Principal's Address

Dear Families of Killester,

“Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help…Giving as little as a cup of cold water to someone in need will not go unrewarded.” Matthew 10, 37-42                        

The message from Matthew's Gospel this week is very apt for our times as we are called to reflect on the ways in which we are open to the message of God and the ways in which we open ourselves to the greater good in our world. Much of what we do in our daily lives is driven by a desire to do for others and indeed this witness to our faith remains a cornerstone for us, however what Matthew is asking us to do is remember that we must listen to the myriad of ways God chooses to talk to us and we must remember to see God in the way others work. When we open ourselves to seeing God in everyone we encounter, and we remain open to the assistance of others, we become closer to God through our relationship with each other. Giving and receiving have been the fundamental backbone in our ability to flourish during this time of crisis and the community of Killester has shown itself to be an extraordinary example of how to give witness in this most nourishing way.

It would be incredibly remiss of me not to acknowledge the work done by the staff of the College this past term. The word unprecedented has been touted often these past few months however there are few other words that encapsulate so succinctly what we have experienced during this pandemic. The staff at Killester have responded to our need to educate differently with goodwill, humour and generosity of spirit. This applies not only to the teaching staff but to the staff in administration, IT, maintenance, the library and finance department. I thank also the sustained hard work of the leadership team at the College, comprising Mr Peter O'Neill, Mr Steve McPhail, Ms Luana Doko, Ms Faye Jamieson, Ms Sandra Rotunno and Ms Loreto Cannon, and ably supported by Ms Raechel O'Shea, they have been innovative, compassionate and unfailing in their hard work these past few months and I am very grateful for their support. Together we have shown ourselves to be a community capable of doing the extraordinary. 

One of the greatest learnings we have had as a community has been displayed in the Year 7 - 10 Passion Projects. Our students were encouraged to follow their personal passion and work through a process to create their own interpretation of their passion. The subsequent showcases of their work proved to be one of the many uplifting moments in these last few weeks. There is a great deal more information in this newsletter that celebrates the work of the Passion Projects and I invite everyone to take the time to explore the amazing talent of our young women. 

Teachers have been asked to turn their emails off over the holidays and take a very well deserved rest. Students have also been encouraged to ensure they take a break from screen time over the holidays. I offer my prayers daily for those whose lives are impacted by this virus, both within and beyond our community. In speaking to our students this afternoon I asked them to reflect on the things for which they are grateful and to remember that "when there is a storm we learn to dance in the rain". My wishes to all families for a peaceful, calm and blessed holiday period. 

Ms Sally Buick

Principal