are still studying and the others now fully immersed in their careers.
Teachers as well enjoyed hearing all about what’s been happening with everyone in the past 5 years.
Molly Cathcart, College Co-captain and now year level Rep is to be congratulated on her organisation and communication with everyone leading to really good attendance.
A number of the cohort are now interested in being part of the new Alumni association which will enable the Class of 2014 to continue to be well-connected to each other and the College.

Can’t wait for the whole year Class of 2014 catch up again at 10-year reunion in 2024!

Mrs. Claire Hewitt
Saint Ignatius College Development Manager

First meeting:
Sunday 15th September at 3pm at Little Creatures.

A get-together for about an hour or so to develop some ideas and plans to progress a SICG OLD IGNATIANS Association.
We welcome Dean O'Brien (Class of 2018) as President, Alison Sinadinos (Class of 2005) as Vice-President and Matthew Crane ( Class of 2008) as Secretary.
Gradually we are filling the committee with Year Level Reps, Chapter reps-regions and other portfolios as well as having general committee members. It’s your Alumni body-what do you want it to do for you? What things would make it work well?

Please consider joining the committee.
Email: sicgalumni@ignatius.vic.edu.au
It is early days yet but it will be good to get the ball rolling and forging ahead with developing a really strong Alumni association.
Pencil this in! The committee will be invited as special guests at the November Opening of the new fantastic and -you-won’t-believe-it- new gym/hall that will seat 1500 and a New year 9 centre.

The end of Year 12 formal classes is fast approaching. This is an exciting time for students but it is also very important to keep in mind that the key focus at this time should be on preparing for final examinations, apprenticeships, further education or other pathway options.

This news item includes reminders for upcoming events and expectations for Year 12 students. All Year 12 parents/guardians are invited to attend parent/ teacher/ student conferences which are being held on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th September. Some teachers may request to see Year 12 students if they are concerned about their academic progress or as follow up from early Term 3 conferences.

During the second week of the September/ October holidays, Unit 3 & 4 students will be sitting practice examinations under VCAA conditions. This is a very important part of the process in preparing for peak performance in final examinations. It is understood that students are not at their peak at this time and that the process can be reasonably stressful. These examinations are compulsory for all students completing exams as they provide valauble feedback for our unit 3 & 4 students.

Students should not dwell on the result of the practice examinations but use them as an indication of where study should be focused in the upcoming weeks. It may be that students need to spend extra time on a particular topic or parts of several topics. Students may need to focus efforts on a particular style of question.

All Year 12 subject teachers continue to offer ongoing support, guidance and expertise for your son/daughter as they strive to do their very best. Students can make a significant difference to their final result between now and the final examinations.

For students who are still unsure about their career pathway, please formulate a meeting time with Mr. Bruce Connor. The aim of these meetings is to confirm a suitable pathway and investigate a range of options post secondary school. These interviews need to be booked with Mr Bruce Connor via email contact: connorb@ignatius.vic.edu.au

Mr. Joe McLean Year 12 Coordinator

The Wolfpack continues to grow as the events on offer increase and the weather improves. We have a number of projects and events occurring at present. The SICG Camino de Australia has been a focal point for the College over the last fortnight. The aim of the Camino is to encourage our community to become more active and is framed by the challenge of walking/running around Australia! All members of our community are able to register to help us collectively walk/run around Australia (18,500km).

Staff, students and family members are encouraged to run with the Wolfpack at any of our monthly runs (weekends). This Saturday we are meeting up in Geelong to participate in the Balyang Park Run (5km fun run). For further details, see Xuno or email Mr. Brendan Nicholls.

Learn more about the Camino or follow our progress at the following links.
Camino overview – http://sicgwolfpack.weebly.com/camino-de-australia.html
Camino blog – http://sicgwolfpack.weebly.com/camino-de-australia-blog
Event calendar - http://sicgwolfpack.weebly.com/event-calendar.html


Camino – Week 1 Wrap Up
Our Camino is one week old and our progress has been amazing! When we were developing the idea we projected that the end date would be somewhere around the end of 2020. This week we have together added a further 517km to our tally since the first blog entry on the 3rd of September. Our total currently is 918km.

We have travelled from Saint Ignatius to almost the Victoria-New South Wales border. Along the way we have 'visited' St Patrick's Cathedral, Xavier College (Kew), Portsea, Wilsons Promontory and Lakes Entrance.

We are currently just passing through Gipsy Point (not far from Mallacoota) and will cross the border in the next day or so. Our current location is spectacular.
​Moving through the foothills of the high country we are surrounded by national and state parks, the region truly is beautiful and worth a visit.

As noted the progress to date has been much more than expected and because of this a side project is still in completion. Over the next few weeks we will receive a welcome from each of the schools we are (or have) visited. It's hoped that these messages inspire us on our journey, tell us a little more about the other Jesuit and Ignatian companion schools across the country and strengthen our connections.

All the best over the coming week. Thank you for your participation. By the time the next post goes up we should be visiting Parliament House in Canberra!

A PDF of our Canteen Price List can be downloaded here

Starting September 16th

Monday 16th

T. Smale, L. Grist, C. Kopec, E. Don

Tuesday 17th

L. Tigani, M. Jackson, S. Twaits, N. Robinson

Wednesday 18th

L. Vella, K. James, Needed

Thursday 19th

M. White, E. Carpenter, J Payne

Friday 20th

End of Term: No Canteen

Starting October 7th

Monday 7th

B Brinfield, Needed

Tuesday 8th

M. Dunstan, S. Crawley, S. Easton

Wednesday 9th

D. Worrell, L. Vella, Needed

Thursday 10th

C. Swinton, M. White, L. Eastwood

Friday 11th

C. Ford, T. Dowd Hamilton

If unable to attend, please make sure you get a replacement.

Sandra Woodall Tel: 0417 050 258

Requsting donations for "Big Night out - Guys and cals" P&F Fashion Fundraiser
Can you help us out?
SICG Parents and Friends are supporting the College Production in a big way, by donating a large sum to be used for the purchase of musical items for 2019 Production, and further use in the Performing Arts/ Music Departments. Can you help us support and give back to the College community by donating goods or services for our fundraiser in October?

We need items we can use to put together in a hamper...ie Body, Hair or Face care, Wine, Sweets, Snacks, Chocolates, Treats etc. or Vouchers we can add to prizes or use in silent auction or as door prizes/spot prize.
And we are asking for:
Donations of Bottles of Sparkly wine/Champagne or Beer (which we are serving out as a "drink on arrival").
These items would be gratefully accepted - if every family/student donated a bottle of sparkly, this would mean we do not have to purchase any for the night. Keeping our costs/outlay lower....
Email us at: sicgpandf@ignatius.vic.edu.au if you can help... and/or drop any donations in at the front Office.
Thank you.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW!!
"Big Night Out - Guys and Gals" P&F Fashion Fundraiser - FRIDAY OCTOBER 18th 2019
Tickets can be purchased via trybooking: www.trybooking.com/beqji or from the College front Office.
Please see the promotion poster attached for all information

Become part of the Parents and Friends’ Association

We invite you to join the Saint Ignatius College Parents and Friends' Association - whether it be attending our monthly meetings, helping out at fundraising events , you can receive some up to date information on events coming up at and around the College by emailing your details to sicgpandf@ignatius.vic.edu.au

Entertainment Book – (2019/2020)

Please help support Saint Ignatius College by purchasing an Entertainment.

Books are for sale at the College Office or you can email Sandi Clark sicgpandf@ignatius.vic.edu.au

Parents and Friends’ Meeting for October 2019

Please come and join us on Tuesday October 15th at 7.00pm in the Food Tech Rooms.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Email your details to us at: sicgpandf@ignatius.vic.edu.au

Even if you can’t make it to the monthly meetings, but think you might be able to be on call to help at the different things we are involved in, please get in touch with us.

The Uniform Shop

Please note that Uniform shop will be open every second Wednesday from 2pm to 4 pm.

Opening dates for this term are:

Term 3 Dates are:

• September 18

Extra Uniform Shop Open Time

Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Thursday September 19.

The Uniform Shop will be open during this time for your convenience.

If you are able to assist and help us out at this time, or can volunteer for the regular Uniform Shop open times, we would love to hear from you!

Please email Samantha (Sam) Wells sicgpandf@ignatius.vic.edu.au Training is provided.

Requsting donations for "Big Night out - Guys and gals" P&F Fashion Fundraiser
Can you help us out?
SICG Parents and Friends are supporting the College Production in a big way, by donating a large sum to be used for the purchase of musical items for 2019 Production, and further use in the Performing Arts/ Music Departments. Can you help us support and give back to the College community by donating goods or services for our fundraiser in October?

We need items we can use to put together in a hamper...ie Body, Hair or Face care, Wine, Sweets, Snacks, Chocolates, Treats etc. or Vouchers we can add to prizes or use in silent auction or as door prizes/spot prize.
And we are asking for:
Donations of Bottles of Sparkly wine/Champagne or Beer (which we are serving out as a "drink on arrival").
These items would be gratefully accepted - if every family/student donated a bottle of sparkly, this would mean we do not have to purchase any for the night. Keeping our costs/outlay lower....
Email us at: sicgpandf@ignatius.vic.edu.au if you can help... and/or drop any donations in at the front Office.
Thank you.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW!!
"Big Night Out - Guys and Gals" P&F Fashion Fundraiser - FRIDAY OCTOBER 18th 2019
Tickets can be purchased via trybooking: www.trybooking.com/beqji or from the College front Office.
Please see the promotion poster attached for all information

Open Days a really good opportunity to explore the campus and get a feel for the university or tertiary institution. There are lectures held for the courses of interest and explainations of what you might be studying and how to apply for the course. It is also an opportunity to meet staff and current students and get a feel for the institution you would like to attend.

A list of the VTAC Open days for 2019 can be viewed here:

Join Saver Plus and we'll match your savings, dollar for dollar, up to $500 for school costs.

To join Saver Plus, you must be at least 18 years or over, have a child at school or attend vocational education yourself, have regular income from paid employment (you or your partner), have a current Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card and be in receipt of an eligible Commonwealth social security benefit, allowance or payment.

Contact: Your local Saver Plus Coordinator

Phone: 03 5278 8122 Email: GeelongSP@bethany.org.au Web: www.saverplus.org.au

See PDF flyer for details:

We do a lot for our kids, because we love them and often they need us. But we forget that one of the best things we can do for our kids is to help them learn to do for themselves and for others.

Do you ask your kids to do chores, to help out on a regular basis? You would be surprised how many parents – who were raised doing chores – don’t ask the same of their kids. If you do give them chores, do you sometimes go behind them and redo the work when they’re done? Don’t! If it’s not done right, get your child to fix it.

When I ask why parents don’t give chores or why they don’t challenge their kids with hard things – and I do, all over the world – parents tell me it’s because kids are too… busy! They’re working their tails off on classwork, teams, clubs, groups, trying to excel at 100 different things! So adults are willing to take on every other responsibility in their lives in order to facilitate these goals. And it’s hurting kids.

We drive them everywhere – fewer teens are seeking drivers’ licences each year. We type their work, do their research and try to buy them anything they or we think might possibly increase their success. We solve every problem and bulldoze over every potential obstacle. And kids accept this as the natural order of things.

We are stepping in front of our kids, when in fact we should be stepping back and allowing our kids to step up.

It’s sounds like tough love, but it’s not. This is parenting. This is making sure that our kids, in just a few short years, don’t still need us to do everything for them. Our kids know that we are expert problem-solvers. Now it’s their turn to step up and learn to help themselves and others.

So how can we let kids step up? Here are a few tips you can try right now with kids of any age.

1. When your child or teen comes to you with a problem, don’t fix it. Say “You’re a good problem-solver. What do you think?” And then listen to the answer.
2. Expect them to fail, and talk about what they’ll do when (not if) that happens.
3. Give them tasks to do that help the whole family (not only themselves) and make sure they do them, until it’s done well. Be patient, but firm.

It’s crucial that you take a step back and let your kids make mistakes and learn from their experiences. You aren’t going to be there in adulthood to clear the obstacles they face or solve the struggles. They eventually will have to make decisions and find solutions on their own and they will be ill-prepared if they weren’t allowed to make those mistakes under supervision while you’re right there to show empathy and give support!

You may be thinking “but what if there’s an emergency and I have to jump in?” Well, first define emergency.

Two percent of the time, kids need an adult to jump in front of them and solve the problem. They need an adult to protect them from a life-threatening issue that overwhelms their internal resources such as when they experience bullying, mental health issues and eating disorders.

The other ninety-eight percent of the time kids need a compassionate adult to take an interest, from a distance, without fixing anything. So step back so that a child or a young person can step up and handle problems and dilemmas themselves.

Michael Grose

Michael Grose, founder of Parenting Ideas, is one of Australia’s leading parenting educators. He’s the author of 10 books for parents including Thriving! and the bestselling Why First Borns Rule the World and Last Borns Want to Change It, and his latest release Spoonfed Generation: How to raise independent children.

Local Community and Sporting groups you may be interested in.

Harmonico Filipino with "The Quinals" Youth Band

Special Geelong performance of music and harmony, one day only on Saturday October 19th at Holy Family, 143 Separation Street, Bell Park from 2pm to 3.30pm.

Afternoon tea to follow. Tickets: Adults $20 and Students $10 Children under 16 free when accompanied by an adult.

Bellarine Training & Community Hub Open Day

Come for a walk through, try some or our classes for free! Tai Chi, Ukulele, Painting and Drawing, Exercise, Patchwork Quilts and more! We are also having a clean out so come check out our garage sale and grab a bargain!

A sausage sizzle and jumping castle for the kids too! From 10 am to 12 noon on Saturday September 21st. Please call 52554294 to book a free class!

What's On in September at the Potato Shed!

The Potato Shed have a variety of performances to suit people of all ages. Please find attached the What’s On poster for events coming up in September. You are advised to book early as many events sell out.

Did your Year 7 students miss their vaccines at school?

See the list below of Immunisation Centres and Hours:

Belmont Community Health Centre

Barwon Health 1-17 Reynolds Road, Belmont, 3216.

(Please note that this is the Barwon Health building, not the Maternal Child Health building)

Wednesday morning (Appointment only) 9 am - 12.30pm

Open sessions (No appointment required) Wed and Friday afternoons 1.30pm - 4.45pm

Saturday morning (Appointment only) 08.30am – 12.15pm

Corio Community Health Centre

Barwon Health 2 Gellibrand St, Corio, 3214.

Every Wednesday 9.30am - 11.45am (No appointment required)

Newtown “Ariston”

245 Pakington St, Newtown, 3220.

1st Friday of each month 9.30am -11.45am (No appointment required)

Ocean Grove - Boorai Centre (behind Aquatic Centre)

4-50 Shell Rd, Ocean Grove, 3226.

2nd and 4th Friday of each month 9.30am -11.45am (No appointment required)

Newcomb Library meeting room (upstairs)

Corner Wilsons Rd & Bellarine Highway, Newcomb, 3219.

1st and 3rd Friday of each month 9.30 – 11.45am (No appointment required)

Bell Park Parish

Holy Family 147 Separation St, Bell Park, VIC 3215

Sunday: 8.00am, 9.30am, 11.00am Croatian, 12.15pm Slovenian 2nd Sunday Only

Ss Peter & Paul’s Cnr Mercer & Malone St, Geelong West, VIC 3218

Saturday: 5.00pm Vigil

Holy Spirit Cnr Bostock Ave & Nambool St, Manifold Heights, VIC 3218

Sunday: 11.00am

Belmont Parish

St Bernard’s 74 Fryers Rd, Belmont, VIC 3216

Sunday: 9.00am, 10.30am

Saturday: 6.30pm Vigil

Corio and Lara Parish

St Francis Xavier 143 Bacchus Marsh Rd, Corio, VIC 3214

Sunday: 10.30am

Saturday: 7.00pm Vigil

St Anthony’s Kees Road, Lara, VIC 3212

Sunday: 9.00am

Drysdale Parish

St Thomas Peninsula Drive, Drysdale, VIC 3222

Sunday: 9.00am

St Patrick’s 10 - 14 Harding St, Portarlington, VIC 3223

Sunday: 9.00am

St Phillip & St James 1345 Murraduc Rd, St Leonards, VIC 3223

Saturday: 6.00pm Vigil

Lumen Christi 66 Kensington Road, Leopold, VIC 3224

Sunday: 10.30am

Geelong Parish

St Mary of the Angels Basilica 150 Yarra St, Geelong, VIC 3220

Sunday: 7.30am, 9.30am, 11.00am, 12.15pm Polish, 5.30pm

Saturday: 6.00pm Vigil

Grovedale, Anglesea and Torquay Parish

Nazareth 10 Griffith St, Grovedale, VIC 3216

Sunday: 10.30am

St Therese’s 43a Surfcoast Highway, Torquay, VIC 3228

Sunday: 8.45am

St Christopher’s 72 Bingley Parade, Anglesea, VIC 3230

Saturday: 6.00pm Vigil

Meredith Parish

St Joseph’s 28 Lawler St, Meredith, VIC 3333

Sunday: 11.00am Alternate Sunday

Sacred Heart 70 Hamilton Highway, Inverleigh, VIC3321

Sunday: 9.00am except last Sunday of the month when it will be at Bannockburn gymnasium

St Brigid’s 2439 Ballan Road, Anakie, VIC 3221

Sunday: 11.00am Alternate Sunday

St John the Baptist 4 Harding St, Winchelsea, VIC 3230

Saturday: 6.00pm Vigil

St John the Evangelist 24 High Street, Bannockburn, VIC 3331

Sunday: 9.00am Mass in the Stadium last Sunday of the month

Queenscliff Parish

Holy Family 101 Hitchcock Avenue, Barwon Heads 3227

Saturday: 6.00 pm

Our Lady Star of the Sea 68 John Dory Drive, Ocean Grove 3226

Sunday: 9.00 am

Holy Trinity 34 Stevens Street, Queenscliff 3225

Sunday: 11:00 am