IMPORTANT PARENT INFORMATION FOR YEAR 7 ENROLMENT AT MARIST-SION COLLEGE IN 2025/2026 SCHOOL YEAR

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Carers,

We would like to provide you with the latest information on enrolment at Marist-Sion College. If you or someone you know is looking to enrol a child for Year 7 at our College, you are welcome to forward them this information.

Year 7 2026 (Current Grade 5) – Accepting Applications

We are currently accepting applications for Year 7 2026 and will be accepting these until Friday 30 August 2024.

We are anticipating that the number of enrolment applications will exceed our available places and so we will be adhering to our enrolment policy to prioritise enrolments.

Applications must be received by the closing date for an enrolment to be prioritised.

Year 7 2025 (Current Grade 6) – Waitlisted

We currently have a waitlist for Grade 6 students wishing to start Year 7 next year.

Any families who would like to join us next year who have not yet applied are asked to contact the College as soon as possible using the details below.

Further Information

Families can find enrolment information on our website www.mscw.vic.edu.au/enrolment, or by contacting the College at 03 5623 5944 or via email at enrolments@mscw.vic.edu.au.

Kind Regards,

Shane Stiles

Marist Sion College

FATHER’S DAY BREAKFAST RESCHEDULED

Due what was a wet and windy Friday morning, we have scheduled our Father’s Day sausage sizzle for this Tuesday 3rd Sepetember at 7.30am - til 8.50am. 

Dad's will recieve a giant cookie, sausage in bread and there is a coffee van onsite to purchase a coffee from. Coffees will be $5 each. 

We thank all the P&F helpers for running our Father's Day stall. Our community says thank you! 

CELEBRATING FATHER'S DAY

Over the centuries, the role of fathers has evolved. During the industrial revolution, fathers were more detached, spending long hours working in factories, whilst mothers took on the role of primary socialiser and educator of children. Men tended to show their love and devotion from a distance, choosing to leave the child-rearing to their wives.

Things have changed quite dramatically nowadays with many Dads being celebrated for being sensitive, caring, and more hands-on. Research has shown that the amount of time fathers are spending teaching, helping, and playing with their children, has trebled. This has transformed our understanding of how fathers shape their children’s lives from the start, challenging conventional ideas of parenthood and gender.

Fathers who involve themselves in physical activity with their children, play a key role in influencing them to learn self-control, face challenges, regulate emotions, and take manageable risks. However, to be a great Dad, you need to also indulge in a little self-care and look after your own mental health. This allows you to be more responsive to your child’s needs and engage more readily in play and learning activities.

To all our dads in the St Ita’s community we hope you have a great Father’s Day, get spoilt rotten, and enjoy it with those you love.

TEACHING KIDS RESPECT FOR THEMSELVES AND OTHERS

One thing I really take pride in as a principal is when people approach me with positive comments about interactions that they have had with our students out in the wider Drouin community.

At our last assembly I spoke with our students about being respectful to one another, our teachers, Education Support Officers, parents and even volunteers out in our wider community who provide services for us to use. A core value for all in our school is that we treat people respectfully.

“Kids today are SO disrespectful,” this is a statement I often hear mooted by adults.

It’s true that parent-child relationships are evolving. Many kids today behave differently, communicate differently, and have different goals and expectations than a mere generation ago.

The reality is that our children are growing up in a different world however, teaching respect is as important now as when Aretha Franklin first sang about it.

Some children today are granted more leeway and given ample room to question and challenge our guidance. This can feel and appear to be disrespectful.  Alternatively, kids taught to blindly follow authority can lack confidence, and problem-solving skills, and have an unhealthy fear of failure. They don’t necessarily learn to trust or respect themselves.

Respect is twofold: we must remain courteous to others while also standing up for ourselves. The conundrum is when does letting our kids speak for themselves border on disrespect? And, at what point do our actions as parents fail to respect our kids?

According to author Don Miguel Ruiz, “Respect is one of the greatest expressions of love.”  If this is the case, it has the power to change the world, we just have to get it right. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESPECTFUL AND DISRESPECTFUL BEHAVIOR?

Respect is a balance of knowledge, intention, care, and reflection. Only when we’ve taught and self-modeled respect towards others can we expect our children to know what it looks like, understand its value, and act respectfully themselves. 

When kids do know what’s expected and are blatantly unkind, it can be considered disrespect. They know how they should act, but they don’t care. Or, they have ulterior motives.

First, consider whether your home environment allows your kids to make some decisions and voice their opinions. If so, a bit of questioning and complaining isn’t necessarily disrespectful. Also, remember that kids are always gaining more independence; and sometimes, that means challenging their parents.

Next, consider your child’s age when determining respect versus disrespect. A three-year-old isn’t going to immediately understand that it isn’t nice to point out a stranger as “fat” or an old lady as “more wrinkly than Grandma.” But with time and calm instruction on what (or not) to say, kids will learn.

DO RESPECT AND GOOD MANNERS GO HAND-IN-HAND?

It could be said that phrases like “Yes thanks” and “No thanks,” are falling further from children’s vocabulary. Backchat or answering back seems to be bursting out instead.  Parents can still train kids when and how to use social conventions at age-appropriate times for each individual child. Saying “please,” “thank you,” holding doors for people, complimenting a meal, and offering to help clean up the kitchen are all types of respect and kindness. Kids want to do the right thing. And, they feel more confident in a variety of social situations when they know how to act. 

“Yes, thanks” does indeed sound nice. But a child who doesn’t use formalities–even when trained–isn’t necessarily less respectful.  Cordial behaviour isn’t everything. And, it doesn’t mean much if it’s just surface-level. Caring about others is what makes a difference.

Some shy children rarely say “hi,” for instance, and it may seem rude. Before assuming that shyness has ill intent, we can offer strategies to make them more comfortable with greetings.  

Then, we can focus on how our young one helped fold laundry that day, or how our teenager listened to a friend in need. This proves that beyond greetings, there are alternative ways to show kindness. 

Respect and manners are also nuanced. Showing Grandma respect might look different from showing friends or even teachers respect. Kids greatly benefit from learning about these societal/generational differences! 

ENTITLEMENT AND DISRESPECT

Teaching respect means fighting against entitlement. Because entitlement doesn’t show respect for people’s time, money, or efforts. Along with an evolving social structure where kids have more input, there has also been a shift towards giving our kids more of everything else, too. More material possessions, more technology…and greater freedoms with fewer responsibilities. 

It’s understandable that we want our kids to have generous, carefree childhoods. We want to make life easier and more enjoyable for them.  But in doing so – even when the intention is noble–parents are losing sight of the big picture. If we don’t expect kids to contribute in meaningful ways, we aren’t teaching respect (or receiving it)! 

The war against entitlement happens a little every day, like when we encourage our kids to do their Family Contributions (a helpful euphemism for the term chores!). Or, when we remind them to give, not just expect, appreciation for family, friends, and teachers. 

And lastly, we must stop rewarding our children for basic, expected tasks. When we offer candy for folding the laundry or a dollar for every completed homework assignment, we aren’t teaching them the intrinsic value of helping others–or themselves. Though we’re enticing them to get things done, we’re actually robbing them of essential lessons in generosity and self-respect.

BUILDING A RESPECTFUL ENVIRONMENT AT HOME

If we build an environment where our children feel valued and their opinions are heard, we are already building the foundation of respect.  We can solidify this intention by showing that respect in everyday situations. 

IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

1. Tuesday 3rd September - Father's Day Breakfast
2. Friday 20th Sept - Last day Term 3
3. Friday 20th Sept - Football Colours Day / Activities
4. Monday 7th Oct - Term 4 starts all students
5. Monday 4th Nov - Pupil free day
6. Tuesday 5th Nov - Melbourne Cup
7. Tuesday 17th Dec - Last day of term 4