Flourishing to the Finish Line

No matter with whom you talk to at the moment, people’s lives are busy and calendars are full at this time of the year. I find myself double-checking our family calendar daily, just to make sure I remember where I need to be – and which of my family members I will share a meal with each evening. 

When reflecting on this with Brendan earlier in the week, there was a conscious decision made by us both that, whilst there is a lot on with events to attend, meals to enjoy and conversations to be had, we would make an intentional decision to make the most of every opportunity, event and occasion that is yet to be had.

As a result, we reached the end of a huge day of Thanksgiving on Tuesday with full and thankful hearts for every part of our incredible community. Our students were amazing as they presented and performed, our staff encouraged and supported in only a way that they can, and it was truly wonderful to see our parents joining us as we gave thanks to God for a year of flourishing at DCC.

An important part of our Thanksgiving service is the commissioning of our student leaders for 2025. We gave thanks for the leaders of 2024, who have excelled in their roles and carried out their responsibilities with grace and lots of fun, and prayed for our new leaders as they prepare to lead the Primary students next year. 

I congratulate each of the following students who will fulfil their assigned leadership roles next year:

As per my correspondence to all families via Schoolbox, the 2025 Teams are as follows:

Prep - Helen Reid, Orlagh Doyle, Melanie Eadie, Brie Price and Kellie Westcott

Year 1 - Su-Ann Chung, Keith Heng, Sheridan Pover and Michelle Wrench 

Year 2 - Anna Starchenko, Stephanie Farren, Sarah Halls and Katrina Martine

Year 3 - Bryce Morgan, Melanie Pryce, Esther Oakley and Joshua Turnbull

Year 4 - Mariah Reed, Jacob Abbott, Amy Kakkasis and Lachlan Taylor

Year 5 - Harry Foster, Steven Adermann, Sulari Nielsen and Hannah Simpkins

Year 6 - Courtney Ayala, Peter Evans, AnnMarie Huddlestone and Yin Kik Li

Primary Class of 2024

Next week, we will honour and celebrate our Year 6 students as they graduate from Primary School. These students have been a wonderful group – full of energy, fun and enthusiasm for life and learning. 

Our Primary School Captains, Scarlette Goh and Noah Williamson, have been incredible leaders this year, stepping up to every opportunity with enthusiasm and a desire to serve the Primary School. Our House Leaders have brought a strong sense of community to events, and been wonderful encouragers to the younger students. The Year Level Ambassadors have connected with and supported the students in their levels, providing ways to connect and encourage throughout the year.  

We pray for God’s blessing over our Year 6 students as they continue to flourish in all that they do as they move to years of learning in Secondary school and beyond!

A few key diary notes for 2025:

• The first day of Term 1 for students in Years 1-6, is Thursday 30 January. 
• Preps start on Friday 31 January or Monday 3 February (as per the communication to individual families).
• 2025 Primary Information Evening is on Tuesday 4 February at 6.30pm
• The College Office will close over the Christmas and New Year break. The final day for the DCC Administration Office is Friday 20 December; it will re-open on Monday 13 January 2025.

With a few more fun events yet to be enjoyed, including Orientation, Year 6 Graduation, Party Day and our final Worship Assembly, we give thanks to God for the blessing that DCC is now, has been and will be in the future as we continue to allow our roots to dig deep into the rich soil of God’s love and grace, and we look forward to a year of Jubilee in 2025.

May the love of God, evident in the most precious gift, Jesus, fill your hearts, your minds and your homes as you celebrate Christmas and enjoy a season of rest over the summer break.

Goodbye and God Bless!

The final week of the year comes hand in hand with thank yous and farewells. Whilst never easy, we appreciate that in life, there is a time for everything within the seasons of life. 

On behalf of your DCC family, I say farewell to our highly valued and dearly loved Primary Teacher, Barb Soutter who has graced our school for 22 years, many of those years spent teaching our littlest learners in Prep. We honour her passion for literacy and learning, her relationships built with many students and families over time and celebrate all that she has brought to the DCC community over the years. 

We also say thank you and farewell to Felicity Morice who is relocating to Tasmania with family. Mandy Jin will finish her time as a Chinese Language Teacher, however, we will continue to see her from time to time as a CRT in the future. We pray blessings over Laura Power who is venturing off to begin her teaching career in 2025, and thank her for the incredible support she has given to staff and students during her time as an LA. 

Go well, dear friends and may you continue to flourish under God in the years ahead. 

We also pray God’s blessings upon AnnMarie Lok who will marry her fiancé Liam in January.

To the families leaving at the end of the year, we pray for God's blessings, protection, and ongoing guidance over each one of you. Our prayer is that the seeds that have been planted will be watered and nurtured, allowing each student and family to flourish as you continue to trust in God’s perfect promises and plans.