Welcome to the 2019 Pacific Adventure

Welcome to the 2019 Pacific Adventure

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Welcome to the 2019 Pacific adventure!  We adventure together as Prep, Year 6 and Year 10 students who enter the  Junior, Middle and Senior College for the first time, Year 12s who will complete their final year of schooling, Year 11 students who will be learning through a new senior certification process, continuing and new students across Years 1 to 9 who will all encounter new experiences and opportunities as they engage in a new phase of learning and K-12 staff, College Council members and family members who will likewise experience the new.

When you think of being on an adventure, what are the words that come readily to mind?  Perhaps they are words of excitement, energy, fear, unknown, challenge, achievement, fun and wonder.  Helen Keller said, “Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all”. 

There is deep learning as we engage in the adventure of ideas and experiences.  How would viewing life and experiences as an adventure change your mindset?  When viewed as an adventure, the new, the tedious, the fun, the uncertain, the obstacles, the exhilaration, the ordinary, the surprising are all parts of an ongoing adventurous journey filled with possibility.  There is opportunity for greater perspective and resilience and joy in the unknown.  In the ordinary there is always the possibility of the extraordinary.  We have a choice of seeing the adventure in the everyday and in every moment. It is within our reach if we are bold enough.  When we look with a sense of adventure there is curiosity and wondering in all that surrounds us, there is a joie de vivre

This year we all are invited to be on an adventure of learning new ideas and skills, learning more about ourselves, learning more about others and how to grow effective relationships, learning about how we think and learn and the joy of making a difference in someone else’s life.  God has given us a rich playground to grow in, and created each of us with unique skills, capacities and character.  We come together each with different gifts as part of a common adventure and with common purpose. 

Principal's Log

Our adventure has started well with high energy and warmth as staff and students have returned to College this fortnight and settled quickly into the rhythm of learning together.  Welcome to everyone and a particularly warm welcome to our over 150 new students, their families and new staff. 

There has been a very good vibe including at Wednesday’s Middle and Senior College Opening Service where we installed new staff and the student leaders for 2019 and rededicated ongoing staff.  Mr Kerry Neill provided an interesting and meaningful reflection on the valuing of those who have come before us as part of his Welcome to Country. 

I am always amazed at the quality of our music performances on the second day of the school year and congratulate our string ensemble. and soloist Sam Henderson on their uplifting performances.  Thank you to students, parents and staff for your energetic and warm engagement in the evening.

It was a delight to see the P-2 car park being able to be accessed on Tuesday and we look forward to the final works in this area being completed, including a drop off lane in the coming days.  The Admin and Year 5 classroom building are awaiting some final modifications to meet the Certification of Classification.  As soon as we receive the certification the Year 5 students will move into the new building.  We have greatly appreciated the calm, positive and purposeful way our parents, staff and students have responded to changes as they have occurred throughout the adventure of the construction phase.

Over the holiday period our Tuckshop Convenor, Mrs Carrie Dickson has resigned to take up another career direction and Mrs Lisa Wallis has also resigned as our Communications and Community Liaison Coordinator.  We thank Mrs Dickson for her years of service in the tuckshop and Mrs Wallis for her role in extending the profile of the College over the past year.  We are appreciative of Mrs Shea Moor acting as Tuckshop Convenor for this year while we review and plan for improved service in consultation with our community.  We are delighted the Mrs Stephanie Scarlett will be returning in mid-February as the Communications and Community Liaison Officer.

We are looking forward to our adventure together this year where we journey with God as our guide and encourager.  May God empower each of us to recognise and use the giftedness we possess to lift ourselves and others to a higher way of being.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal

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