The Family Festival last Friday evening was a tremendous success.
While the evening was centred around celebrating our 10-year anniversary, I couldn’t help but feel it was equally a launching pad for the future.
A large crowd was in attendance, and I suspect we exceeded the 2,000 people anticipated. The spacious, open design of our campus absorbed this enthusiastic turnout with ease. I did observe, however, that the French room struggled slightly to accommodate its popularity in a smaller space.
Olivia, one of our Year 6 students, shared a beautiful reflection on the experience her class has had over six years:
“As any young person entering the big, wide world of school, we began with a bag of mixed emotions; some of us were scared (riding a bus to school made it just a little bit scarier), some of us were excited and some of us were unsure yet compliant!
“Our Prep year started with two wonderful teachers, Mrs Spitteler and Mrs Sabo, who made us feel safe and loved. We learnt to read and write, made friends and experienced many new things.
“From the moment we stepped into our college here at Melton to where we are now, about to finish Primary school, we have many fond memories of our time in the classroom, on excursions, at camps, in sporting events, exploring the ever-changing school grounds, and of course, with our dedicated teachers and staff."
We were able to recognise three founding families who still have children at the College: the Apps family - Robert and Katie with children Michael, Joey and Hudson; the Hunt family - Vanessa with her children Tipene, Josiah and Honesty; and the Vika family - Jonathan and Snezana with their children Ruben and Joel. We are deeply grateful for their vision, commitment and unwavering support.
We also acknowledged staff who have made significant contributions over the past decade, including our first Principal, Lyn Moffett; previous Principal, Yvonne Harvey; our first teachers, Jill Cohn and Anna Szewczenko; Mrs Kris McClelland, our current Director of Student Wellbeing; and Carol Beale, Jennifer Spitteler and Cassie Sabo. These individuals laid the foundation for all that we have today.
We are so grateful for this heartfelt evening, which embodied the pride of so many in our community. It was a beautiful mutual celebration, where the school honoured our community, and you responded by attending in kind.
Everyone contributed to the success of the evening, and I am most grateful.
Staff Recognition
On another note, I wish to acknowledge the work of Mrs Cassie Sabo, who is beginning maternity leave today. We are thankful for her dedicated investment in our students over the past ten years, and we wish her and her husband all the best as they transition from a couple to a family.
In the coming weeks, there are ample opportunities to start a journey of improvement, continue persevering or complete the year with crowning achievements.
There may be value in persisting even without immediate signs of success. Each day offers a fresh start and a perfect opportunity to strive towards your best self.
The only incorrect choice is to delay your improvement until next year.
I encourage you to keep your hopes high, listen to your “better angels,” and push aside any self-doubt.