Published on: 14 June 2018

Earlier this week I was in Singapore visiting old boys and their families and meeting with current and prospective parents. I always enjoy catching up with members of our community and sharing news of the latest school developments. Every time I meet up with members of our community the notion of global citizenship is discussed. It’s a term that is now firmly in our lexicon but what does it mean in relation to education? It is about our boys actively participating in projects that address global issues of a social, political, economic or environmental nature.  Importantly, the projects need to be supported with conversations in the classrooms that help to develop a ‘global consciousness’ and the skills to enable the boys to participate in changing and developing the world. This is a significant shift from how the majority of us were taught and needs to also take into account the impact of technology. There is so much information now available to our boys that we are really teaching them how to be critical consumers of information, creative thinkers, collaborative contributors and independent learners. These are interesting times for educators and parents.

A large number of my conversations are also about our recently introduced Year 9 Program and the OQD component as there is a growing interest in mental health and wellbeing and how schools are incorporating this into the curriculum. It seems peculiar to talk about mental health and young people in the same breath, but one in seven Australian children experience some type of mental health issue. On Monday night, we welcomed Dr Lea Waters to the School. Dr Waters spoke to over 200 parents about strength-based parenting and the results that positively impact the entire family when we focus on developing our children’s strengths. Once we build on their strengths we can take steps towards dealing with problem behaviour or talking about difficult situations and emotions. Dr Waters is an engaging presenter, who gently takes the audience on a journey that starts with identifying our ‘negativity bias’ or hard wiring that sees us focusing on weaknesses and trying to rectify them, to then considering strategies to learn about our child’s strengths and celebrate them.

For generations, the school community has given generously to support the education of Christ Church boys. As someone helping us shape the school community, I invite you to join me in considering a gift to one of our initiatives. Please click here for more information and to make your gift.

Alan Jones
Principal