In recent weeks Year 11 students were invited to apply for Student Leadership positions for the 2018/2019 year. We were overwhelmed by the number of applicants and are grateful for the response. So began the difficult task of appointing a team that will be charged with serving and leading the student body in positive and proactive way. Much thought and planning is currently being devoted to the student leadership space within the Senior School. We are evaluating our current approaches and indeed are hoping to make a notable shift in focus, equipping and presence of our Student Leadership Team. Further to this, we are also planning to realise a much stronger incidence of student leadership in the younger year groups of Senior School. Staff acknowledge the constructive and formative influence that student agency can provide and we are optimistic about some new ways ahead. More to come soon!
The 2019 Student Leadership Team were charged with important responsibilities at the recent Commissioning Service. In the presence of the student body and their families, they have committed to set a fine example for the College and to embody the Vision and Mission. We were reminded by Reverend Tye that the heart of leadership is service and to look earnestly at the needs of others, a self-sacrificial mindset. Please join with me in praying for them – we wish them all the best for their new roles. May we all support and encourage this group.
One might say that our College is a microcosm of broader Australia. Thomas Hassall is a culturally diverse community of staff and families, where many different national backgrounds, faiths and ethnicities are represented. In more recent times there has been a deliberate focus on celebrating this diversity and examining more deeply the distinctive presence this brings to our College. We indeed are a multicultural school and proud to be so. There is much to be learned from our rich array of cultural heritages and enabling and equipping students to be open in their sharing of language, family & food traditions, distinctive dress and so on is a valuable pursuit. Unite Week is an initiative of the Student Leadership Team and seeks to promote and raise awareness of this diversity, but has honed a message of unity, tolerance and the importance of a receptive disposition.
The Student Leadership Team took charge of the Senior School Assembly in week 8 and did an outstanding job of encapsulating the aims of Unite Week. A short video was prepared that interviewed staff and students about their respective backgrounds and some of the team conducted a ‘Q & A’ style panel on their own cultural heritages. This open dialogue was a fine example to all students about the value and merit of engaging in conversation with an open-mind and willingness to learn about others and to embrace others.
In addition to this numerous national flags were hung along the boulevard and tasty treats from around the globe were available at the MRK. It should give us reason to pause and recognise the importance of unity and harmony within a community such as ours. The presence of unity, acceptance and belonging are critical to our College. Mr Whelan also brought a message to the Senior School Assembly, a message that reminded us of our College foundations and Mission. He spoken of unity and a faith in Christ that encourages us to look to others’ needs before our own. This served as a powerful reminder to the College that there is far more that unites us than should divide us. We are indeed a diverse composition of numerous cultural origins, but let us be of one vison and purpose; to seek a more excellent way – together.
Mr Stuart McCormack
Deputy Head of Senior School - Student Wellbeing
