From the Principal

Congratulations to the following students:

Charlotte Crowley who was presented with the Cheval Equitation Trophy for her equestrian success
Sebastian Bianchi, Jordan Cloudsdale and Christopher Guy for their Assembly performance this week
Cassia Antolli and Madeleine Morrison who represented the College at a Young Women Leaders’ Summit on Tuesday
Our Grade 9 and 10 Advanced Science students who have exhibited the results of their investigations at today’s Science Fair
Our Primary students who participated in the Huon and Channel Athletics Carnival last week.

I am looking forward to tonight’s MYP Arts and Design Celebration Night, to see some of the work produced by our Arts and Design students and to watch performances by our Music and Drama students. This event will be a time to celebrate the talents and creativity of many of our Secondary students.

At this week’s Assembly, I spoke to students about the Learning Zone and Performance Zone. I shared a favourite quote, ‘The expert in anything was once a beginner’ and used this to talk to students about the long journey from first trying a new skill to becoming a high performer. I spoke to them about how this is reflected in their own journey through school. Each stage is about mastering the skills they will need to apply as they move into the next phase. Established skills become a foundation on which to build new skills.

Most of our time should be spent in the Learning Zone. This is where we are focused on improving in areas we haven’t yet mastered. Mistakes are to be expected as we work to refine our execution of the skill. If a musician is learning a challenging new piece of music, for example, there will likely be some parts that need particular focus, maybe slowing down to concentrate on accuracy.

Mindset Works’ Blog

Stepping into the Performance Zone is when the there is greater emphasis on high quality execution. For our Arts students this week, standing up in front of an audience means stepping into the Performance Zone. Grade 9 and 10 have exams next week. This is again a time for them to step into the Performance Zone.

Often being in the Performance Zone is accompanied by some nerves. I would like students to come to understand that a degree of nervousness is natural and can actually help them to perform better. Opportunities to be in a Performance Zone help us to get used to the feeling and learn skills in managing uncomfortable emotions. Grade 9 and 10 exams are, for example, designed to be an opportunity to learn how to prepare for and sit exams prior to starting Year 11 and 12.

I pray that our students can also find assurance is knowing they are part of a caring community in which we are all accepted as we are, not on the basis of what we do. As a community, we recognise that we are loved by God. There is nothing we do to earn His love. Indeed, 1 John 4 emphasises that God sent his Son not because of our love for Him but because of His love for us. We love others because we know we are loved by Him.

1 John 4:9-12

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

Jodie Bennett

Principal