Encouraging one another

On Sunday morning I was fascinated by all the Sunshine Coast marathon runners running past my unit at Maroochydore.  My street is a cul de sac and so the runners ran to the end of the street, turned around and ran back the other way.  In so doing they pass so many other competitors running the other way.  What fascinated me was the amount of encouragement they were giving each other as they passed by. Even though they were competing in a race and there were prizes for the “winners”, the competitors were urging each other on.

The reason they did this was very clear.  Each runner was running their own race.  They were not so much competing against each other but rather they were competing against their own standards.  They were all endeavouring to get a PB.  All athletes know what a PB is.  It is a Personal Best.  Each athlete strives to achieve a Personal Best whenever they compete.  It is immaterial what is happening around them. Their focus is on a separate goal.

In life and at school, it is important our students focus on achieving their PB.  They set themselves goals in every sphere of their life and focus on achieving these.  What is critical to the success of achieving a Personal Best is to surround ourselves with similarly minded individuals who also want to achieve their own PB.  These students will spur on each other with words of encouragement as well as setting standards for our students to achieve.

On awards night, The seniors will perform the Ceremony of the Charter; where the seniors who are graduating will pass on a set of ideals to those coming up from the lower grades to strive to achieve.

Our Student Charter reads:

Jesus said “You are the light of the world”.  We, the graduating class of Glasshouse Christian College have sought to reveal this light and we have aspired to these ideals:

• To work hard yet take time to be still.
• To live the truth while respecting differences in others.
• To follow what is right while remembering to stay close to those who stumble.
• To act justly but not condemn.
• To speak yet listen to others.
• To celebrate success without conceit.
• To take risks yet respect tradition.
• To act humbly and with integrity, serve God and follow Jesus, contributing where we can and becoming the best that we can.

As the graduating seniors, we now pass on this light onto you.

This term is quickly coming to a close and it won’t be long until our Year 12 students are graduating and passing on the mantle of student leadership.  I commend you all to urge on our seniors with words of encouragement and godly wisdom as we approach this extremely busy time of year.

This last week many of our Year 12s did their QCS exams and  they need as much encouragement and prayer as they can get.  At the end of this term our Year 12 student work is sent to Review Panels for Verification in October.  At the end of the year, our Year 11s have their work sent to the same Panels for Moderation.  These are very important processes in the finalisation of student results.  Our Year 12s are also deciding their future pathways as most choose to submit QTAC applications for tertiary placement.  Our Year 10s have just completed their SET plans and we are very busy in setting up the timetable for 2015.  Please pray for all our staff and students.
David Heyworth, Head of Senior School