From the Principal

Congratulations to the badminton teams this year, particularly to our girls team that played in the College division (Year 11/12). Sienna (Year 11), Theresa, Fiona, Krishna (Year 10) and Lily (Year 9) won their final against Friends on Friday afternoon by a narrow margin.

Thank you to the amazing Year 6 parents who organised the Quiz night last Friday. Please see later in the newsletter for more information.

Staff News

At the end of this week, we farewell Dr Sean Priest. Dr Priest has been with us since the start of 2023. We thank him for his contribution as a class teacher, Home Group teacher and valued colleague and wish him well for future endeavours. Mr Paul Matthews will be replacing Dr Priest throughout Term 4. Mr Matthews is an experienced Humanities teacher and it is our pleasure to welcome him to our school community.

Mrs Danielle Woodberry will be taking long service leave in Term 4. We pray that it is a refreshing time for her and her family who are planning a special trip. Mr Chad Ivic will be covering the class four days per week. It has been a pleasure welcoming back Mr Ivic, a former staff member, who has spent some years working in technology education. Mrs King will be on leave for several weeks at the start of next term and will be covered by Mrs Keen.

Reflection

Last week, during our staff devotion time, we looked at the importance of reflection, as part of our work on the Thrive Framework. We started by looking at Acts 26. Paul has been imprisoned in Caesarea and had an opportunity to speak in front of King Agrippa. Paul recounts the story of his conversion, of hearing Jesus speak to him. Paul shares the command he was given by Jesus:

I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant. You are to tell others what you have seen of me today and what I will show you in the future. I will rescue you from the people of Israel and from the Gentiles to whom I will send you. You are to open their eyes and turn them from the darkness to the light and from the power of Satan to God, so that through their faith in me they will have their sins forgiven and receive their place among God's chosen people. (Acts 26: 16-18)

Paul explains to Agrippa that it is because he has been true to that calling that he has been arrested. He reiterates his commitment to use every opportunity, even this one, to point others to Christ.

Paul’s narrative connects his previous experiences to the present. He makes sense of his current situation by drawing a path from his calling to his current situation. It gives meaning and purpose to what is happening and so helps Paul to keep pushing forward despite the obvious challenges. It also helps him to maintain a sense of hope for the future. Paul understands the potential consequences of his current situation. He is fully aware that his life is on the line. Regardless, he still has hope that he can reach more people in the time he has. Paul is not a passive figure. While he may not have control over events, he is certainly active in constructing the narrative that connects events together.

As we approach the end of term, it is worthwhile for staff and students alike to reflect on the journey, to especially identify progress and celebrate success. There will also have been hiccups, setbacks and frustrations but we have a choice in how we frame these. We can choose to tell a story that sets these as stepping stones for the future, where we pick ourselves up and use them to spring forward.

One of the challenges for children and young people is that adverse events can fill their whole world and can feel as though they will last forever. As adults, we have more experience of the ups and downs of life, of working through challenges and seeing the potential benefits of hard situations for personal growth or at least understanding that things can and do improve with time. Our voice is important in helping our children make sense of situations, especially when they are feeling overwhelmed or pressed down. We can help them to create a narrative in which they can learn valuable lessons that they can take into the next chapter. We can help them to maintain a sense of hope and optimism by helping them to see their strength and capability.

At the end of another hectic term, I give thanks to God for each unique individual that is part of our community, for their diverse strengths, for the joy I see in so many, for their curiosity, their courage, their grit and for their caring hearts. I pray they have a safe and refreshing break and look forward to seeing that at the start of the new term.

Jodie Bennett

Principal