Burnie Campus Principal 

One of the joys in my role is connecting with other CEN Schools across the state. We meet once a term as principals to collectively work together and learn from each other. In the room, there are people with a variety of gifts and expertise, who run distinctly different schools due to their location, size and other variables, but they are united by a passion for Christian Education.

One of the best parts about this principal day is that we move around the state and hold our CENPAT (Christian Education National Principal Association of Tasmania) meetings on site at one of our 10 schools. This allows us to tour campuses, see their innovations in action, view building projects, and witness school culture up close.

I love seeing how the students from Kinder to Year 12 interact with their school leaders as we complete these tours. There is a warmth, a sense of knowing and being known as they casually interact with each other. Regardless of which school we are in, this is something I see being deliberately cultivated across our CEN schools.

Just this week, I was walking across our own campus following a group of students to their next lesson. They were laughing and skipping together with linked arms, happy and enjoying their day. Besides providing quality, Christ-centred education, this is what we want for each of our students.

We desire to be a school where children feel safe and supported, and we work, often behind the scenes, to ensure that this happens wherever possible. Are we the perfect school? No, no school is.

Do we take culture and counter-cultural behaviour seriously? We sure do!  One of the ways we create this culture is that at the start of each day Mrs Polden or I speak to the children and remind them of the kind of behaviours we expect, and the students often tell us what that should look and sound like. We then pray with the whole school and send them to class settled and ready for a time of play to start the day.

We are one of the only schools I know of who has appointed Child Safety Officers on each campus. Mrs Polden visits our classrooms regularly to remind the students of her role and how they can access support. She has a mailbox at her office door where children can leave a message, a compliment or share something they would like followed up.

There are lunchtime programs such as the student led Bible study, construction groups where a small group of children work on long-term projects, and the STEM room is open for students to use if they need a break from the playground, a place to chill out, time to play a game or build some LEGO ®.

My office is in the centre of the school, and I am regularly visited by children from across all the year groups, wanting to tell me something, to have a chat or to spend some time in my office to address behaviour or attitudes that may need redirecting.

Each week, we bookend our learning programs by providing wrap around support for our students through the Chaplain, who works Mondays, and our Counsellor on Fridays. Our students know that they can talk to any adult in the school to share how their day is going and there are posters around the school to remind them of this.

During morning tea and lunchtime, those on duty carry a bag and walkie-talkie (or phone) so that they can respond in a timely manner to any incidents in the playground. This process ensures incidents that need to be escalated or reported to first aid can be followed up.

With all these structures and supports in place, we will still have young ones who make a poor decision or who will need some guidance and direction to change their behaviours. Part of our responsibility in running a Christian school is to support these young ones through their sometimes-challenging behaviours and to provide a pathway for them to make better decisions and choices in the future. I am sure we all have times in our lives where someone gave us a second chance, and as a Christian school, we want to be this place for our students.

High expectations from staff sustains high outcomes from students, and working in partnership with parents allows us to complete the circle of support for those enrolled at Leighland Christian School.

Let me track back to my CENPAT visits. What is so evident across the state is that our schools are busy places where wonderful things are happening, including individual growth, demonstrated creativity, academic outcomes and a chance to make (and learn from) our mistakes.

So, as we roll into the term holidays, I pray that you and your family enjoy the break, that you have time to celebrate the wins and growth in your children over Term Three and that you come back ready and expectant of a wonderful Term Four as we finish out this school year together.

Elizabeth Scheu 

Burnie Campus Principal