To have not had the bush fires that impacted our start so heavily last year, and to have NSW COVID numbers tracking in the right direction, has enabled us all to be really enthusiastic. As such, we have chosen Hopeful and Optimistic as our graduate aim to focus on for Term 1.  

The refreshment of the Christmas Holiday period seems to have renewed us all and restored our ability to be hopeful after such a difficult 2020. These holidays, perhaps more than ever, seemed to have been quieter and more settled, with more time dedicated to nuclear family interactions, grounding our students with the safety and security of home.

The Ready, Set, Connect program in the first few days of returning to College ran smoothly, with students receiving information eagerly about their classes, teachers, lockers and spaces for the year ahead. Reconnecting with their PC group, or meeting them for the first time for our many new students, was a really joyful experience. It was great to be able to hold an outdoor Muster with Year 11 and 12 students and introduce them to our College Chaplain, the Reverend Denis Oliver who challenged them to draw near to God in these last few years of their studies. I implored them to make use of the expertise of their dedicated teachers and to also take the initiative of their own to become more informed young adults. It was great to visit our classes in the first week and see how intentional our staff were in establishing rapport with their students as they outlined the learning expectations for the year ahead. We have strengthened the importance of the Positive Learning framework with our students and impressed upon them the importance of taking responsibility over their own learning.

I was lucky enough to join the Year 9 Camp at Somerset beside the beautiful Hawkesbury River this week which was a sensational experience, despite the torrential rain that fell each evening upon the tents of our group! It was wonderful to see our students embrace the challenges of hiking through bushland carrying heavy packs, cooking their own meals, canoeing long distances and navigating obstacle courses with each other. I wonder how many of them realised the skills that they were building through these activities? Developing the resilience to push through difficulties, learning how to communicate more effectively, collaborating with others, being compassionate and loving in their relationships – developing so many of the attributes that we value at the College and have as our Graduate Aims. I am confident that the other year groups who travelled off-site to campsites, as well as our senior students who were based on campus, were also building their skills through a host of fun and challenging activities. I hope they came home with lots of good stories!

There is so much to look forward to this year and all of the staff here are excited to once again partner with families as together we seek to nurture young people to grow in learning, wisdom and service together.