This week I had the pleasure of joining our Primary Leaders and Mr Haworth for a Teams meeting to say thank you to our Year 6 House captains and Primary Captains for their sustained work across the term. Mr Haworth and I expressed our thanks to them for their willingness to help out by preparing videos, messages and promoting some of our extra-curricular events and items to our primary students. These included promoting Operation Christmas Child, our assemblies and, more recently, the Bake Off with many treats presented by our students from kitchens around our community. Well what a blessing these students have all been in bringing their various skills and enthusiasm to our students and school activities during this remote season!
As we thanked them for their service, we challenged them to reflect for themselves on three things. Firstly, what they have learnt about themselves as a student leader. Secondly, what has been a challenge for them particularly. And thirdly, what they are looking forward to in the future. These are questions we have all had to think through during these extraordinary times of school and community closure. These questions also remind me of how we need to have a balanced approach when difficulties arise. In the Bible we read in Hebrews 11 that ‘faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see’. God had the idea first that the difficulties we may experience are best measured with a good portion of faith and hope.
It is knowing we can also serve others just where we are with small acts of kindness whatever place we may be. We can certainly look forward with hope to new opportunities that will inevitably come.
If there is one lasting impression I have after travelling through a school in remote, is that we have an extraordinary God who provides strength for today and tomorrow. The promises of His Word and the love Jesus gives us as his children sustains us and enables us to keep doing what is needed and important for today.
As this term draws to a close, I congratulate every student for the amazing resilience and joy they have brought to their class and school activity. Thank you to our terrific student leaders and we are grateful to you for thinking and participating in the way you have during Remote Learning 2.
I also wish to say an enormous thank you to our incredible primary staff team who have gone over and above the call of duty in working together to provide the best program at this time to give every student the very best opportunity to experience success.
We are heading for a great finish to our year! We are gearing up for a joyful return of our Kinder students, Prep to Year 2 students and hopefully by the end of October, we will welcome all of our Yr 3-6 students back onto campus as well.
I pray you will all have a wonderful rest and break from the online learning classrooms. The garden, parks and outside play spaces await each of our intrepid and resilient learners to now enjoy!
Operation Christmas Child
Usually at this time of the year our students in Primary and their families combine to donate with gift boxes or donations as we contribute to Samaritan’s Purse, through Operation Christmas Child gift boxes. However due to current restrictions we will be supporting OCC differently this time around. We are asking families to consider if they can support this worthy cause by making a monetary donation via Samaritan’s Purse website, please click here to donate. As a College, our primary section of the College will make a donation to Samaritan’s Purse also. If a donation is not possible at this time, your prayers for the children receiving the gift boxes and their families would be very much appreciated. An email will be sent to parents next week with more details.