Our Japanese sister school, Fukuroi High School, arrived in Sydney to a warm welcome, a sparkling new building was opened by the Governor General, the HSC Trials were concluded and the South West Festival went off and was one of our best ever. All of these activities went off without too many complications. Thanks to the Thomas Hassall Community for your support and hard work to ensure all these activities were successful.
The opening of the new sports complex, the Rawdon Middleton VC Sports Complex, went off without a hitch. The weather was beautiful and the students responded wonderfully to the formal occasion. The Governor General, David Hurley, challenged the audience with a simple message focusing on ‘duty’ and ‘service’. These themes connected with the life of Rawdon Middleton and was recognized by the Victoria Cross, our most distinguished military award. It is hoped that in the years to come we will have many students who will be able to grow in their understanding of ‘duty’ and put their gifts into action to ‘serve’ our community in various capacities.
We had an army of students serving at the SW Festival in various capacities. This included students performing in bands and ensembles, singing solos or assisting in stalls or across the Festival in different capacities. This was a real assistance and a turning point for our students’ involvement; we are really appreciative of all the students for making the effort to serve. Special thanks to students raising money and awareness for Steptember. This campaign will continue through to the end of the term and will culminate in a special fundraising day across the College.
The biggest thing that I have taken out of the week was the strong sense of community that has developed over the years at Thomas Hassall. With all these events we had people visiting, serving, donating, eating and celebrating in some capacity or other. In all of this there was a real sense of belonging and community. Students, past and present parents, visitors from the community visited the College and it was a real thrill to connect and enjoy the vibe across the week. My prayer is that in the years to come we will continue to grow and nurture this sense of community. This is the kind of thing that helps us to find meaning in a world that is moving so fast that many can easily get lost and become disconnected from what really counts.
Thomas Hassall - we are so proud of you all! You are a great community. Let us continue to grow in love and mercy as we serve on another in the years ahead. Well done all!
You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11