We are continuing to settle into the College year, to enjoy the opportunities and to plan for great experiences for our students. We are also in our 25th anniversary year. This has prompted me to reflect on what this means for the College and how we are planning for the present and their future.
Our students are part of a rapidly changing world, one that will demand adaptability, resilience, and a deep commitment to lifelong learning. As we celebrate our 25th year, we are proud of how far we have come, yet we must remain focused on preparing our students for the challenges and opportunities ahead. This can be hard.
25 years ago there was a vision to create a school in Southwest Sydney that would cater to a wide range of students and offer accessible Christian education. 25 years ago Middleton Grange did not yet exist as a suburb and the area was rural. The College began with 150 students and 8 staff distributed across K-7. Today we have over 1800 students from Prep – 12 and over 200 staff.
On 6 March we will officially open a specialist STEM building. This facility replaces old classrooms that were being used mainly for mathematics and brings together three faculty areas (Science, TAS and Mathematics) where collaboration and spaces for exploring new integrated programs can occur.
Whilst Thomas Hassall has emerged as one of the largest coeducational independent schools in NSW, the world around us has continued to shift rapidly challenging us to stay abreast of what influences our young people. We know that their future careers will require essential skills in technology-based areas. Current research also tells us that success in developing these essential skills is predominately connected to effort and perseverance. So, while we are enjoying the new spaces, preparing for technology-based experiences and other offerings within the College, we must also prioritise ways to encourage continued effort and persistence. Sustained effort is actually a strong predictor of academic achievement.
We live in an era where instant gratification and low accountability is expected, yet we know that young people need lessons around what success looks like - it does not come from quick fixes or fleeting moments. Instead, success is the result of consistent effort and a willingness to grow through challenges. Education is not just about acquiring knowledge; it is about developing the discipline and perseverance that will serve our students well beyond their school years.
As we celebrate our College history and look towards the next steps I am conscious that access to advanced resources alone is not enough. The most successful individuals are not simply those with access to the best tools but those who use them with purpose and determination.
This is why we are committed to fostering a culture of resilience. We want our students to understand that effort is the key to growth. Setbacks and challenges are not roadblocks; they are stepping stones to deep learning. In a world that increasingly values speed and efficiency, we must remind our young people that some of the most worthwhile achievements take time and dedication.
As we look forward to the next 25 years, our goal remains clear: to provide a holistic education that prepares students not only for the challenges of today but for the demands of tomorrow.
Let the future be made clear to us: give us news of the past things, so that we may give thought to them; or of the things to come, so that we may see if they are true.
Isaiah 41:22
