Remembering Christine Park

I like to firstly thank everyone for their support and hard work before and during Swing into Spring. It was so lovely to have our community come together and celebrate our amazing school. It truly represented who we are and what we stand for. Diversity, friendship and dedication.

It's been such an incredibly hard last two weeks. So much sadness and confusion over the lives that have been lost.

I'd like to take this opportunity to share some memories of my colleague of 9 years and my friend, Christine Park. I first began working with Christine when she was an ES at Collingwood College and a staff member of the City of Yarra, working at the Collingwood College aftercare program. Over the years, Christine and I got to know each other well, first through my mentoring her in her early years of teaching and then through our many passionate conversations about education.

Christine’s passion for teaching, especially Steiner education and inclusion, will always stand out. The many discussions we had regarding equity in education, how to support diverse learning in the Steiner stream and how to continue to grow as educators open to changes, yet ensuring we hold on to our beliefs and passions. 

Christine was an excellent teacher, completely dedicated to her class. She was firm but loving; every decision she made was based on the well-being of her students. She spent hours working her magic to ensure every student in her class connected with the Steiner pedagogy and Victorian curriculum, even if it meant planning the same lesson in six different ways.

Christine loved food and was an excellent cook. Every term she would make a dish or two with her students, and she never failed to send a bowl down to my office. Often I would find a takeaway container on my desk with a delicious dish she had made the night before at home with a note saying “try this one, and I want my container back”!

Chrisitne and I often shared stories of our childhood, being kids of immigrant parents, holding on to another culture whilst finding our path within the Australian culture. She was incredibly proud to be Korean, and brought her love of diversity into her class often. Korean tea ceremonies were common, and she even managed to organise a ‘parents day foot washing ceremony’.

The thing I will miss the most will be her laughter, the chicky look in her eyes just before she would tilt her head to one side and laugh, a contagious laugh. 

Farewell Christine, you are missed incredibly and will continue to be.

Please look after yourselves. This spring school holidays, sit in the sun, take in a breath of fresh air and enjoy the little things in life; smell of spring flowers, the buzzing of bees, the laughter of your children and the hugs of your loved ones.

I look forward to seeing you in Term four.

Take care,

Sormeh