I want to begin this final Messenger for the year with a big thank you to my teachers and staff. We all thought 2020 was a challenging year, but never imagined the disruption and constant change of 2021.

Through all this, my people have worked hard to keep student learning happening online, to catch up once students could return and to cope with constantly changing regulations, including the challenge of wearing masks for Secondary teachers and policing that with students. In comparison with many other schools, I think we have done a fine job of ensuring that our students have been able to keep up with the planned curriculum and have not fallen behind.

A special thanks goes to our Year 12 teachers who supported students through two changes of date for the HSC and worked with them way beyond what a normal year would require. I know that our Year 12’s were well prepared and will have acquitted themselves well in the exams. It was wonderful to celebrate their graduation on Thursday and so exciting to see the big crowd of family members who turned out to support them. 

I also want to thank you as members of our school community. You have stood by us through this period and co-operated with the regulations imposed on us. You accepted my request to maintain respect for each other in spite of very differing views on the whole COVID situation. I know from talking to colleagues in schools across the country, that not every school has experienced such unity or co-operation. This speaks well of our partnership. 

We all hope and pray for a vastly different 2022 where we may be able to return to something approaching normal. Whatever happens in January, I know that this community will pull together, and we will move forward. It is important that we do not allow the restrictions to prevent us from continuing to develop programs and activities to benefit our students. Last week I tried to highlight some of those and in 2022 we look forward to developing the use of new resources and opportunities to grow them.

As we enter the Christmas period, I remind you of the importance of pausing to remember the birth of the Christ child. The Creator God came to earth in human form to meet with us, to demonstrate what it means to live in a fully human way and ultimately to die for us to bear the penalty of our brokenness. As we share gifts this Christmas, we do so in remembrance of the greatest gift to humankind - the gift of God’s Son.

A very blessed Christmas to you all. May this holiday season be an opportunity for refreshment and family in a particularly special way this year. If your child is not returning next year, thank you for being part of the GPCC community and I wish you all the very best for the future.

Principal