I spoke at both the Primary and Secondary assemblies this week to communicate face to face with the student body about concluding my tenure as Principal.
I employed the metaphor of the game of chess making several points, namely:
The game is all about the King.
Each piece has a different purpose and moves in unique ways.
Even small pieces like pawns have enormous power in many circumstances.
I then stretched the metaphor to ‘life chess’.
Our daily lives are still all about the King. We are cherished by God, and play a purpose in His plans. It was a lovely Holy Spirit moment that the verse of the day in the Primary School was Jeremiah 29:11,
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’”
God moves the chess pieces to achieve His purpose. His movement of people is sometimes celebrated, sometimes inexplicable, but always sovereign and befitting of His purposes.
I have developed a great fondness for the purposes and people at Calvin Christian School.
A critical element of successful chess and ‘life chess’ is that the pieces don’t resist being moved around the board. This is much less of a problem with inanimate objects. Obedience is often a challenge for people as their desires and hopes become something of an idol. We favour personal preference over obedience. This was a risk for me.
My text in the Secondary assembly was Acts 8:26. To paraphrase, having achieved what we might call a revival in Samaria, Philip is prompted by an angel to take a desert road to another place. On that journey Philip meets an Ethiopian eunuch, from the court of Queen Candace, whom he later baptised. God had His purposes.
When I arrived in 2013, I was given a brief by the Board and that brief has been achieved. The school is in a healthy condition. I have great faith in the teaching staff, and confidence in the exceptional leadership team. It is time to hand the baton to a new leader. I would ask that the school community commit to prayer the process of securing God’s chosen leader for this next stage of Calvin’s future.
Head of Year 7 Announcement
I am delighted to announce the appointment of Annalé van Heerden as Head of Year 7, commencing in 2020.
Ms van Heerden is an experienced teacher of mathematics, science and agriculture, who has held leadership positions as Curriculum Leader for Year 7, homeroom teacher, and wellbeing leader and co-ordinator for Grade 6. Ms van Heerden also held the rank of captain in the South African Defence Force where she was a military combat engineer, with a speciality in training and development.
Ms van Heerden has a speciality in the middle school years of children’s educational experience. She has a strong balance in her capability to focus on student wellbeing and student learning. In her interviews, the panel were impressed by her demonstrated commitment to inclusivity and to managing the individual learning of a wide range of student abilities. This professional commitment was fostered by her early life experiences in South Africa, and is amplified by her Christian faith. She noted poignantly in her application,
‘My love for Christ started as a small girl, growing up in different rural areas in South Africa. It is deeply rooted in all I do. It shapes my relationships and my own world view. The diverse cultures of South Africa and my experience living in Tasmania reinforced my belief in the proverb “it takes a village”. We all bring different experiences and cultural knowledge to the table and by celebrating each others’ uniqueness and making respect and unconditional love the lens in which you perceive life, we enhance our own life experiences while contributing to the upliftment of others.’
I am sure Ms van Heerden will make a splendid contribution to fostering the values and culture of Calvin Christian School.
Iain Belôt - Principal