Who We Are Matters

Our Senior Leadership Team are currently reading a book by Chris Prior titled ’Who We Are Matters.’

This book starts by unpacking the story of self and how this impacts our leadership, which in turn will impact our influence on the school and its culture. It talks about the idea that who we are has a big influence on the way we interact with others and in our context, how we lead others. 

“... who we are has a big influence on the way we interact with others ...”

The same can be said for teachers and students within a school community. How they are learning and how they are interacting with others is greatly influenced by their identity and who they are as people. Our identity is entwined with our personal story and the influences that sow into this story. In the Christian school context, an extension of the question of ‘who am I’ can be stated as ‘whose am I.’ In his book, Prior states that this ‘question encourages us to reflect on the audience we live in front of. Whom are we seeking to please? How and who are we seeking to define our success? (p 16).’ Answers to these questions will help determine what we see as important and even influence how we determine and define success.

At Calvin, we believe that God has created us with an identity that is created and influenced by our personal stories and experiences. God Himself teaches us and speaks to us through stories in the Bible. We want to encourage students to participate and engage in opportunities and experiences that influence and impact their story, and therefore develop, grow and nurture their identity. We feel blessed to undertake this in an environment where our faith and relationship with God can impact and guide us in this process.

Andrew Nash - Head of Primary

Right gear, wrong job...

It is exciting to see building work and redevelopment underway around our School campuses.

The demolished space that was our Primary Administration is being rebuilt, our new primary classrooms are on schedule, and the Maintenance Teams are transforming our grounds. The building works in particular have brought new teams of workers onto our School site, separated by safety fencing and keenly observed by our students.

With my hi-vis vest on one morning last term, I was taking a tour of the building site with our site foreman whilst the primary students enjoyed the playground before the start of the school day. Spotting me on the ‘wrong side’ of the fence, a few of the students waved, looked quizzically and then asked the questions that were troubling them:

“What are you doing over there, Mr Ambrose?”

“Are you working there today?”

I quickly reassured the students that I wouldn’t be working there today, and in fact, I was unlikely to be particularly helpful for the electricians on site that day. In the mind of a group of seven and eight-year-olds, my location and hi-vis vest suggested a possibility that was simply not reality. It is relatively easy to look the part, much harder to maintain the image without the right skill set. In fact, there is nothing more unnerving than being put in a position beyond our own abilities.

Today our students returned to school, all looking the part in their uniforms. For some, we know that turning up is not as easy as it might appear and the fear, whether real or imagined, that they don’t have the knowledge or the skills to succeed in a given situation (whether that be academic or social) might be very real. Understanding that just because you look like you are meant to be somewhere does not mean that you are feeling like you belong.

When we understand this, we realise that our efforts to know and understand our students better are critical to support their engagement with school, peers, and their own learning. In this, we rely on our partnership with parents and the flow of communication that enables us to keep each other (parent and school) informed about the challenges that impact upon our young people. When we hold the perspective that each of our students is a spiritual being, a unique creation in the image of our God, we establish a vital foundation for all that we do as a school. That sense of value for one another is a powerful way to build a community. The central focus that this places on our individual relationship with God also gives a purposefulness to our activities as followers of Jesus.

As Term 2 starts, I am sure that you will join me in praying for our young people, your children, as they continue to grow in knowledge and understanding and in “the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Scott Ambrose - Principal

Relationships Matter

Early in the school year, I came across two students who were new to our School.

Walking together and obviously enjoying each other’s company, I assumed that they had a well-established connection with one another. Interested to find out, I asked them if they had known each other prior to starting at Calvin. Their response surprised me. They quickly told me that they had only met each other on the Orientation Day. That short interaction had been enough to spark a connection that grew into a friendship in the first days of the new school year.

Knowing how challenging it can be to start something new, it is encouraging to see students find ‘their place’ as they build relationship with peers and teachers. For some, this can take time. A parent recently told me that her child liked to watch and observe before committing himself to relational connections and this is exactly what he did, reminding me that I need not have been concerned by his initial quiet period of observation. There isn’t one best way to engage but relationships remain critical to our growth and development as human beings.

That building relationships has become more challenging for a generation retreating into virtual connections, is perhaps observable in our increasingly child-free ovals and streets on weekends. The American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt notes that, for many of our ‘hyper-connected’ young people, face-to-face interaction can be increasingly difficult. He suggests that even when they “…appear to be doing something in the real world, such as sitting in class, eating a meal, or talking with you, a substantial portion of their attention is monitoring or worrying (being anxious) about events in the social metaverse”[1].

“There isn’t one best way to engage but relationships remain critical to our growth and development as human beings. ”

Apart from the important job of putting limits on screen time, ensuring that we as parents and educators are present and engaged is one of the positive ways that we can support our children. I am constantly encouraged by the effort that our teachers make to build relationship and connection with our students. This doesn’t mean that the teacher is their best friend of course, it is not that type of relationship, but it does mean that our students are in a place where they are known and seen. Parent surveys indicate that this is a big part of the reason why Christian schools are growing. Our parents value the relationship and care offered by Christian schools and are flocking to them[2]. If you would like to share or hear more stories about how Christian Schools are impacting the lives of this generation, take the time to visit and support MyChristianSchool.au.

We value the connection with you and your child. As Christian educators, our values are clear and reflected, in part, through the strength of our community and relationships. Relationships matter and Scripture reminds us of this when it says that ‘we love because (God) first loved us’. For me, this is a reminder that we are created to reflect our Maker through relationships and that our relationship with God is shown through our care and concern for others.

Scott Ambrose - Principal

[1] J.Haidt cited in P.Kelly (30 March 2024); “Big Tech and the shock to childhood”; the Weekend Australian Magazine, p.13

[2] V.Cheng (3 January 2024); “Hopes for 2024: Flourishing Christian Schools”; Eternity Magazine