My first weeks at Carey have allowed me to commence a working relationship with a number of staff and I have been very encouraged by the level of expertise which exists within the staff body. Prior to the students’ return to school, the staff professional learning days provided a terrific opportunity to share my educational philosophy at the three campuses of our school.
As a staff community, we have recommitted to the School’s vision of creating wise, independent and motivated learners and I am very excited about where we will take our school in the years to come. By designing and delivering an authentic, progressive education for the next generation, we hope to set up Gen Alpha – those born from 2010 onwards – for success as they work towards entering the workforce sometime in the decade of 2030.
I’ve enjoyed connecting with many parents this week at the information sessions for Middle and Senior School, with Junior Schools still to come. I look forward to continuing these discussions with a large number of you at one of several community forums to be run in the first half of the year. The intention of these forums is to continue to build my understanding of all the different dimensions of Carey as well as capturing your hopes and dreams for our school. These opportunities to contribute will be publicised in the coming weeks.
I am especially grateful to all families for the way in which our community has responded to the outbreak of the Coronavirus in China. It has been very affirming to see that families erred on the side of caution when making decisions around keeping children at home following travel from the affected areas. Of the over 150 students observing a period of isolation, it is worth noting that fewer than 10 had travelled from Hubei Province. Everyone can feel reassured that the safety and wellbeing of all members of our community is foremost in the School and our families’ minds.
It was a great pleasure to meet all of the Year 7 families at Bulleen last Saturday to commence the APS season. I look forward to meeting many of you around the grounds as we support this part of our holistic co-curricular program within our school. I was also delighted to be able to march with a group of 45 students and a large number of staff in the Pride March as a part of Midsumma Festival on Sunday. Carey is proud to support diversity in all its forms within our school community and it was great to be a part of a unique and joyous celebration of this diversity in the broader community.
The very reason educators come to work each day is for the students, so it was wonderful to present at each of the assemblies in the first days of school. My message to students was one around effort, kindness and personal best. I reminded the students to be kind in their interactions with each other, especially in light of the challenging summer for many of us who are dealing with difficulties as a result of the bushfires and the Coronavirus. We also encourage all students to strive to do their very best in every learning opportunity they undertake every day, noting that students will shine in their own unique way in different parts of our broad program. This will require dedication and hard work, which is not something we should be afraid of, as there is enormous intrinsic satisfaction that can be derived from making that commitment to strive for your personal best.
Thank you once again to the whole community for making me feel so welcome and I look forward to meeting many more of you in the months ahead.
Jonathan Walter
Principal
