There were two occasions when I was surprised by how emotional I became in the first year of each of my four children’s schooling. They were – the first day of their school life. Leading up to it I had been thinking how great it was that they were off on this next wonderful step in their lives so the tears were unexpected. The second time was when they could read a few lines. Sounds dramatic I know… but the ability of the human brain to decipher squiggles and formulate words is not only wonderful but akin to the true definition of a miracle! Can anyone explain how grey matter does that? Not only is it an incredible skill, it’s a gift! 

This week the College joined in with the rest of Australia in celebrating Book Week and the theme ‘Dreaming with eyes open…’  Reading provides a pathway to learning more about life and our world through stories and information. We should then have our eyes ‘wide open’ so that our ‘dreaming’ is possible, plausible and worthy. 

Words, phrases, sentences, and a piece of writing can:

• Instruct – provide the ability to gain knowledge and learn skills
  
• Develop compassion – the reader is provided with a viewpoint that they may not have realised or imagined, placing themselves in the ‘character’s shoes’
  
• Stimulate creativity – there is a third narrative in writing – the words, the illustrator’s pictures, and the third narrative is the visual image created in the reader’s mind!
  
• Challenge viewpoints and ideally promote sound reasoning

For quite a few years now Middle and Senior School have joined in with the Book Character day. It’s risky with teenagers as it’s less about the cool outfit and more about if their peers are cool with it. I was so impressed with the number of students who came dressed up in character and had fun with the day but still fitting in with the College’s GREAT values. GCC families can see all the photos on Pixevety in this album.

Interestingly God’s name was not allowed to be spoken or written, instead it was stated as an intake and exhalation of breath, this was then written as an onomatopoeic word to represent this, which then translated into the verb ‘I am’. The verb “to be”. We are – because God is and God was and God will be. How wonderful are words!

Jacqualina Vreeling, Head of Middle School