YOU BELONG. Two little words that change a child’s world. A sense of belonging is a long-established cornerstone of wellbeing, happiness and satisfaction. It provides a sense of purpose and meaning. For students, a sense of belonging means they feel a sense of acceptance, inclusion, respect and support. It means they have safety and security in who they are and where they fit. While the world reels from war, division, hurt and fear, feeling a sense of belonging is essential.
At GCC, we have the unique opportunity to speak Christ’s love into the lives of the students in our care. To remind them, ‘Fear not’ (Isaiah 41:10), to ‘Be anxious for nothing.’ (Philippians 4:6), and that ‘I know the plans I have for you’ (Jeremiah 29:11). Building a sense of belonging is the goal at GCC and is the reason why we make a stand against bullying and celebrate our nation’s wonderful diversity in the spirit of Harmony Week, to create our own week of celebration: YOU BELONG WEEK.
The inaugural You Belong Week will be launched next week (Week 8) in order to celebrate all the students who belong at our College. In Secondary, every day of Week 8 will have activities and food to celebrate our students. This will include:
- MONDAY – Teacher v Student game on the oval with Sausage Sizzle
- TUESDAY – Official Day Against Bullying – Wear Orange, giant games on the oval, Chuppa Chup Tuesday, You Belong Chapel
- WEDNESDAY – Middle School Madness
- THURSDAY – Thankful Thursday – Students will have the opportunity to express their gratitude on the giant wall of thankfulness, popcorn and live music
- FRIDAY – Doof Doof Den, Zooper Dupers, photobooth
These activities are the brainchild of our student leaders and Student Voice members. You Belong Week will be a genuine expression of our students doing things for each other. In a further gesture of support for our extended College community, all funds raised through the purchase of food etc will be used to support families affected by the recent weather event.
We are blessed beyond measure to find ourselves belonging to the GCC family at this point in time. With a world in turmoil, it has never been more important to invest in our students and foster their sense of belonging to grow them into amazing, confident young people.
Colleen Crase