Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Friends,

Since our last newsletter it has been a tough few weeks for all of us in our community. The loss of a young life, a turbulent referendum, the coronial inquest into domestic violence and the financial pressure of rising interest rates has resulted in a range of complicated emotions. World events are also putting further stress on our ability to carry on and negativity abounds.

Please read the following excerpt from Glen Gerreyn “Thrill of Hope”, and let’s anchor ourselves in hope.

But just like there are no straight rivers, life has never been a straight path. Many people look at life like it is one big struggle. They say things like. “Why does this always happen to me?” and “Why is life so hard?” They adopt the philosophy of Sisyphus, condemned to a life of pushing a rock up a mountain only to have it roll back down every time he reaches the top. 

The truth is that if your life was all sunshine and roses, you would be bored. What makes your life interesting is the tension, the obstacles and the challenges you must overcome. 

My recommendation would be for you to see life, not as a struggle but as a story full of new paragraphs, chapters and episodes. Whilst this chapter might not be your best moment, the following three could be incredible! 

We all have a fight. The question is, are you going to face your fight or run away? Only you can fight your fight and you must always remember that the height of your joy is tied to the depth of your struggle. So slow down your evaluations and your idealistic judgments and ride this river with the thrill of hope in your heart. 

Anchor yourself to hope. Hope is not an emotion; it is a learned behaviour and by its very nature can only exist in the future. It is like throwing your soul into tomorrow and saying, “Wait for me, I’m on my way!” Endeavour to filter every situation you find yourself in through the lens of hope.

Please be supportive of one another during this challenging chapter of our college story. I have hope that these obstacles will make us stronger as a community as we love and care for each other.

Kind regards,

~ Leslie Tilbrook

Principal