We have had an incredibly full term with plenty of activity across the College on a wide range of fronts. The College Musical, now a distant memory, brought immense joy and excitement. Since then, we have transitioned back to the rhythm of normal life, which included numerous carnivals and top-level sporting competitions such as the Wanderers Cup, the Bill Turner Cup, and the CIS Football Finals, all featuring teams from Thomas Hassall. We have also celebrated success in various other sporting endeavours, setting a high standard that future teams will aspire to emulate.
Our Year 7 Camp was a tremendous success, with high attendance and a positive atmosphere that fostered a strong sense of teamwork and community. Recently, around 118 Year 9 students embarked on their first Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Adventure. Despite the stormy, wet, and threatening weather, the students worked together to overcome adversity, achieving remarkable personal and group accomplishments.
In addition to the co-curricular activities, learning has been thriving in every corner of the College. The term has been marked by the usual hustle and bustle of hard work and challenges at various levels. There has been the inevitable homework, reading texts, and grappling with new ideas or concepts. Yet, these activities offer us the great opportunity to discover new wonders and raise new questions about God and His world. Recent examinations brought a sense of tension, and assessments continued to present their challenges, often causing late nights and all the typical anxieties.
School life encompasses all the above and more… It is about establishing and building friendships, having robust discussions, learning to negotiate relationships, to listen to others and develop skills in conflict resolution and hopefully experience giving and receiving forgiveness. As we grow and mature in these new areas, we also learn to appreciate others in our community.
These demands challenge each of us to our limits. It can be scary and exhausting, but it is reassuring to know that there is an endpoint—a time to rest, recover, and take stock. Please find the time to do this as we approach our great celebration, ‘Unite Week.’
I extend my heartfelt thanks to all the parents who have supported their children throughout the past term. I also thank the staff for their unwavering dedication, energy, and time spent mentoring, instructing, correcting, encouraging, modelling, reflecting, loving, and supporting the learning and character building of our students.
A special thanks to our new Principal for her calm and purposeful leadership.
I will be on long service leave over Term 3 and look forward to returning to finish the year with a sense of joy and gratitude. God Bless, and please remain in prayer for our community as I will be praying for you all.
On Tour with the Students last April.