Celebrating 20 Years!

A lot can happen in 20 years.

Twenty years ago Bill Clinton was being impeached, Michael Jordan was retiring, Romance Novel heartthrob Fabio was hit in the face by a goose… and in a quiet little school in Belgrave Heights, one of the parent volunteers accepted a position as a Learning Assistant. Twenty years later, Leanne Webster is still here and still a vital part of our BHCS community.

To put this length of service into context, Leanne has been on-staff for as long as Bluetooth has existed, as long as the Euro has been a currency and as long as Pokemon has been a ‘thing’. Our current batch of Year 12 students weren’t even born when she drove down the corrugated dirt road (dodging the old gum tree in the middle) for her first ‘official’ day of work.

So what has kept her here for 20 years? The two words that came to her mind were ‘Family’ and ‘Community’. Her three children – Sam, Ellery and Eilish – have all been through BHCS, and next year the first of her grandchildren will start in our 2021 Prep. What a contrast in facilities since then!

This sense of family and community was acutely tangible when her husband Nemo (Adrian) passed away in February 2012; the prayers, the hugs, the support, the meals… she says that it just kept coming. She could really feel a healing – in fact she suspects she wouldn’t have healed as she did if she hadn’t been a part of our special community.

It makes sense that she would receive such support when she gives so much support too. She says that BHCS is ‘loving and caring’ – exactly what our other long-serving staff say about her. This year she has reflected upon the people in those 20 years – she still keeps in touch with past friends and students, many of whom are busy having families of their own.

Over these 20 years, Leanne has seen the school transformed from a ‘bush school’ to the BHCS of today – but she says it has been a smooth transition, a natural gradual flow.

“I felt my kids were some of the lucky ones – even though they had minimal playground equipment and facilities, they were in a unique setting with wonderful caring Christian staff – something I am very happy and proud to still be a part of. I’ve been extremely blessed to be able to call BHCS and the people here my family.”

Thank you Leanne for all that you have given to our community and how you have helped shape BHCS into the community and family that we are today.