PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

And so, farewell!

It has been a bit difficult writing this piece for the newsletter as I realise, after joining the College back in July 2009, my time at St Andrews is coming to an end as I will be retiring at the end of this year.

A redundancy in 2008 and an absence from teaching for 14 years, caused me to reflect on what I had enjoyed most about my working life.  After a long discussion with my wife, Jenni, as we walked along the Silverleaves beach at Phillip Island, and after committing my future to God, I determined that a return to teaching was what I wanted.  

I was fortunate enough to gain a position at St Andrews Christian College and, as they say, the rest is history!

Darren Waterworth, in an interview with me for the 2021 Presentation Night, asked me four questions:

• What changes have you seen over your time at the College?  
  I remember walking onto the Wantirna South site at the end of 2009 to see an expanse of bare land with no buildings on it. So, the biggest change I have seen has been the development of the property with new buildings and facilities. I have also. seen the College almost double in the number of students we have and there have been many improvements and great developments in the teaching and systems to assist with our learning and teaching.
• What has brought you the greatest happiness during your time at St Andrews?
  The students are what have brought me the greatest happiness.  I love that my office is located where I can see the majority of the school and it is the best part of my day when students come past my office and wave or tap on the window.  A school is not a school without the wonderful students!
• What are you going to miss?
  Obviously the students!  However, St Andrews is a very special and caring community. I love the fact that we have the opportunity to invest in the lives of the students at the College.  However, the highlight of each day for me is the opportunity to share in a devotion time with the other staff.  For me the thing I am going to miss most are these devotion times and being part of the St Andrews community.
• What are you looking forward to in retirement?
  My wife tells me I am not retiring, but I am just stopping fulltime work!  I am looking forward to having more time to spend with Jenni and my seven grandchildren. I am also looking forward to having time to devote to some work around our house, my hobbies and the opportunity to do some travel – maybe only within Australia for a while!

These past twelve years have brought me much happiness and I can’t think of a better way to have finished my full-time working career.  One other thing which I will miss is the annual College theme, and this year’s them Trust in the Lord has been no exception. There have been many times during this year when I have had to dig deep and trust in the Lord.

St Andrews will always hold a special place in my heart and the College will remain in my thoughts and prayers in the days to come. May God bless each of you as we approach the celebration of Jesus’ birth and I pray for a safe and restful break for all of you over the festive season.

Trust in the Lord

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Every blessing,

Tim Farmilo

Acting Principal