Lifelong Learners

Dear students, teachers, parents and the Cecil Hills community,

Education Week is an annual celebration of NSW public education and the achievements of our schools, students and education system. This year, Education Week was celebrated from Monday 26 to Friday 30 July 2021 with the theme of 'Lifelong learners'.​

Lifelong learning is about creating and maintaining a positive attitude towards learning for both personal and professional development. It also refers to our journey of life and the lessons we learn along the way.

Whether you’re pursuing your personal interests and passions or chasing goals, lifelong learning is a crucial key to helping you achieve fulfillment and satisfaction in your projects. We as young adults have the natural desire to learn, grow and expand our knowledge. By investing our time into goals that inspire us, lifelong learning allows us to enhance our sense of self-worth and provide the resources we need to be successful. 

So what does lifelong learning look like? Well we may already be practising lifelong learning skills without even realising it. This could include learning a new sport or picking up a new instrument, developing a new skill like public speaking or learning a new language. One example of lifelong learning that we are all currently developing is our use of technology. Although COVID has caused widespread isolation, technology has brought people from all over the world together. The skills we have developed by going online, such as adaptation, flexibility and resilience are skills we can always implement into our daily encounters and throughout different stages of our lives.

Learning ALWAYS has purpose, we don't learn for the sake of learning, we learn for the rewarding experience.  

Lifelong learning helps the growth of our personal development and increases our knowledge and skills in a variety of areas. An example of this could be beginning a new hobby such as cooking. Cooking offers many benefits, it expands your knowledge of the world by introducing you to flavours from different cultures. It also allows for the development of time management skills and is an enjoyable activity that allows you to bond with your friends and family. Another example includes going to the gym. Not only are you improving yourself by developing your knowledge on physical fitness and health, you are also expanding your social circle by joining a larger community of like-minded people. You can obtain lifelong skills that will not only be beneficial to any specific self-improvement goals you may have, but you inherit health knowledge that will always be a valuable asset to your wellbeing. 

In celebration of Education Week across schools in NSW, we also can’t neglect the lifelong learning experiences we’ve practised inside and outside of the classroom. The development of our knowledge and skills we’ve been taught in our early years of education continues to evolve throughout the rest of our lives. By going to school, we are preparing for what life throws at us. We learn how to be a friend, an analytical thinker, a problem solver, a leader, a mentor and most importantly a better listener with every lesson that we face. Lifelong learning sparks a renewed self-motivation, improved self-esteem ,confidence and recognition of our personal interests. We learn more about ourselves, the desired vision for our future and the coping skills to manage future obstacles.

Our newly-challenged beliefs and ideas allow us to grasp an in-depth understanding of society and help us achieve a more satisfying personal life. 

As B.B. King famously once said, 

“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.”

We will always encourage you to have your heart and mind open to be willing to learn. Even if it seems insignificant, possibilities are infinite. 

Enjoy our video below - Hope you all had a Happy Education Week!

Lots of love

Violeta Bozanic and Max Krol

School Captains - 2021