From the Principal

Walking side by side 

For my final Newsletter piece for Term 1, I want to share something I shared with staff at a recent Devotion. My inspiration for this devotion stemmed from some of the interactions I have had with members of the Lakeside College community with whom I have been privileged to spend time in conversation and dialogue. It begins:

Last week I was privileged with two pretty amazing encounters with parents. The first encounter involved a conversation with a parent whose daughter had joined us in Year 7, at the start of 2024. I distinctly recall conducting two school tours with this parent and their daughter as well as conducting a full interview. On these occasions I encountered a single parent, ambitious for her two children, and prepared to make sacrifices to send them to our school. This parent clearly wanted her children to be part of our community and to enjoy the benefits of our caring and loving community. It was no surprise to me that every time I ran into this parent and their child that both seemed really happy with the decision to choose Lakeside College. 

I was really taken aback on a Friday afternoon though when I encountered this parent picking up their child who had just attended the Year 7 camp. The parent was literally sobbing. I naturally asked them if they were okay and through tears, this parent explained to me how blessed she felt and how happy she was that she had chosen Lakeside College. She explained to me that the staff on camp had been absolutely fantastic with their child and how blessed and happy they were that their child was at our school. They explained that the staff were able to keep the child at camp, despite the child’s insistence that they go home. They embraced the child’s anxiety, trepidation and fear and gently and lovingly encouraged them to summon the courage to get into the activities. Each morning, pretty much the same scenario played out with the student wanting to go home and each morning, our staff empowered that student to keep going and embrace the camp experience. The staff did what we all set out to do, make the learning experience at Lakeside as meaningful, satisfying and growth orientated as possible – and they succeeded brilliantly. 

The second encounter I had was another affirming conversation about our staff and how amazing they are. In particular, this parent thanked me and explained how happy they were with the direction in which we are moving the school and also of the amazing work of our teachers with her children. As a parent of several children, all with different needs and issues, the parent spoke about the expertise and compassion of our teachers in working with their children. She also spoke about how well we care for students with different learning needs, from those needing extra support, to those that needing extension and enrichment. This parent’s children all have very different needs and they complimented our ability to identify and accommodate all of those different needs.  I was also thrilled to hear this parent talk about the culture amongst the students and how some of their children, despite having significant challenges, are flourishing both academically, emotionally, physically and socially. 

These encounters made me think about the notion of servant leadership and of giving of ourselves selflessly even when faced with difficult and challenging circumstances. Servant leadership is about not taking the easy way out, but working hard to improve the lives of others in our care and the wider community. Servant leadership is also about walking side by side with our brothers and sisters as we traverse the rollercoaster we call life.  I often wonder if when serving others, we are really conscious of what we are doing and how we are living out in practice the love God showed us through sacrificing his own son so that we are able to enjoy eternal life. 

In the gospel of Mark, we see this message clearly.10:42-45 

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great one’s exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In John 13:12-17 we seem see this message equally clearly. 

2 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. 

So I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all of our teachers, student support officers, administration and maintenance staff. Their everyday acts of compassion and kindness, sometimes with a bit of tough love, make a huge difference in the lives of our students. At the end of each day, I am reminded of how lucky and blessed I am to be working with such amazing people. My prayer for all of us as we move toward the holiest of days of the Christian calendar is one of thanks to our loving God, who in ways we do not always see or recognize, blesses us with the gift of love, understanding, tolerance, compassion and intellect. 

May you all have a holy and peaceful Easter.

God bless

Mr Robert Tassoni

Principal