At our staff praise time on Monday, Mr Ford said that it feels like GCC turns into an Event Centre in Term 4. He isn’t wrong! There are rehearsals, performances, celebrations, presentations, more rehearsals and all at the same time as the usual campus, excursions, incursions, classroom teaching, exams and assignments. It can feel like a whirlwind.

The Lost Property Reality

However, there is one thing in the midst of this activity that doesn’t fluctuate too much and that is the lost property cupboard. This cupboard is for all the unnamed items that are handed in and it is quite amazing to see the variety that accumulates. This week there was a sleeping bag, a spoon, a pair of shoes, a straw hat and many other weird and wonderful lost items among the usual drink bottles and lunch boxes, 

I’m the last person to point the finger at parents for the overabundance of lost property. I have lived experience in the lost-and-found department. With three girls and one still at school, I’ve reunited more items than I care to admit: a single sock awaiting its partner’s dramatic return, a musical instrument mouthpiece that decided to tour the house, and the elusive sports hat that only appears on non-sport days. The lesson at home is the same as at school: label what matters, check the usual hiding spots, and don’t panic, most things turn up.

What We Misplace in Term 4

Standing in front of those shelves in the lost property cupboard the other day, I found myself thinking about how lost property can mirror school life, especially towards the end of the year. Every year we all misplace intangible things. We lose focus at the end of term, we lose the desire to finish an assignment when we are tired, and we can even lose the patience to be polite and show kindness when we’ve had enough. These intangible items often go missing in Term 4 and the students aren’t alone. 

Found Lessons in Lost Property

That’s the doom and gloom part over with. Now I want to focus on the pure joys of lost property. It’s all about that moment of discovery.  A student digs through the pile, eyes light up, and there it is: their favourite hoodie. “Found it!” they exclaim in delight. All the stresses of searching fade away in the light of the “found it” moment. That little win matters.

Lost property doesn’t stay lost. It’s just been temporarily misplaced and even if it doesn’t find its way to its original owner, it still serves a purpose. At the end of each semester, we donate those items that aren’t claimed so nothing is wasted.

Navigating the year and surviving Term 4 is full of those moments. At the beginning of the year, you may lose your confidence, your friends might be missing, the answer to the elusive maths equation is completely lost to you. However, over the year, you make new friends, your confidence builds and you find the answer to how much cake is left over if Sarah ate one third and Tom ate one quarter.

You lose your way in a problem and then, suddenly, the pathway clears. 

Truths Behind Lost and Found

Jesus told about lost things. One was about a shepherd who searched for one sheep, and another was about a woman who swept her home vigorously to recover a single coin. They’re simple stories that remind many of us that each person matters to God; none of us are overlooked, forgotten or left in the ‘Lost Property’ cupboard.

So as Term 4 gathers pace, let the Lost Property cupboard remind us that even when we feel lost, we’re not abandoned. God is the one who looks for us and delights to find us.

Mike Curtis, Principal

PS: Parents, please don’t forget to check the lost property cupboard on a regular basis. Better still, ensure your child’s name is on all items and then anything misplaced will be handed directly to the teacher to return to the student. The lost property cupboard will be bypassed altogether!