Welcome Back
Let me start with a question. What does it mean to be a Christian school rather than just a faith-based school? Faith is not just an added component or an underlying principle, instead, it is at the core of everything we do. In this newsletter, I’d like to look at the sense of community that is fundamental to our identity.
Every school does something well. For some, it’s their vocational program or their sporting achievements. As we take people around the College on our regular College Tours, one of the things we like to express is that we are a community rather than an institution. Institutions work in transactional arrangements, where one party pays a fee and gets a service in return. That’s not us. As we are a growing College, I have intentionally kept our internal structures smaller, for
example Connect groups, as we emphasise knowing every student individually.
But it’s more than just about the size of our structures. It’s about our engagement with families. Communities work in partnership. Communities communicate. They talk about issues and work together for resolutions. Communities look for the broader good rather than seeking wins for the individual at the expense of everyone else. Communities build relationships for the long term.
When communities flourish, all members have a sense of belonging and being cared for. When there is a transactional relationship, parents and children are treated as customers and the College is only a service provider. Sadly, many schools operate exactly like this. It’s not uncommon for new families to assume that all schools operate like this. But this isn’t the way we engage. We want to build a community that in turn creates a home. I think that’s something that makes us a little bit different.
As I close, I would like to welcome two new Executive members to our community. It is with pleasure that I welcome our new Deputy Principal, David Holland and New Business Manager, Rhys Tippett to the team. I am grateful for God’s provision and look forward to their contributions.
Sharon Sopher
Principal