Message From the Principal
We are all a little sad that we couldn’t have all the community together to celebrate what has been an awesome year of learning at our Presentation Events – unfortunately we’ve ended the year in the same way we started it!
Nevertheless, whether you attended or were watching at home, we still had the chance to celebrate the many successes of 2022!
In terms of the College I could talk about the way we have grown – 4 new classes in Junior School and 1 in the Senior School, our new E block building, the TAS classroom, the Ring Road. Our DA for the new P-21 Learning Centre has passed through Council and after hours working on the design for our P-12 library and creative and performing arts spaces, we will hopefully begin to build around the middle of 2023! We have welcomed some incredible new staff, our P&F have raised money and donated it to our TAS program with some amazing digital embroidery machines, our music program and extra violins for our Junior School program to allow for 1:1, and both some improvements to our JS quadrangle area and planting for a new seating area near G block in the SS.
The focal point of our celebrations are our amazing students – who have been so keen to learn, who have got involved, been willing to take risks to explore new ideas, to push themselves, to make mistakes and then pick themselves up and keep going.
We celebrate deep, powerful learning. But what does powerful learning look like?
I want to take you back to a story that many of you will be very familiar with – the Very Hungry Caterpillar. To be a powerful learner, you need to be like him. To refresh your memory, the very hungry caterpillar was born on a moonlit night and was very hungry, so he went to look for food.
The story then lists the many things he ate – more each day, ending in a huge feast!! At the end of that he wasn’t little and hungry but big and fat! He built a cocoon and came out as a beautiful butterfly!
So why are deeper learners like the very hungry caterpillar? They are hungry to learn, and learning changes them! He could have sat around and nibbled his leaf but instead he had three key qualities that saw him get up and off his little leaf and get out there and eat!
Firstly he was curious – he was open and willing to explore, investigate new tastes – even if he wasn’t sure what they would be like!
Secondly he was hopeful! He looked out, and thought there were better things beyond his leaf, that that gave him a sense of purpose, a direction and a goal.
Finally he was courageous – our hungry caterpillar was willing to leave his safe leaf and take a risk to try something new. He didn’t know if he would succeed or not.
What was the result for our hungry caterpillar – he was changed, he was prepared and ready to become a beautiful butterfly.
When we are learners who are curious, hopeful and courageous, then we are deep and powerful learners. And as a community we too can be a hungry caterpillar – curious, hopeful and courageous. This is at the heart of what it means to pursue tomorrow, and as a college we do so in Christ alone, through his strength and his love.
We wish all our families a safe and refreshing Christmas and holiday season. May you remember the incredible love God showed for us in the birth of his son and his plan to rescue us. Be a hungry caterpillar this holiday – be curious, hopeful and courageous – it will change who you are!
