I hope the first week or so of the school year has gone well for you and you have been able to adjust to the new routines of 2025. A new year inevitably brings changes that we need to adjust to, and as we know, change is not everyone’s favourite thing! However, change is a constant in life and there are new teachers, new friends and new things to learn before us in 2025.
At Mueller, we want to make the adjustment to the new year or even the new school in some cases as seamless as possible. There has been significant energy invested to manage the change for students and parents to make students feel comfortable and ready for school. Book drop-off, information evenings in both the Primary and Secondary school, classroom activities focused on “getting to know you”, phone calls home and playground buddies are all part of helping students to make the adjustment to a new year level or school.
Whilst change can be uncomfortable, it is an essential part of the growth process. Prior to the students returning, the Mueller teachers participated in professional development with Dr Jon Eckert from Baylor University in Texas, USA. We focused on strategies for optimising the learning and personal growth and wellbeing of students. Interestingly, he described learning as both a struggle and a joy. Joy is often misunderstood as happiness and comfort. In fact, joy is not freedom from struggle but the freedom to struggle well. His research suggests that a student’s capacity for joyful struggle is linked to some key factors in their life, such as strong friendships at school, teachers who believe in them and champion them, and resilient adults in their life.
It is our hope for your child that they will experience joy this year in their schooling experience, and they will be able to embrace and succeed in the struggle that learning can be. We are encouraged by the truth of God’s word that promises us that He will never leave us nor forsake us and that he leads us as we step out into new seasons and experiences.
All the best for 2025!
Todd Langford