In just a few weeks one hundred and five Year Twelve students will finish a thirteen-year journey, before embarking on their next stage of life. And it is fair to say that as the end approaches and the finish line comes into sight, the Year Twelves are fighting against experiencing a state-of-mind shared by all those on a journey – Destination Syndrome.
I was blessed last week to spend some time at the Year Ten camp at Emu Gully. It was a well-run camp in which the students were challenged by the activities and instructors, as well as just enjoying some time away together and having fun. It also showed the spirit and team-oriented nature of this year level as they willingly pitched in and helped one another.
Term 4 can be seen as a ‘lot of work’ or a time of ‘celebration’. At Mueller, we see every person created in God’s image. There are no mistakes in His design, and it is that mindset which will release us to celebrate the term rather than be weighed down by the ‘to-do’ lists. The myriad of events will give each student an opportunity to be celebrated for their gifts, abilities and personality. I encourage you to get involved in the term’s celebrations to see a positive finish to 2018.
The Melbourne Football Club has not been a part of footy finals action for over a decade. After years of pain of missing out, the oldest sporting club in Australia now finds itself in the enviable position of playing off for a spot in this year’s AFL Grand Final.
Most students are currently in the middle of completing assignments and exams, especially the Year Twelve students who are experiencing a particularly busy time at the moment. Whilst the important academic work is crucial to student learning, schools are about more than just exams. Some of the great memories of school, moments which people treasure are of the camps and activities undertaken with their school mates. September is certainly the month for that!
In the past couple of years, Mueller has been aspirational in living out the values which are displayed outside the tuckshop. These are; Every Student Matters Everyday, Everyone is known and valued, Everyone can grow and thrive, Everyone belongs and can contribute to community.
In tough times where health, money, friends or marriage are not looking good we may wonder what is going on? But God makes us beautiful through all the trials and circumstances in life. It is during the tough seasons that we often grow the most in our character. It is difficult to form outstanding character in seasons of pure prosperity. This is one reason why God ordains seasons where we have to fight, where things do not come easily.
Parents send their children to school with the expectation that they will learn the core skills of literacy and numeracy. At Mueller we invest in a lot of resources in these pursuits and highly value these important skills for students. In fact, these remain a primary focus of most education systems, including the Queensland’s QCE system, however there is a growing acknowledgement that there is more to preparing students for life beyond school than reading and writing. The new QCE system acknowledges this and includes scope for students learning ‘21st century skills’.
In a 2015 survey undertaken by Independent Schools Queensland, parents stated that a school ‘which prepared their child to fulfil their potential in later life’ was the most important factor when deciding on a school. This is an interesting finding as ‘preparing for later life’ involves so much more than the 3Rs.
Last Tuesday night was a delightful evening of music with the Primary musicians. During the evening, Di Schmidt, our amazing Primary music teacher gave the below speech. It beautifully sums up the heart of the College in seeing our students thrive. I trust you will enjoy reading her speech.