Our wonderful teachers have been fostering wonderful learning opportunities for our students. This has been built on a solid foundation of relationship – this is critical to the learning success. As we marked World Teacher’s Day last week I was struck by the commitment of our staff to our students; they have genuine care for them as people, for their learning journey, and for their wellbeing. Part of this care is ensuring that our students are well-prepared for life, including ensuring that their learning has a purpose beyond themselves. The learning includes the development of the necessary resilience to face difficulties - in learning and in the wider context of the world. And significantly, at our school, it also extends to the spiritual needs of our students and the comfort and joy found in knowing Jesus.
At our school we are growing our students to be highly capable in their learning, including the fostering of critical and creative thinking skills and developing their skills in collaboration and communication; and there are some exciting examples seen in our classrooms and beyond. If you’ve been reading our newsletter over the past two months, then you will have read about the successes of our debating teams – Year 9 and 10 making it to the quarter-finals! and our Vex robotics squad which represent just some of our co-curricular offerings, and you will also see the collaboration skills and service skills represented in the students of our Junior School who recently crafted a vegetable garden and our Year 9 and 10 Design and Technology students who have designed and built mud kitchens for the benefit of our Junior school students (soon to be implemented) and as a gift to some of our neighbouring pre-schools. Each of these examples is the character-building learning that our society needs. How exciting that we are doing this so well.
The skills and heart that are reflected in these examples are indicative of the real-world learning that our students are engaged in through their regular classes as well. I am impressed by our students and their teachers who are being taught that they have a responsibility for their learning and to care for others. Our teachers work hard to ensure that we provide excellent care for our students through the preparation of excellent teaching and learning and through relationship. This is in part our response to what Jesus says “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” I see this in action around our school in so many ways. Thank you and well done to our excellent staff and wonderful students. And thank you to our families who support us in this endeavour.
Praying for a rich week of learning.
Matt Cohen
Principal
