Dempsey's Digest

As usual, there is so much that happens around the school over a few weeks. There is always much to celebrate and as we head towards the end of the year we are so thankful to the Lord for his abundant love and care. Here are some things to celebrate...

Chin Community Dinner

What a privilege to gather our Chin families together over a yummy meal in the staff room and unpack their hopes for their children at MECS. We had some opportunity for a good laugh as well as some grappling with our new MECS Threads which we had translated into Chin. There was a great sense of community in the room. Thanks to Clare Bradbury, Jenifer Thlaceu, Lily Kingbawl and Jenny Taylor for their wonderful service and support.

Foundation House

In addition to our Chin community gathering for dinner, our Kinder Director, Gill Birkett and I were able to attend a Professional Development day at Foundation House, an organisation that helps to support migrants and help others understand the trauma that many of our Chin families in our school have faced. It was a sobering day filled with the hope of community. Gill and I found it very helpful. 

Prep Transition

It’s been great to see our Prep 2025 parents support their children as they transition to Prep. The children seem to have had a lovely time getting to know our Prep teachers while the parents have been able to relax and get to know each other. Thanks Beth Matthews for all of your support of our Prep parents! 

Governance Conference

I had the privilege of attending the Christian Education National (CEN) Governance Conference with a few of our board members (Ally, Steve and Paul) a few week’s back. The topic was safety and risk. We picked up plenty of ideas and insights from the speakers and it was just great to be networking with other CEN schools from across the country. 

Fire Drill

Speaking of risk, a fire drill was enacted last week which was a surprise to staff and students. As much as we know that a fire drill can be a little unsettling for some students, it is important that we put our processes to the test to ensure that in the case of an emergency, we can be confident that they work well. I’m pleased to say that they did work well and we managed to get the whole school, to the gym, promptly. This particular drill was a 'yellow drill' which would be enacted in the case of a fire elsewhere in the school. Thanks to our staff for their quick and efficient actions. 

Leighland Christian School

It was special last week to welcome the Principal, Business Manager and some other staff from Leighland Christian School in Tasmania, to MECS. It’s lovely to have visitors and share with them some of the things that we are doing. It was also good to hear of their new initiatives and swap ideas and insights into Christian education. 

Kinder Information Night

It was great to see a whole host of parents come to the information night for 3 and 4 Year Old Kinder! What a night of good information and tips for starting Kinder as well as hearing about what a day in Kinder actually looks like! Thanks to Gill and the team for their warm and comforting words as well as beautiful support of our Kinder parents. Starting Kinder is a big deal! 

Ranges TEC Graduation

What a joy to hear the stories of our Ranges TEC Year 12 students and the amazing growth that they have experienced as they have headed into the world of trade training. From employment opportunities to working through tough challenges, it was so good to celebrate with parents the achievements of their children. It was a lovely night! 

Year 12 Graduation

Equally, it was such a joy to see our Year 12 students scrub up in their finest and be celebrated as they graduated. This year we have a large Year 12 cohort so there were many speeches which were beautifully delivered by our teaching staff. It reminded me again of how our staff know their students, and care for them, deeply. The food was great, the photos were being snapped and the students were able to respond through our Captains, Owen P and Acacia S, on their years of formation at MECS. We wish all of our Year 12 students the very best for the days and months ahead. 

Japanese Club Outing 

Sometimes as Principal, I get to do some really fun things, and this week was no exception! I joined our Japanese Club for their annual trip to the city to visit the Japanese Consulate, shop at a Japanese $2 (100 yen) store and enjoy Japanese cuisine for lunch, at Superhiro. It was such a treat to enjoy the company of the students and staff, hear about Pop Culture at the Consulate, shop for all kinds of interesting and unknown things and enjoy a delicious meal! Thanks to Beth Smith for organising this wonderful experience for us all. 

Farewell Afternoon Tea 

We were able to have a lovely afternoon tea farewell event on Tuesday this week after school, for our staff who are moving on to new adventures. It was great to hear the speeches, laugh a lot, shed a few tears and pray over these folk as they finish the year and close a season at MECS. It is great to see the way that God works in people’s lives to bring them in and out of community. For a few, they will return to us in time, but for others, God is opening new doors of opportunity and for that we are grateful. Go well folks!