From the Principal

It is with mixed emotion that I share with you that Mrs Samantha Meany will be leaving the College after fifteen years. She will be taking some time away from teaching but will continue her work with young children in a new capacity. I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the careful nurturing she has provided to students throughout her time at the College. She brings a gentle, calm manner to the classroom and encourages each individual to try their best.

This week, our students have been recognising Science Week with a number of different class and lunchtime activities. Today was ‘Fun with Air’. While engaging in some hands-on activities, students were developing their understanding of air pressure.

We look forward to Book Week for primary classes next week and Humanities Week after that for Secondary classes.

I mentioned last week that our student Worship Band was playing at the CSA Leadership Summit in Hobart. It was a delight to see the students grow in confidence over the three days, as they played for packed Auditorium. Many times, I was approached by participants who asked me to pass on their appreciation to the students. On Thursday, one of the keynote speakers, Andy Wolfe, shared that he had been in the hotel gym that morning and heard our students rehearsing through the vent system from some eight floors below. He told the audience what an uplifting experience it was to hear the song 10,000 Reasons resonate through the building.

Wolfe is Executive Director of Education for the Church of England, UK. Part of his presentation on ‘Flourishing Together’ looked at the use of the word ‘life’ in the Bible. He explained that there was more than one word used to cover this context. One of the words is ‘bios’. This refers to being alive, having a pulse, breathing and physical ability. Biology is derived from this root word. Another term is ‘zoë’, used to refer to the full abundance of life, in all its breadth and depth. In John 10:10, Jesus is recorded as saying, ‘I came to give life – life in all its fullness.’ Here the word 'zoë’ is used.

Wolfe connected this to our purpose as a Christian School. He emphasised that we are not here with a focus on absolutes such as attendance/non-attendance, pass/fail or have they learned it/have they not? Instead, we are genuinely committed to each individual student thriving through creating an environment and learning experiences that foster growth across all aspects of development – physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual.

Frequently, I see examples of learning experiences that challenge student's understanding of the world, of themselves and of others. Whether it be in Science, English, Mathematics, Health or any other subject, students are engaged in experiences that are pushing them to deepen their character. We consider it a privilege to be partner with families in shaping the precious children and young people in our care.

Jodie Bennett

Principal