Dear Parents,

High Expectations vs High Pressure

There’s a fine line between having high expectations and placing high pressure on our children and as parents and educators, we walk that line every day.

I believe in encouraging every child to achieve their personal best. Not the best, their best. True excellence doesn’t come from constant comparison or perfectionism; it grows from effort, reflection, resilience, and the belief that they can grow.

There’s no doubt that children thrive when the adults around them are cheering for their growth, not just their grades. High expectations are important as they build confidence, purpose, and motivation. But high pressure can leave students feeling like they’ll never measure up.

So how do we strike the right balance?

One way is by adopting a growth mindset, valuing the process more than the outcome. When a child knows that hard work is what’s celebrated (not just top marks or first place), they begin to take more ownership of their learning. We can support this at home by asking questions like, “What did you try today that was challenging?”

It’s also important that expectations are clear and realistic. Children can feel pressure when they don’t understand what’s being asked of them, or when the bar keeps moving. My experience is children feel safe when they know exactly what is being asked of them and what the boundaries are. Focus on the skills, habits, and attitude you’d like to see, not just the numbers on a report or final outcome.

And perhaps most importantly, let them make mistakes. It can be so tempting to step in and ‘fix’ things for our kids, but mistakes are where real growth happens. Our kids need the space to struggle a bit, bounce back, and learn how to try again.

All of this takes time, encouragement, and lots of small conversations along the way. But the reward is watching our young people grow in confidence, not just in what they can do, but in who they’re becoming.

Athletics Carnival

A huge congratulations to all our students for such a successful Athletics Carnival on Wednesday. While we certainly enjoyed seeing some incredible races and long jumps, what really stood out was the attitude of our students, giving it a go, cheering on friends, and having fun along the way.

Days like this remind us that winning is never the most important thing. Watching each child push themselves, celebrate others, and enjoy the day is such a blessing. Well done to all! Congratulations to Ps Ethan for his excellent organising of the 2-6 carnival and to Mrs Davila for their excellent organisation of K-1!

Parent-Teacher Interviews

You will receive an email with a link to sign up for our parent teacher interviews on the 1st and 2nd of July.

These meetings are such a valuable opportunity to connect and for us to partner together in your child’s learning.

Please note:

If your child is in Years 5/6 times are slightly less flexible:

All Year 5 slots for interviews are on Tuesday
All Year 6 slots for interviews are on Wednesday

As we do Maths in stages; this is to ensure that if your child is in a different maths class you are also able to meet with their Maths teacher.

Generally, we see about 60% of families attend interviews. Let’s aim to lift that number closer to 100% this year! Our staff are committed to giving valuable and relevant feedback to you and it would be amazing if you could find the time to attend.

Head Lice

We have a reported case of lice in the school. Could you please check your child/ren’s head/s for any eggs or lice and then treat appropriately. It is also important that all of our girls have their hair tied up to stop our spread.

My door is always open.

Joe Britton

HopePoint Christian School Newsletter

Growing Minds | Shaping Hearts | Developing Purpose

Term 2 Week 7 · 13 Jun 2025

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