Associate Principal, Operations Report
Chaucer Street Service
Rev. Peter Cook led the Service at Chaucer Street this week. Mr Cook is always generous with his time for us and, once again, he presented some thoughtful ideas for us all to consider - as well as engaging us in some foot-tapping singing!
One of the Readings he shared with us is worth printing. It was originally an anonymous posting on the internet in 2002 and was later published in the “Herald-Sun” in Bryan Patterson’s Faithworks column:
I dreamed I had an interview with God.
“So you would like to interview me?” God asked.
“If you have the time, “ I said.
God smiled.
“My time is eternity. What questions do you have in mind for me?”
“What surprises you most about humankind?”
God answered: “That they get bored with childhood. They rush to grow up and then long to be children again.
“That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health.
“That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future.
“That they live as if they will never die and die as if they had never lived.”
Then I asked: “As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?”
God replied with a smile: “To learn they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is let themselves be loved.
“To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others.
“To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is the one who needs the least.
“To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and it takes many years to heal them.
“”To learn to forgive by practising forgiveness.
“To learn that there are persons who love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.
“To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently.
“To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others. But that they must forgive themselves.
“And to learn that I am here always.”
Coupled with Readings from Matthew’s Gospel, the book of Psalms and quotations from Chief Seattle and the Dalai Lama, Mr Cook demonstrated the need to live in harmony: with ourselves, our family and friends, our communities and our world.
It was a well-received and positively delivered message.
Independent Schools Victoria Filming
Independent Schools Victoria (ISV) represents 200-plus diverse Members Schools that reflect various religious affiliation and educational philosophies. The Hamilton and Alexandra College is a member of ISV. To highlight the diversity of the Victorian Independent education sector, ISV is developing a short video and will be visiting our school on 10 May to film teachers and students interacting. ISV will be filming 16 schools to reflect the sector in a 2 minute video. This video is being produced for ISV events and their website. Shorter versions of the video will be used on social media. All Member Schools will be offered a copy of the video. The Hamilton and Alexandra College will see the video before it is completed to ensure that it reflects our school values. Parents have already provided permission (as part of the enrolment process) for photographs and films of their sons and daughters to be used for promotional purposes; however, if you would not like your child to be filmed, or require any further information or clarification, please advise me.
Mr Neil MacLean