Week one was busy, exciting and, as I am sure you would all agree, tiring! One thing that stood out for me was seeing the inclusiveness of our student body.
My visits to the Year 7 students who were at the Huonville Pool as part of their camp program and the Year 11/12 camp at Orford were encouraging for this reason. Both groups were warm and welcoming. Walking around the school in these early days has been encouraging as our students have appeared to enjoy reconnecting with each other and staff have reported enthusiasm about learning (well, mostly!). Some of our Year 12 students created ‘welcome packs’ for all of their Year 11 peers, and it was heartwarming to see the Year 11 students’ responses for being embraced into the senior years in this way. Now to maintain this culture!
Staff are working on a program known as Getting It Right. Sometimes we have expectations that young people should know our standards for behaviour, academic protocols, social interactions and so forth but, as we all know, good habits need to be demonstrated and learned. Our school values are love, compassion, courage, generosity and diligence. These were the starting point for the program, and staff are following the initiative of Mrs Sinclair and Dr Lindsay to take each of our students on a journey towards ‘being their best’ and building a culture where these values are clearly evident. I would like to thank staff who have prepared the program and are presenting it to our students.
It is a wonderful privilege to work in a Christian school where we share a faith that informs every part of our life, and especially our values. We, as staff, hope to portray the Father’s heart, be Christ centred and Spirit led as we support you in the nurturing of those entrusted to our care. The journey is not always easy but our advantage is knowing that God helps us in all circumstances (Philippians 4:13). One of the Scriptures shared with our students in ‘Getting It Right’ is Colossians 3:17, ‘Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.’ We hope our students will understand God’s inclusiveness of us and always extend the same love and care to each other.
Ineke Laning – Acting Principal