A Community Shaped by Wisdom

What a wonderful start to the year it has been! I am especially thankful for Friends of Donvale (FOD) and the care they put into organising last Saturday’s Welcome Fest. This generous team of volunteers gave many hours—both beforehand and on the day—to make sure our community was well provided with food, drinks, entertainment, and opportunities to connect with one another.

Children—and many adults—loved the carnival games, inflatable rides, waterslide and dunk tank, which were especially refreshing in the warm weather. It was a joyful way to begin another year of learning, growing, and serving together.

FOD has also blessed our community in other practical ways, providing coffee and pastries for parents on the first days of school and again this week for our Year 7 families as they dropped off their children for camp.

I encourage all parents to consider getting involved with FOD. An extra pair of hands is always appreciated, and it is a meaningful way to serve our community. You are also warmly invited to join the FOD prayer meetings on Monday mornings at 8:30am, as we commit our school and our work to the Lord.

Thank you again, FOD—we are truly grateful for all that you do.

The wholehearted service we have seen from FOD is a beautiful example of how our school community can reflect God’s love in practical ways. It also invites us to think more deeply about the kind of wisdom that guides our actions and relationships. James speaks directly to this, calling us to a wisdom that is lived out through humility, gentleness, and a heart shaped by God.

In James 2:13-18 we read

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

James reminds us that true wisdom is shown not simply by what we know, but by how we live. He contrasts worldly wisdom, which is marked by envy, selfish ambition, and disorder, with wisdom from above, which is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

This heavenly wisdom shapes our actions. Just as a tree is known by its fruit, a wise life is recognised through humility, gentleness, and Christlike behaviour.

James concludes by reminding us that peacemakers who sow peace reap a harvest of righteousness—a beautiful picture of what we desire for our college community.

As Christian educators and parents, we have daily opportunities to intentionally model and nurture this wisdom. Students observe how we handle mistakes, disagreements, pressures, and successes. These everyday moments shape their character. Beyond academic learning, we pray that our students will grow into young people who love what is good, seek peace, act with compassion, and follow Jesus sincerely. When we model these qualities, we point them to Christ, our anchor and the true source and example of wisdom.