Principal's Message
Mrs Josie Crisara
Welcome back to a new school year. There were many happy and excited students who walked into the school grounds and some parents relieved to have their children back into a routine.
Year 12 Class of 2019
Our Year 12 Class of 2019 had their learning conference on Monday and I shared the following story:
The Obstacle in Our Path (anon)
In ancient times, a king had his men place a boulder on a roadway. He then hid in the bushes, and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers passed by and simply walked around it.
Many people blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone removed.
One day, a peasant came along carrying vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the way. After much pushing and straining, he finally managed.
After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the road.
Moral of the story: Every obstacle that we come across gives us an opportunity to improve our circumstances, and while the lazy complain, others are creating opportunities through their kind hearts, generosity, and willingness to get things done.
A true message of the importance of resilience, perseverance, doing what is right.
Our Vision, Mission and Aims
As we move into our third decade, the College has updated our vision, mission and aims as well as listed our values. They are described below.
Our Vision
The vision for Aitken College is to develop and support a learning community of students, staff and families in association with the Uniting Church in Australia.
Our Mission
The mission of Aitken College is to enable students to become informed and compassionate members of the wider global community.
Our Aims
Aitken College will aim to:
- Make the Christian faith relevant through an understanding of its major teachings and by encouraging a personal faith journey.
- Inspire and challenge students to realise their academic, social and emotional potential to equip them for the 21st century.
- Promote and develop creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, perseverance and self-improvement.
- Encourage individuals and the community to be respectful, take responsibility and to act accordingly.
- Instil in students a sense of service.
- To cultivate an adaptive, innovative and continuously improving school.
Our Values
Our values are the basis for decision making in providing learning opportunities, engaging with the world, taking responsibility and interacting positively with others. Our guiding values are:
- Compassion
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Kindness
- Respect
College Works
The Kitchen Garden Centre is nearly finished, some additional landscaping and seating areas have been created around the Dunehelen classrooms and works will commence on a stair link between the VCE 2 and VCE 3 buildings.