Principal Address
Dear Parents,
Today in Chapel we spoke about the difference between a spirit of excellence and a spirit of perfection.
Perfection can often feel heavy. It tells us that mistakes are unacceptable and that unless everything is flawless, we have somehow failed. A spirit of excellence, however, is very different. Excellence is about giving our best, learning through challenges, and continuing to grow, even when things are difficult.
I believe that Jesus helps us to carry this spirit of excellence. Through faith we learn resilience, courage and perseverance.
We looked at the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den. Daniel served with integrity and commitment in every circumstance he faced. Even when pressure came from those around him, he remained faithful and continued to live with a spirit of excellence. His commitment did not change depending on whether things were easy or hard. That consistency of character and ability to keep going.
To help explain this idea, I used a simple illustration with two rulers. One was a bendy ruler, and the other was a rigid ruler. When pressure was applied, the rigid ruler snapped quickly, while the bendy ruler flexed and returned to its shape. In many ways, a spirit of excellence looks like the bendy ruler, it holds firm but adapts, bends and continues forward when pressure comes. A perfection mindset, on the other hand, can sometimes snap under pressure because it cannot tolerate mistakes or challenges.
One of the things we are working to build in our students is resilience alongside excellence. Anyone can demonstrate excellence when things are easy. The real test of character comes when things become difficult. That is when commitment, perseverance and faith truly matter.
As parents and educators, we share an important role in this. We want to expect and empower our children to become the best people they can be. Part of that journey is helping them understand that striving for excellence does not mean never struggling. Instead, it means continuing to give their best, to grow, and to show integrity even when the path is not easy.
When we encourage this mindset in our children, we help them develop the kind of character that will serve them throughout their lives.
NAPLAN
Well done to our Year 5’s and 3’s for completing their first two NAPLAN exams. A special shout out to our Year 5’s who did a great job in being patient and resilient in the midst of the national outages that took place on Wednesday, I was so proud of them.
Easter Hat Parade
Our Easter Hat Parade and Chapel is fast approaching and the note went home on Monday. This is one of my favourite events of the year. Please note that it is an afternoon this year and not a morning!
Over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that “it’s harder to win an Olympic gold medal than it is to win the Easter Hat Parade at HopePoint.” As always, we will be looking for the winner in a number of categories. The creativity, enthusiasm and effort that goes into some of the hats each year is truly remarkable. It really is a highlight for me!
Now, I say this every year and still no one has yet listened to me. Please remember: you do not need to spend the next month dedicating five hours a day to building an Easter hat! The heart of the event is celebrating Easter together as a community with a bit of fun along the way. Perhaps even the process of building the hat, having fun and trying to design something with your child is actually the point. Of course, if creating hats brings you joy, then by all means enjoy the process. We love seeing the creativity of our families. But the real joy of the day isn’t in building something with lights, motors and spinning parts, it’s in the laughter, the community, and the shared celebration. So please take it easy!
Different Voices
Throughout this year’s newsletters, we’ll be hearing from other voices from our school leaders and staff. Each week we will invite members of our staff leadership team, heads of learning, and other staff to contribute a short update or reflection. I’ll also get some students writing something at different points of the year.
This will give our community a greater insight into the work happening across the school, the initiatives our staff are leading, and the many ways they are supporting and developing our students.
Our team brings a wealth of experience, care and creativity to their roles, and I believe it is important that our community hears from them as well not just me!
Our first is from our diverse learning coordinator, Mrs Schofield.
My door is always open.
Mr Joe Britton
(Principal)
Diverse Learning Update
Over the past two years, alongside my classroom teaching role, I have had the privilege of leading the Learning Support team at HopePoint Christian School. Our Teachers Aides do a great job in supporting a range of students in different contexts. This has been an incredibly rewarding opportunity to work closely with students, teachers, support team and families to ensure that our students are supported in their learning journey.
Working with students who have additional needs is a reminder that learning is not only about academic growth, but about patience, perseverance and seeing the value in every small step forward. As a school community, we are continually blessed by what these students bring to our classrooms. They help us grow in empathy, creativity and give us a deeper understanding that every learner has something valuable to contribute. Their voice is heard and matters.
1 Corinthians 12:12 says “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” This verse reminds us that every student in our school brings unique gifts, abilities and strengths. Our desire is to nurture those gifts and support students as they grow in confidence and develop the abilities God has given them.
Alongside supporting students who require additional support, we are also placing greater emphasis on identifying and providing enriched learning opportunities for students who demonstrate high potential or giftedness. At HPCS, our approach to Diverse Learning is guided by a clear purpose: to create equitable learning environments where each student’s strengths and needs are recognised and valued. We believe that every child is uniquely created by God and our goal is to ensure that all students are engaged, challenged and supported at their individual point of need. We will be continuing to run programs such as Initalit (early reading intervention) for students in K-2 during school hours and introducing AGAT (General Ability testing) and ICAS assessment testing for some of our High Potential students (expressions of interest forms will be sent out towards the end of the term).
We are so grateful for the opportunity to partner with families as we support each child at HopePoint Christian School. By working together, we are able to better understand each child and support them in ways that help them grow and flourish academically, socially and spiritually.
Mrs Rebecca Schofield
Diverse Learning Coordinator