Welcome!

As we come to the conclusion of the first full week of lessons for students in 2024, I start my first Principally Thinking newsletter with a heartfelt welcome! Our student body now numbers almost 1620. With all our year groups at their full class count, available places in any year group will prove hard to come by. It is exciting to have you with us this year. We wait in faithful anticipation to see the part each of us will all play in the narrative of our community’s activities – after all, it forms a testimony of God’s kingdom work among us.

Welcome back to every single student, staff member and family member who shared the journey of 2023 with us. I trust that the pleasures of the summer break are still fresh in your memories – times spent with loved ones, experiencing things together in a relaxed and non-hurried way; may these be the stories of the next 12 months, as you pause for a moment over a meal or a hot beverage, recalling the feelings that made those times special.  

Perhaps it was something God taught you; perhaps it was simply a happening never experienced so beautifully or serenely. Maybe, even, it was a lesson learned that has set your course for this year in a new and more meaningful way. Perhaps, even, God spoke to you about what he has in store for you.  

Welcome, especially, to all our new students and their families. Welcome to the Donvale Christian College community. In a handful of cases, you are returning after some time away from us. We trust you find us as you left us – with Christ at the centre, looking faithfully to the Bible for our inspiration and direction, seeking as a community always to bring glory to God in what we do.  

If you are completely new to our community, may we be a blessing to you. May the wonderful narrative of God’s work in your family’s life be enriched by you joining us now. Previously, I have sat with you, in enrolment interviews, hearing your amazing testimonies of God's reality in your lives and the saving relationship you have with Jesus emanating all aspects of your lives together as a family. 

It is my prayer that the relationships you now form with teachers, other staff, other students and their families further enrich your own personal testimony. We are sure that God has much in store for all of us, and you – as our new members and narrative builders – are part of that enriching experience.

Shalom to all.