Last Saturday, I had the privilege of attending a 20th Reunion at Werribee for our alumni of the Class of 2005. It was an utter joy to see familiar, but rather more mature, faces again and learn about their journey post-school. I was not around when the Class of 2005 graduated, being home with young children at the time, so I was catching up with students I had last taught when they were in Grade 6!
One of the fun things we were able to do on the day was watch parts of their Year 12 final assembly that had thankfully been captured on video tape and stored in our archives. Mrs Tass and I were struck with how similar the pattern of their final assembly was to the more recent final Year 12 goodbyes we’ve experienced. It seems there is a certain stage of life and of growing up that stays the same, even as the years go by and the technology changes.
I find school reunions quite moving. In a strange way, the years are compressed together suddenly, and it is almost like leaping forward in time as you talk with those you last met as children who are now holding the little hands of children of their own. What you learn is that there are things about school that are important and there are things that matter.
The important things are those skills you learnt, the content you were faithfully taught, the marks you got and whether or not you were ready to make your way in the world at the end of it all. The things that matter are the people you journeyed with, the love you felt, the boundaries you learnt and the fun you had that shaped you.
With all our current students, we hope we are supporting them to find their place in God’s story and to be a part of each other’s story with good outcomes. Every day we are stretching towards the best learning environment and the best opportunities for growth that we can produce. But Heathdale is much more than a means to an educational end. We hope we are also shaping hearts, inspiring characters and preparing young people for their life beyond the short school days.
Our past students loved to see the new buildings – so much was new to them, having been built in the last 20 years. But they also asked lots of questions about our vocational programs and our students’ subjects and opportunities. With the vantage point of hindsight, they were able to see the value in their own experiences and be pleased to know that the school has continued to grow and develop.
It is a sincere source of encouragement to see what God has done with each group of graduates when they return to visit. We only see a little part of the work God is doing when they leave us at the end of Year 12. But His faithfulness is evident when we can see down the road and know the many good things have come to fruition and that His hand has been in it all.
School days go swiftly by. But what a gift to see what comes next! And what a good reminder that each one of our precious students is themselves a marvellous gift from God, ready to be nurtured, and with the capacity to develop into much more than might meet the eye on an ordinary school day.