Welcome Back
Welcome back, one and all, to Term 2. To new and returning families, a very warm greeting. We are delighted that you are able to join us this term amidst the current challenge of the educational landscape.
Thank you to families for your support in this ‘new normal’. Your support, patience and understanding makes a vital contribution to our capacity as a College to deliver the best possible educational service. As a result of your support, teachers are encouraged and able to focus on quality care and provision. At a time when teachers are under tremendous stress to develop and provide high quality at-home learning, knowing that they have a supportive and understanding parent community is worth its weight in gold. Given the complexity and demands of what is trying to be achieved, there will inevitably be times when something doesn’t work the way it should or needs refinement. Approaching such matters in a respectful and supportive manner not only is the best path to an optimal resolution but also provides good modelling for our young people, your children.
This current COVID-19 environment has shone a spotlight on the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) nature of the world in which we live. It tests our own resilience, problem-solving capacity, agility, fortitude, empathy and mindsets as adults and it tests our young people. It affirms our intention as a school to develop qualities and capabilities in our students that will equip them well for navigating life and living a fulfilled life. Our Graduate Tree (link for download) is a representation and reminder of this intent and commitment.
As a Christian school in the Lutheran tradition, our faith provides a firm foundation for how we see, understand and navigate life together. That foundation is represented by the scripture from Jeremiah 17:8 which rests under our Graduate Tree, the ground in which the tree is rooted and our hope for our students: ‘They are like trees planted by water, sending out their roots beside the stream. They do not fear the heat or even drought. Their leaves stay green and their fruit is dependable, no matter what they face.’ We have a large vision for who we want our young people to be.
At the time I write, we are the best part of the way through the first day of ‘at-home learning’ on Day 1 of Term 2. We have had a very good start to teaching and learning for the term with systems and processes working well. This has been assisted by good preparations by the College last term and over the holiday period and by the helpful approaches and engagement of parents. I wish to especially acknowledge the work of College staff in preparation but also for rising to the demands of the ongoing task. I particularly want to thank Mrs Grotherr, Head of Secondary and Mrs West-McInnes, Head of Primary, for their educational leadership of their teams and sub-school communities.
A St Peters education is holistic, being grounded in and committed to the development of the whole person. As such, care for and knowing each individual is fundamental as is the relational nature of teaching and learning. Within this relational context of care, we are deeply committed to the wellbeing of our young people. We know that when one is in a state of wellbeing one is able to learn more effectively, to grow and flourish. During this period of learning at home, staff are committed to working to retain the strong sense of community we have in individual classes, year levels, sub-schools and across the school. This sense of community and connection is important to our personal and collective wellbeing and to optimal learning and outcomes for our young people.
As a College, we understand that due to a range of circumstances, some families are under significant pressure. We are here to support families through difficulty. I am currently in the process of contacting parents who have flagged that they are in distress to discuss ways we can be of assistance and arrange support. Forgive me for being direct, but I do want to thank parents who are in a position to, or find the means to, meet the due date for Term 2 fees. By doing so you are not only supporting the College and its staff and the quality of service that we are able to provide but you are supporting families who are in distress by allowing the College to have flexibility where it is most critically needed. I wish also to extend my gratitude to parents in our community who have reached out to the College with the express purpose of offering financial support to others in need.
How do we best traverse adversity? We do so together. Thank you for your support already given, thank you for your support that is to come.
May God bless and keep you all safely.
Craig Schmidt
Principal
