“Be kind! You don’t know the story” is the theme of a bumper sticker seen on some vehicles. This statement has two very important concepts – being kind, and understanding stories which are diverse, complex, descriptive, and personal.
Kindness is a sought-after value and although widely promoted, is difficult to measure. Although there are many frameworks to address this conundrum, I suspect seeking to practice kindness and to measure the effects will continue to be a worthwhile endeavour for years to come.
Stories on the other hand are not new to many of us. The bumper sticker version of story seems to be one of difficulties. However, many of us have experienced reading a novel as one of life’s pleasures particularly on a pleasant afternoon sitting in the sun enjoying a good coffee.
Stories are a wonderful way to connect. Brian Harris in his book, The Big Picture (Harris, 2015), suggests stories are at the heart of our view of the world. Dr Harris states that:
In considering the creation story those who hold to life having design and intentionality believe there is a reason they were born. Their reasoning is not attached to the mechanical but rather is linked to their part in a larger story. Finding their place within that story become a valid life journey (Harris, 2015, pg. 73).
As a community we are on a journey, and each student in our school has their own story to live and write. Events at school make up students’ experiences and ultimately chapters of their own story. For example, our Year 6s recently completed an inaugural camp to Albany which will be part of their story recounted no doubt in the years to come with anecdotal personal stories and fond memories.
The Year 12s are getting ready to graduate, attend their valedictory dinner, and see their family attend their morning farewell assembly marking the end of an era and school career.
Our Year 11s will attend their camp at the end of the year in preparation of their last three terms of school as a Year 12 student.
As a community we look forward to our Celebration Awards Evening where our Year 5 to Year 12 students will receive academic awards and later the Kindergarten to Year 4s will receive awards in their own assembly. These events and many others repeated every year, are anticipated with excitement and joy.
As a community we are writing our story. A story that we can be proud of, one that we can celebrate and hopefully realise that the journey was worthwhile. We intentionally set out to be part of Swan Christian College where we connect with purpose to lead and guide our children to responsible adulthood.
Our story is linked to a bigger story regarding the meaning of life. The Bible book of John 10:10 summaries this for us: Christ came that we might have life and life to its fullest. Perhaps this points to the reason we were born.
We trust that you will enjoy the remaining weeks of Semester 2 and we look forward to writing the next chapter of the Swan Christian College story with you.
Harris, B. (2015). The Big Picture, Building blocks of a Christian worldview. West Ryde: Paternoster.
Dr Darnelle Pretorius
Principal