We have settled into routine at school already which is great. Students seem settled and happy and very keen to get to play under our new outdoor courts shade structure which is almost finished. Year 7 are all at camp and having a marvellous time doing lots of physical activities and stretching themselves while also forming new friendships.

It is our desire that GPCC be a place of love and care for every student. We want it to be a place of personal growth as well as academic progress. Our Graduate Profile has at the top of the diagram - Godly in Character.  No matter how clever or successful someone is, unless they have good character, it means little. The great challenge for all human beings is to deal with themselves before they can deal well with others.

The Hebrew and Christian Scriptures give us an account of why we struggle with ourselves and others. Our first ancestors chose to go out on their own and disregard the vital attachment to their Creator that would have kept them (and us) in a good place. Instead, all human beings struggle to live moral and upright lives because of an inherent tendency to selfishness and wilfulness.

GPCC is grounded in this worldview but also believes there is hope because of God’s plan to restore human brokenness through his Son, Jesus Christ. Restoration of our world can only happen through restoration of ourselves. Your child will regularly hear from us in many ways, the message of the Gospel, the good news that through the work of Jesus, we can be reconciled to God and so with ourselves and others.

This is the basis of good character. When we can start again as renewed people, we can begin to develop the character God always intended. A character most clearly expressed for us in the example of Jesus who came to earth and demonstrated what it looks like to live in right relationship with God, ourselves and others. No amount of effort can really tame the disobedient and wilful creature that lurks in all of us, but in relationship with God through faith in Jesus, we can start over and begin, with His help, to re-make and restore that which has been lost.

Accepting this account of humankind and seeking to act on it does not immediately make us perfect but sets us on a journey of improvement that will take the rest of our earthly lives. So, we work with our students to train them and help them to recognise their need to develop their character in positive ways. We accept that they and us are not perfect and will make mistakes, so repentance and forgiveness are part of the journey toward betterment.

There is an old saying that goes: Christians are not perfect just forgiven. It is true even though some Christians at times think that they have already obtained perfection. Humility to recognise that we are all on a change path is important in the development of good character. Be patient with us when we fail in working with your children. We will make mistakes but as we also seek to grow in Godly character, we can model to students what the real human life looks like.

Every parent wants their child to be a good person. Together and with God’s help we can achieve that for the children and young people at GPCC.

Phillip Nash

Principal