The Anchor

From the Principal

Upholding the spirit of unity

 

From the commencement of Term Three, we have been focused on the importance of our school culture and our lived values.

 

Specifically, we have explored the spirit of unity among as we seek to serve others beyond ourselves, work collaboratively, engage in the full life of the school, keep each other accountable and remain steadfast to what is important - one school, one approach, one community.

 

Our school is committed to shaping and upholding a culture of unity and harmony. Therefore, we point to six pillars that ground our collective ambition and responsibility. 

  1. We show love and care to one another. We meet together, build others up, not tear them down.

     

  2. We have clarity of purpose. This is best described by our values of respect, integrity, courage and compassion; and our mission, to be a future focused school of educators called to ignite passion, shape purpose and cultivate joy for every student.

     

  3. We have clear expectations. Simply, we expect every staff member and student to give of their best, always. You don't have to be the best, rather, give of your best.

     

  4. We keep each other accountable. It does not matter if our school has clarity of purpose and defined expectations, unless we can hold the 'mirror up' to ourselves and others and ask the question, 'am I/you/we meeting school expectations?', we do not walk in truth and we move further away from living with integrity.

     

  5. We are adaptable. The rapid pace of change is evident in everyday life. Schools are no different. Too often we see people that are simply not good in 'off-road conditions'. Often this is a result of mistrust, stress, a lack of resilience and a loss of agency.  Being adaptable helps us find solutions to problems, see our different perspectives and make informed decisions.

     

  6. We approach life with a growth mindset. A life of curiosity, a love of learning, and intrinsic motivation shapes a more positive future of opportunity, together.

Disunity is real. I am often curious as to the why? When speaking with staff and students, I sometimes point to pride, envy and mistrust that can lead to 'whinging sideways' rather than up', and 'slashing the seats on the bus'. 

 

From time to time, we do get cranky, we do lose our patience, we can be exasperated and disappointed. By 'whinging up', to leaders or those than can help, we reclaim agency and voice, we point to accountability but can be humbled by new learnings and perspectives.

 

To continue to maintain our school's purpose and aspiration, we want 'people on the bus', and 'in the right seats'. 'Slashing the seats', does not unify. It is toxic, it does not lift others up, and we are clearly less than our best selves.

 

In the continued pursuit of shaping the spirit of unity at our school, I offer the following prayer: 

 

May we learn to listen to and respect one another, working together towards a culture of unity. 

 

Help us to put aside any prejudices or misunderstandings and see each person as a fellow human being worthy of love and forgiveness.

 

Open our eyes to those who are struggling and need help. Let us be your heart, hands and feet as we care for others. 

 

Open the doors of opportunity to demonstrate courage and compassion, standing up for justice and equality as we work toward a culture where everyone is treated with dignity and feels a deep sense of belonging. 

 

Make our community one of integrity and of peace where we put others before self so we might flourish and do good works.

 

Amen.

 

Mr Mathew Irving | Principal