Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky. Let them rule over the tame animals, over all the earth and over all the small crawling animals on the earth.”  Genesis 1:26

This verse is one of blessing and responsibility. To understand that we are made in the image of God and that we have the task of stewarding all that we have been provided, should bring us joy and a sobering sense of identity and the need to act in a certain manner.

This is Week 4, almost the middle of the term! The school term has begun smoothly and we are well into a positive and busy term.

In Primary, we are being very intentional in collectively learning (at the same time) about the qualities of Christian living, beliefs and what our faith should look like in our interactions and our learning. You may have already heard about the fun lessons students are having in this new approach. As a sub-school, we are immersing ourselves in scripture, prayer, worship and relational building and strengthening activities. The week begins with Assembly and throughout the week, right up to chapel, the same messages can be heard. This is all done through our own program ‘Kingdom Culture Partners’.

We do we bother with programmes such as these? The Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) report is based on a survey of 540,000 students in 72 participating countries and economies.

The 2015 report showed that:

·       students who perceive that their teacher provides individual help when they are struggling were less likely to report feeling tense or anxious

·       bullying was less frequent in schools where students reported more positive relationships with their teachers

·       adolescents who feel that they are part of a school community are more likely to perform better academically and be more motivated in school; they are also less likely to engage in risky and antisocial behaviour

·       students with a strong sense of belonging at school are also more satisfi­ed with their life.

At Mueller, we want our students to know that they matter, they belong and can contribute. We also above all else, want our students to know how important and loved they are by God, to which all sense of peace, joy, belonging and growth can really be experienced.