A warm welcome to all of you to the 2026 school year! I hope your holidays were filled with plenty of time with friends and family, and perhaps even a spot of fishing as applicable! I managed a quick trip away to chase some trout in the Snowies, but will save that story for another day!
It was so nice to see all your smiling faces again last Monday, and some of you at our Welcome BBQ last Thursday evening. What a great night it was having a sausage sandwich together, hearing from primary teachers and having a chance to tour the new facilities at PCS. I was reminded again of how blessed we are to have such great kids and families at PCS. You really are a great bunch!
A few weeks back, the staff enjoyed spending a few days together before students started back. It was a valuable time for us to get in and focus ourselves for the year ahead with plenty of careful planning and preparation. We began each morning as a staff, exploring our theme for 2026 which is ‘Resting in the Plans and Purposes of God’. This theme is based on Psalm 46:10 which in part says ‘Be still and know that I am God’ This year we are focusing on what it is to be still and what it is to know God.
This famous verse can roll off the tongue so quickly! However if we are not careful, we can mistake it as a simple request to slow down our busy lives and have more quiet time, rather than a call to rest in a deep awareness of God’s presence and knowledge of his plans and purposes for us.
In 2026 we are spending time exploring the concept of being still, as intended by the author of Psalm 46. Without going too deep in my first newsletter article for the year, the Hebrew word for ‘still’ is rapha. This means to relax, to let go, to weaken, and to cease striving in our own efforts and to trust in God’s power, plans and purposes. Wow! There is so much to explore in that, however my simple encouragement as we begin 2026 is for you to know that God has plans and purposes for you!
You may be reading this and wondering, what are God’s plans and purposes for me? What a great question! The great news is that in its simplest form, God’s plan for all of us is to love each other and look to meet the needs of others wherever we can. Jesus talks about this concept a lot, specifically in John 13:34,35. Yes, there are specific plans and purposes that God has for each of us, usually in line with our gifts and abilities, however God’s plan for all of us, is to show kindness, to meet the needs of others, to show care, generosity, and the list goes on! All of us can do that, regardless of age, qualification, postcode or past experiences. I look forward to sharing more around this idea as the year moves on.
I love being involved in Christian education. As I often reinforce with our parent community, alongside teaching student outcomes well, our role is to effectively partner with churches and families to deliver consistent, safe and accurate teaching and learning in the Bible with a heavy focus on the life of Jesus and the gospel message. As we get into our year, I am praying that all our students will be inspired to continue getting to know God as a lifelong journey. How exciting it is to know that all of us are made by God for a purpose; that all of us have the ability and opportunity to live lives that honour God by simply meeting the needs of others and extending kindness each and every day. There is power in the gospel, and power in schools and families partnering together to raise young men and women who are confident, equipped and excited to live a life of purpose in all they do. What an opportunity we have!
So as we get into the year, let me thank you for partnering with us in education. Let’s all continue the great work in 2026 of educating our most valuable resource, your kids!
Have a great week!
Glen