Community

Recently we held our annual fundraiser for the Pong and in the evening I played table tennis with a parent. In the midst of the busyness of life, we played a relaxed game and chatted about school, gardening and the role of community. It was a timely reminder, as we near the end of the year, of how special the BHCS community is.

One of the things that I love about this school is how much the teachers care for their students, each other and the broader school community. There are also times when I am reminded how valued we are cared for by the community and by our students.

A few years ago, my father passed away and it was particularly stressful because I couldn’t take a breath to spend time grieving and I am the type of personality to just keep going, so I did. The following year, on his birthday, things took a turn and I finally was compelled to process what had happened. I had the support of colleagues to do this but also what was particularly touching was when I went to the café and there was a student-funded tab which kept me going for quite a while (this is no mean feat when you realise how much coffee I drink!).

The Bible has a lot to say about looking out for each other. One verse in particular, which is often used in the context of marriage, but I believe is much broader, tells us that “two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour. If either of them falls down one can help the other up. (Ecclesiastes, 4: 9-10). I am so thankful for this community and I want to encourage you if you are a parent, a student, a teacher or someone connected to the school in some other way, God loves you and has put us together to pick each other up in the hard times, celebrate in the good times and walk the road together for all the times in between. I also want to thank all the students I have had the privilege to teach, the staff I have worked with and the parents and families who have supported me.