TO BE EXCELLENT YOU HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE EXCELLENCE: This week we have had the opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge just some of the amazing successes achieved by many of the staff and students at our school.

The GCC Dance troupes have done exceptionally well in recent competitions, the mountain biking squad who competed in mountain biking last weekend were outstanding, the Ag Science students are doing a great job with their genuine support and care for a community suffering from the consequences of severe drought and the Primary Choir – ‘Cool Voices’ represented the College at the Sunshine Coast Junior Eisteddfod  this week with items that were excellent and God honouring. Looking back over the first three weeks of this term, I am astounded at the number of activities that our students and staff have been involved in where excellence has been demonstrated.

Every day the staff and students at GCC make a positive difference, with many of them going above and beyond, as they strive to do their best and seek to attain excellence. Every day we make hundreds of decisions, some matter more than others, but committing our lives to strive towards excellence, motivated by the right values, priorities and attitudes, is one of the most important decisions we can make. 

The quest for excellence can fuel our fire and funny things seem to happen as we strive for excellence…

• We build integrity, character, discipline and a host of other intrinsic benefits that add credence to the old saying, “the journey is its own reward.”
• Our achievements become a powerful motivator for continued progress and performance excellence.
• We create an environment that fosters ethical behaviour, innovation and the desire to gain and sustain competitive advantage.
• We develop quality behaviours that bolster and endorse specific actions and values.
• We serve as models for our peers and colleagues, being inspirations in our communities and leaders in our area of strength.

Brian Harbour in Rising Above the Crowd reminds us that: “Success means being the best. Excellence means being your best. Success, to many, means being better than everyone else. Excellence means being better tomorrow than you were yesterday. Success means exceeding the achievements of other people. Excellence means matching your practise with your potential.”

The pursuit of excellence comes from doing our best with what we have, to God’s glory, with a view to growing and improving,

Gail Mitchell, Head of Primary