Letter to Family and Friends

Dear Families, 

Our children learn in all sorts of settings - the classroom, of course, but plenty of other places too. Sometimes the lesson arrives in a single moment, almost without them noticing. (And sometimes without us as parents noticing!) Handing over a coin, wrapping a gift, baking a batch of biscuits - these small acts can teach far more than they might seem to, and sometimes long before our children are old enough to explain why it matters.

Over the past fortnight, our Year 6 students - and our broader school community - have given us plenty of chances to see this in action. The Bali Life stalls saw our Year 6s spend time planning, budgeting and preparing baked goods and crafts to sell to the rest of the school, all in support of a foundation that provides a home, education and hope to disadvantaged children and women in Bali. Then, just this week, those same students turned host, preparing produce from our Friendship Garden and serving parents, grandparents and friends at our Connections Cafe. Two very different events, but both gave our students the same gift: a real, hands-on experience of what it means to serve.

This is one of the things I love most about our school community. Our parent volunteers get to model service to our students, and our senior students get to model service to their buddies. It's there in our parent volunteers who gave up their time to run the Father's Day stall. It's there in the parents who quietly help behind the scenes in so many ways! Our children are always watching, and they often learn more from what we do than from what we say.

With Casual Day coming up next week with its associated donations, there's another small opportunity here. We know cash isn't something everyone has these days, and we are pleased to provide Qkr as an easy option for any family who'd prefer to use it. But if you do happen to have a few coins available, there's something wonderfully tangible about a child physically handing over their own money for someone else's benefit. It's a small moment, but it can teach a big lesson. So if it works for your family this week, it might be a lovely, everyday opportunity to talk with your child about generosity and what it means to give something of your own to help someone else.

There's a simple but important idea behind all of this: that the world is bigger than our own four walls, that there are people doing it tough, and that each of us has been given time, talents and resources not just to keep for ourselves, but to share. When our children see the adults around them living that out, they learn that generosity isn't reserved for special occasions. It's just what our community does.

Thank you to everyone who supported the Bali Life stalls (in supporting your Year 6 child, or in providing some cash for stall purchases), who came along to the Connections Cafe, who gave time to the Father's Day stall, and in all the other ways you volunteer. You've each played a part in showing our children what it looks like to Serve - and in doing so, you've helped shape the kind of people they're becoming.

Blessings, 

Michael Denholm

Business Manager