Thank you for 31 years

In 1991, Paul Keating took over from Bob Hawke as Prime Minister, Germany had only been reunited as a single country for a year, the Hubble telescope had just been launched and Hawthorn defeated North Melbourne in the Grand Final.

It was also the year I started teaching at Donvale Christian College. A long time ago! Back then, Donvale had only been operating as a school for 16 years. It was small; just one class for each primary grade and two classes at each secondary level. And the staff was tiny. I knew everyone – all the primary and secondary teachers, administration and maintenance. (There was no IT.) But the school was growing. Most of the portables were brand new!

As I complete my time at Donvale, after 31 years, it is a very different place. This year, we had six Year 12 English classes; next year there will be seven. Small individual photos of the staff fill three pages of Tribute. We bought the old orchard next door. (It used to be a place that was out of bounds and trespassing students provoked complaints from the farmer and punishment from the school.) Now we have large primary, administration and maintenance facilities on that land, as well as a separate Year 8 block on the other side of the dam. New buildings are emerging like mushrooms after the rain. We even have an external campus in Warrandyte South for the Year 9s. And we have a whole IT department to help maintain a highly developed technology for education. 

But some things have remained constant. When I started at Donvale, one of the features that really attracted me to the school was the warm relations between teachers and students, as well as among the staff. There was a culture of caring, support and encouragement. Even as a much bigger school, that is still a hallmark of the College.  There is also a strong continuing commitment to equip students to not merely function and excel beyond school but to contribute to building God’s Kingdom. As a school community, we strive to enable a student to develop academically and, more importantly, as a whole person.

So I feel that I have been at Donvale for a long time – but not too long. I have committed a big chunk of my life to something really worthwhile and lasting. And I want to say ‘thank you’ to colleagues, management, parents and students - past and present - who have had such a significant and positive role in my life. Most of all, thank you to God for allowing me – and all of us – to participate in this wonderful learning community at Donvale Christian College.