From the Deputy Principal 

What is “in” and what is “out” for you in 2023?

The beauty of schools is that every year brings a fresh new start. We are fortunate in education as each year brings a clearly defined new beginning unlike other workplaces and institutions where one year can roll into the next without any apparent difference.

This year again brings us new beginnings and with it new possibilities. First and foremost, and most significantly, we have a new Principal, Mr Scott Downward, who we warmly welcome into the fold of the Moama Anglican Grammar community. This year is new beginnings for staff also joining our community for the first time who are also warmly welcomed; Justin Wilhelm – Secondary Maths-Science teacher, Chandra Hale – Secondary Music teacher, Kirrilee Westblade – Secondary HSIE teacher, Leah Thompson – returning to MAG as Secondary PDHPE and Legal Studies teacher and PDHPE Head of Faculty, Dylan Scoble – staying at MAG another year (after finishing HSC here in 2022) as our K to 12 Sports Trainee, Kaitlin Cunningham – Secondary Educational Support Trainee, Justine McKenzie – returning to MAG after a years absence to continue as a Secondary Educational Assistant, Mary Ann Colturi – Secondary Educational Assistant and Koa Lucic also staying at MAG another year (after finishing HSC here in 2022) - Secondary Educational Support Trainee.

This year is one of new beginnings for our Kinder students and we officially welcomed them at our Commencement Assembly where each of our Year 12 students presented each of our Kinder students with a gift. A young tree to plant here at school was given to each Kinder student to represent the growth in learning, extra-curricular engagement and the growth as a person that our Kinders will experience during their time at Moama Anglican Grammar in the years ahead.

Last years Grade 6s are experiencing new possibilities as our new Year 7’s and last years Year 11s are now our senior leaders as Year 12's who will have new beginnings beyond this year. And of course there are new beginnings for all students new to Moama Anglican Grammar this year. We warmly welcome one and all.

New beginnings not only create possibilities and a chance to start afresh but also provide opportunities to reflect on what we would like to achieve and who we would like to be.

Ben Crowe, leadership coach and mentor to elite athletes including Ash Barty during her grand slam wins, talks in his blog about the importance of developing “habits that fiercely align with the kind of human we want to be”. He uses a tool to help identify what can be called “ins” and “outs”. Simply you draw a circle and write inside the circle what is “in” for you in 2023 and on the outside what is “out”.  It might be that stepping out of your comfort zone more often and always finding the good in people are “in”, and negative self-talk and mindless social media scrolling are “out”. Your “ins” and “outs” for 2023 can be a way of resetting as you begin a new journey and a way to recognise what you need to do to be the person you want to be. For us at Moama Anglican Grammar we are guided by the three core values of compassion, respect and integrity and for us they will continue to be  significant values that are the foundations for deciding what is “in” for 2023 and what is “out”. 

Many of our students are already making positive choices of what is “in” for them this year and are embracing the opportunities in the new beginnings this year has presented. It has been a busy start to the year but a positive and enjoyable one.

Ms Kathleen Kemp

Deputy Principal