Principal's Reflection - 6 February

Welcome

There are several ‘markers’ of what makes an Anglican school in Queensland. Laid out in the Anglican School Ethos Statement, Anglican schools are Incarnational, Intellectual, Pastoral, Missional, Faithful and Hospitable. On this last marker, our Ethos statement says the following:

We acknowledge and celebrate that both our student and staff memberships are plural. We invite and welcome all and hospitality is given to every student, no matter the race, gender, sexuality, ideology, ability/disability or religion. No one is excluded. The only pre-condition for membership in our schools (outside fees) is respect, respect for our ethos and the Gospel at its heart.

Hospitality has a much deeper meaning than making people feel welcome, but that is certainly where it starts. That is why it has been so uplifting to see, over the past month, new members of our community feel welcome at our School. There have been some structured and significant opportunities, such as the Welcome Back Cuppa, the Meet the Teachers event in Middle and Senior School, the Preppie’s Hunt for the Green Sheep and Genesis Week, to name a few, but what I believe makes the most difference is the small, quiet and informal acts of welcome. 

Our Bishop, Sarah Plowman, led a start-of-year Worship service for staff that was amazing. It wasn’t big and flashy. It was close and quiet, and throughout the service she casually explained the meaning of several parts and invited people to consider whether it resonated with them. It made people new to the Anglican way of doing things feel part of the service. 

We always hold a dedicated new-staff induction day to give our new staff the best possible start at St Luke’s. I am sure it is helpful, but I also saw existing staff who were on campus of their own accord prior to school commencing, take time out of their days to meet, have coffee with, and sit with new staff, explaining various systems and procedures, and answering all the ‘little’ questions. I know it made them feel welcome. 

Of course, when our students and families returned, I observed many, many acts of kindness and welcome unfold. I saw parents speaking with new teachers, taking time to get to know them as a person, in addition to discussing their children, the curriculum and upcoming assessments. As usual, I saw and heard stories of students going out of their way to make new friends, to extend an invitation to a new student to sit with them at lunch, and more students volunteering to buddy our visiting international students than I think we’ve ever had before. 

It is important that organisations have statements, like the one above, about what they aspire to be. It is far more important that the thousands of small interactions that happen on a daily basis reflect this. Thank you to all the people who have so generously made new members of our community feel welcome. 

This term, we are pleased to welcome eight Japanese students to our School community as part of our International Student Program. This program is made possible by the support of Homestay families, who graciously welcome these students into their homes. Hosting an international student offers a mutually rewarding experience for both families and students by broadening worldviews, fostering genuine understanding and appreciation between people of different backgrounds, and creating connections that span continents and generations. If you are interested in welcoming an international student into your home, please contact our Registrar via the link below.

Enquire About Homestay

Thank you for your ongoing support of our School.

Mr Matthew Hughes

Principal