From the Principal – February 2023

There is so much joy and excitement implicit in the arrival of a new year, our 30th year which will be marked and celebrated at various events throughout 2023. For 30 years we have been developing people of good character who have gone on to make a positive impact in our world.

Our College theme for 2023 is ‘The Year of Friendship’. We have arrived at Friendship via a heartening and life-affirming journey through ”Know Thyself’ (2019), ‘Kindness’ (2020), ‘Gratitude’ (2021) and ‘Connectedness’ (2022). Our choice of a theme each year allows us the opportunity to privilege a particular value that we believe will bring harmony and growth to our community, and Friendship feels almost like a culmination of our journey over the last four years – a journey that has taken us to places we never expected to go.

At the end of last year, young Evie from our Prep handed me a letter. This affirms the importance of offering the hand of friendship to those with whom we commune and cements the theme for 2023.

As parents and educators, we must encourage our children – person to person – and model the behaviours that promote healthy, positive, respectful and inclusive communities. We know that young people are not without an innate understanding, appreciation or capacity, as demonstrated by our youngest students who are most adept at making friends.

You have heard me say before ‘that every person matters’.  In believing this, there are many ‘gifts’ of our community that as a collective are vital to the heart of St John’s. We must continue in our endeavour to nurture our young people by embracing diversity, pursuing equity, and demonstrating respect through the love known as friendship.

Mrs Maria McIvor
Principal