Principal's Report
Dear Families,
Our gospel for the second Sunday in Lent tells the story of Jesus taking Peter, James and John to the top of a mountain where Jesus was transfigured, his face and garments shining with blinding light, and Moses and Elijah appeared to talk with them. During this time God reveals Himself, telling the disciples that Jesus is his son, in whom He is most pleased. What a terrifying experience this moment must have been for the three disciples, yet a privileged and powerful one. Our experiences of God are unlikely to be as obvious and at times we need to take time to reflect and see the precious moments where God chooses to reveal Himself to us. The preciousness of our existence is that we can see God every day when we allow ourselves to be open to His presence. One of the joys of working at Killester is the ways in which this happens every day, God is present in the way we witness our students in their interactions with others, a perfect example of which can be seen in the students who volunteer to work with Joey's Van. We witness God in the students who help other when they see a need; sometimes even in the simple act of helping a friend with their school work, at other times in the way the students respond to our call to help those less fortunate such as our toiletries appeal for girls impacted by the bushfires. One very important element of our life together at school is making sure we find the time to see God's presence in our daily lives.
As I write this our Year 7 students are thoroughly enjoying their time at Philip Island on Year 7 camp. I was able to visit camp on Thursday and I was delighted to see the students making new friends, sharing meals and having lots of fun together. I thank all of the staff who give so generously of their time to enable our students to such such a rich experience.
On Wednesday I was fortunate enough to be present at the SCSA swimming sports where our girls shone in the pool and finished first in our division. Not only was the swimming from our students outstanding, the way in which they conducted themselves showed them all to be excellent ambassadors of the College. Our students competed with determination and demonstrated keen teamwork. Congratulations to all staff and students on the very deserved success of the evening. Keep an eye out for photos and further details in our next Newsletter.
At the recent parent information evenings I spoke to parents of the upcoming school review. Staff at the College have been working hard to prepare for the review which will allow us the opportunity to identify ares where we can celebrate the wonderful work being done in so many areas across the College, as well as articulate opportunities for growth and improvement. A very important part of the review process is hearing the voices of all in our community. There will be student and staff focus groups created at school, additionally we are looking for volunteer parents who would be interested in being part of parent focus groups to be interviewed by our reviewers. The focus groups will be held at school on the afternoon of April 15. If you are interested in being part of this discussion please email me at the College on principal@killester.vic.edu.au for further information.
Sally Buick
Principal