Optimistic October

Welcome back to all members of the College community and in particular, to our new students and their families. We are truly blessed by the students we journey with at Pacific. At assembly this week, I challenged Middle and Senior College students to reach out to at least one other person whom they might not ordinarily speak to this term. I put this to them to go beyond what is comfortable and familiar and embrace who we are as a Christian community, to be inclusive and welcoming to all.

Term 4 also provides new challenges across a range of learning domains. We encourage all students to deep dive into their new learning opportunities with a sense of wonder and curiosity. One element required for learning something new is to approach it with a sense of optimism. Action for Happiness is a registered charity in the United Kingdom and each month their calendars are devoted to specific actions people can make towards leading a happier life. Optimistic October is a brilliant resource for channelling our energies toward becoming not only more optimistic but also more fulfilled in our lives.

Learning also requires us to set ourselves realistic, achievable goals based on where our strengths lie. Indeed, being able to tune into our core strengths adds meaning to both our goals and life’s purpose. Earlier in the year students (and staff) were able to determine their character strengths through completion of the VIA character strengths survey. I wonder how many students recall what their top 5 strengths were from this survey?

This Sunday we farewell our Year 6 students, teachers and support staff as they commence their trip to Canberra. We wish them a safe and productive trip to our nation’s capital and look forward to hearing about their learning experiences.

Mr Ben Ryan, Director of Students