Principal's Post

Focus on the 3Rs - reading, resting, relaxing!

Father Gift encouraged us all at Chapel on Monday to head into the July school holidays with a focus on some key Rs - Rest, Relax, Reflect, Reframe, Refuel and Rejuvenate in preparation for Term Three.

These were wonderful words indeed to head into the holidays with and I encourage all at St George’s, staff and students alike, to embrace these Rs in their holiday adventures - thank you Father Gift for such brilliant advice!

We are all needing to find time to do things a little differently these holidays – to rest and relax. To read a book, to do some baking, to catch up with friends, to prioritise exercise a little more than perhaps we do during the school term and to just rest and do nothing at all. The energy that a few days of rest can bring is crucial in having the strength to allow us to return to Term Three refreshed, reenergised and reinvigorated – even more Rs to consider!

Holidays are also a great time for a spring clean – a time to reset and just like restarting your computer from time to time, it is a wonderful chance to resolve any glitches or issues to give us the power to approach Semester Two with a new mindset. 

The three-week July school holidays are certainly a time to reflect and reframe. We have the time to truly consider deeply what went well for us during Semester One and equally, and perhaps more importantly, to concentrate on the areas upon which we need to improve for the future. This might be in thinking about studying harder, trying a new co-curricular, spending more time with our friends, widening our friendship groups or giving something that we find challenging a go. For our Year 11 and 12 students these holidays are an important time to reframe their work and study habits and to rethink or redefine their future pathways, their aspirations and ultimately their goals. Holidays can be a time to reset or reframe our thinking – they allow us to let go of the past, to release any of the negative vibes of the term that has been and to return to Semester Two with a clean slate, a spring in our step and with new aspirations, new foci and new adventures on our radar. They are a time to reinvigorate and refresh ourselves – more R’s to consider!

The frantic nature of each school term means that we often do not seem to find the time to make the necessary readjustments to our plans and strategies. By spending time to fine tune our aspirations helps to keep us on track even when we might be faced with unexpected challenges that can often arise. Changing our direction is never a failure, it is much moreabout giving ourselves a reboot. 

Taking time to refuel and rejuvenate ourselves are equally as important as the other R&Rs! Eating healthily, exercising daily, sleeping the right number of hours and doing something that brings us joy each and every day of the holidays will most certainly allow us to have greater resilience, personal growth and support us to achieve our aspirations as we return together to face the demands of Semester Two on Tuesday 16 July. 

Whatever you are doing these holidays – whether you are travelling internationally or locally, spending time with family, friends and even your four legged fury friends, just staying at home or catching up on tasks and chores that you have put to the bottom of your list during the school term, I wish you all a wonderful three-week break with lots of time for R&R, whatever Rs you choose to focus on.

Warmest wishes,

Mrs Tina Campbell

Principal