What a wonderful time we had on Saturday for our annual Open Day. The weather was perfect, there was a buzz of excitement in the air and it was a fantastic event in every way. I was kept busy with new and enquiring families in the Hospitality Courtyard but from what I’ve heard, there were six standouts from the day.
1. The student tour guides.
We are proud of our students so we always have them take as many tours as possible on the day. New families particularly enjoy hearing about the College from a student perspective and our students do us proud. They are enthusiastic about GCC and their passion is contagious, communicating more to prospective families than our facilities or academic statistics. Thank you to all the students who were tour guides for our Open Day.
2. The teachers.
When our student tour guides were asked what they liked most about GCC, the feedback was that they all said, “the teachers”. Great teachers are the backbone of GCC. I think it is fantastic that our students recognise the quality of our teachers and their impact on the education journey of students at GCC.
3. Student Voice and greeters.
Lots of people told me what a great job our Student Voice leaders did by engaging families on Open Day. They took photos with families and our student mascot was very popular with the little ones. The stall added to the fun atmosphere on the day. Our greeters had to step outside their comfort zone and walk up to complete strangers offering help. A lot of new families visited us on the day which made the greeting job one of the most important of the whole event. Thank you to our student greeters for representing GCC so well.
4. Our GCC parents and families.
It was really nice seeing so many of our current GCC families at Open Day. Our community spirit and sense of belonging is something that sets us apart from other schools. GCC Open Day is a perfect time for us to come together and celebrate that feeling of being part of a large family. I want to especially thank the P and F volunteers who worked tirelessly on the day running TWO stalls to cater for our visitors and raise money for the College.
5. The new families.
Open Day is still a vital event in attracting new families to GCC. Each year, we have three Prep classes to fill. We also often lose students whose families are moving out of the area or senior students who find work in their chosen vocation before graduating. These places need filling so we can continue to deliver high-quality subjects, facilities and excellent education choices for our students. It was exciting to hear that GCC’s reputation had spread far and wide and we had new families visit on the day who were planning to move from New South Wales, Victoria and Toowoomba with the express intention of being closer to our College. Another trend we are noticing is parents with young children enrolling earlier than ever. Our Prep classes for 2022 are quite full with waiting lists and 2023 is also filling fast so the trend of early enrolment sounds like something that will continue.
6. Our faithful Lord.
In many ways, this should be my first point but I want to end on it so it is the last thing we think about. The faithfulness of our wonderful Lord is the reason we built GCC 21 years ago and still remains the reason we exist to provide quality Christian education for our students today. Naturally, we were praying for good weather and a good turnout for our Open Day but more than anything else, we wanted to honour our Lord who has done so much for us. We are often asked by new families whether they have to be religious to send their children to GCC. The answer is always that all children are welcome at GCC regardless of their background. It is our prayer that our students will develop a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ during their time here, they will know that they are loved unconditionally and they will learn to embrace these values throughout their adult life.
Mike Curtis, Principal
GCC families can see all the photos from Open Day here and here.