Education is, at its core, a hope-filled activity.
A parent’s commitment to supporting the education of their child, a teacher’s planning and preparation, and the community support that we enjoy, all indicate that we understand the purpose and intent of this educational journey for our children. Our mission statement describes this as seeking “to provide the highest quality Christ-centred education that prepares and equips students for life”.
In our last Newsletter edition, we saw examples of some of our Prep students’ thoughts on what that life might include. Some students envisaged themselves as teachers, saying “I also like learning. I can teach the kids in my class and I can still keep learning the things I don’t know very well”. Others talked of becoming scientists: “I would like to be a scientist so that I can learn new stuff – I would help some people by teaching them”. Others saw a future doing things that brought them joy, like ‘donut maker’, ‘pizza man’, basketball player or policeman.
“As you have cause to celebrate with family this Christmas, we give thanks for our families and your children and pray that you may be filled with a sense of deep hope found most securely in Jesus.”
In the midst of celebration and the busyness of the end of year, it is wonderful to hear the voice of some of our youngest children sharing their hopes for the future. In a world that we know can be filled with challenges, our young people can be bombarded with messages of hopelessness and fear.
Perhaps this is why the author of the book of Hebrews wrote of fleeing “to take hold of the hope offered to us (so that we) may be greatly encouraged”. Encouraging in our children a sense of wonder and hope for the future and their own futures can begin with a sense of their relationship to a deeper purpose, as we would describe it, a connection to the one who gives ultimate purpose and meaning to life itself.
This Christmas we celebrate this hope again as we remember the birth of Jesus Christ. As the passage in Hebrews goes on to say “this hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast”. As you have cause to celebrate with family this Christmas, we give thanks for our families and your children and pray that you may be filled with a sense of deep hope found most securely in Jesus.
Over the course of the last seven days, we have enjoyed the presence of many parents and family members on campus as we have celebrated, in turn, our Year 6s, Primary Awards, Year 10-12 Awards and Year 12 Graduands, and finally yesterday, our Year 7-9 Award recipients. We celebrated as our Year 12 student, Levi Vonk graduated in the top 100 students in the state along with our successful Year 12 group. These celebrations have brought to a close our 2022 school year and we thank you, our parents, for partnering with us in this incredible hope-affirming journey with our students.
Scott Ambrose — Principal