In my last article I wrote about saying goodbye to Year 12 and how significant it is to send off students you have known for so long. The longer I teach the more difficult saying goodbye seems to become! Yet in the midst of saying goodbye we have already begun to welcome in the new generation of PCS students in the form of our Pre-Kinders.
If I think hard enough, I can almost recall my own time in Kindergarten. I remember having a little green hard suitcase (port). I remember devon sandwiches and the excitement of getting a Friday lunch order! I remember monkey bars and how we all cheered when the teacher would wheel out the old TV to watch something during a rainy lunchtime!
When I look at the current lot of Pre-Kinder students, I always wonder what it is that they will remember from these early days of school. Will they remember the toys, the staff, the Year 5 buddies coming to say hello? I wonder if they will remember the fun activities or making a new friend? It’s funny to think that so much of what happens now will be forgotten in time. This isn’t to say that all the small details aren’t important, on the contrary. I think it is all these small details that hopefully add up to create a positive experience of schooling that will help shape the young people that these Pre-Kinders will grow into over the next 13 years.
As new students come into our school community, it is my prayer that they and their families will know how important the opportunity is that exists here. To put it simply, together we have 13 years of partnership to raise young people who are passionate, equipped and ready to make a positive impact in this world, in whatever capacity that may be. Our core business is teaching student outcomes and teaching them well, however our mission here at PCS is so much more!
If you are new to PCS you will hear me speak a lot about a student’s worldview. All that means is the way that you view the world and your place in it. Everyone develops a worldview. It may change over time as your thoughts and perceptions change, but the early years of a child are critical in forming their worldview, which includes how they view themselves. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that young people today face many challenges that we didn’t face when we were younger. The rise of social media has provided our children with a myriad of voices that can speak into their lives on a daily basis if they allow them. Not all these voices are positive and not all voices help our children see themselves the way they should. This is why Christian education is so critical and why it is my great privilege to be a part of it.
In a social climate of uncertainty, we remained anchored to the Bible and what Jesus teaches us about Him and ourselves. It is this teaching that underpins all we do at PCS. To put it simply, each child is valuable, each one unique and all of us are made by God for a purpose. Jesus teaches us that to live a God honouring life is to seek to meet the needs of others above our own in all we do. Kindness, generosity, compassion are just some of the traits that we strive to model and instill in our students. This is because that is what Jesus modelled to us!
So as we head into a new beginning with Pre-Kinder, let’s see the opportunity that goes along with it. We now have 13 years to not only master reading, writing and all the academic outcomes, but 13 years to ensure that these students see themselves as valuable, unique and here for a purpose. How exciting!
Have a great week PCS and know that the same biblical teaching around value and purpose not only applies to our students, but to all of you also!
Glen
