Golden Threads

Since arriving in early January, my wife Jane and I have felt the warm embrace of the Grammar community. Some 5 months later we continue to discover and delve into the fabric of this grand school and find ourselves marvelling at the fortitude and commitment that are palpable in those connected to the school. We have made the right choice. Grammar is a place where I hope to continue to nurture the next generation of young people to set them up for life success, encouraging them to seek challenges so they may make the world a better place. I know this will happen if we have created a learning environment that inspires our students to ‘be more’ in all that they do and say in their Grammar learning journey.

My role over the last 5 months has been to look, listen and learn and there is a lot of learning (and at times unlearning!) to be done. The Senior Leadership Team have partnered with me in this quest, and we are of one resolve which put simply is ‘to know so we may grow’. The knowledge and lessons are coming thick and fast. Occasionally this has seemingly been overwhelming as I can assure you that embracing 177 years of education is not for the faint hearted. However, for the most part it has been a series of captivating conversations and rich reading which enables me and the team to feel confident in our leadership. We know that we are custodians of an enduring legacy which has shaped and will continue to shape future generations of Australians to play their part in creating a just world. Our quest has been to find the golden threads which shape our identity and will continue to be the reference point for our future. Our motto Nisi Dominus Frustra and Anglican values of compassion, respect, community, safety, and inclusion inform the heart of our endeavours.

My goal has been to evolve the climate of the school and deliberately focus on addressing those areas which impact on how we are perceived as a school. Simply put, I know it is important that we put in place strong leadership, effective communication, efficient process and procedures and considered resourcing to ensure we have a solid basis from which to work. These are priority areas in my endeavours during my first year as Principal. I know that these fundamentals must be in place before I may work more broadly with the good people of Grammar to decide what the next iteration of our proud story will be.

My learning thus far has helped me to deepen my understanding of what it is we want for our young people in our care. We know their education must be driven by the development of their character. That we will provide an education that shapes the whole person and values their wellbeing. In times of uncertainty and challenges we must ensure our students are able to thrive into the future. We must never be complacent in our understanding of the changing nature of education. Now, more than ever, our purpose is about working with children and their families to create a community where an individual’s academic, physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs are understood and intentionally developed. This will then enable them to make a successful contribution to their world as humble and compassionate leaders in a multitude of contexts.

At present there are significant challenges in education. One of the key challenges, which is not dissimilar to all workplaces across Australia, is the significant shift in the availability of a trained and accomplished workforce across all areas of the organisation. We are working hard to ensure that we develop future proofing approaches and remain focussed on attracting the best people. Leadership have been working with both our teaching and professional services staff on ways in which we can together create a value proposition to ensure we are a school of choice. Our commitment to addressing workload concerns, looking at job design and offering learning programmes which focus on student wellbeing, engagement and agency are key to creating a positive learning and work environment.

A school is not a school unless we place the students at the heart of our learning promise. I have loved watching, participating alongside, and learning about the student journey at Grammar. The calibre of our children is second to none. Our responsibility to them drives our purpose. There have been numerous events and signature learning experiences which have allowed me insight into the character of the students.

I will always treasure the challenge issued to me by our School Captains, Asha and Thomas at my commissioning where I was asked to “nurture our school through both hardship and success to enable our staff and student’s creativity and personality to shine. To challenge us in times of complacency to bring out courage and compassion so we can grow in everything we do. And finally, to inspire us to be curious about the future and what it may hold for us all”.

I will cherish the book of advice on How to be a Principal which was presented to me at the Junior Campus assembly full of wonderful tips and ideas about how to be a good Principal. The three that resonate with me most are

1. If you get stuck on a problem, ask Mrs Bennett (Ed: wisdom beyond their years)

2. Play on the monkey bars with us

3. Be a principled Principal

I am mindful that a Grammar education has a lifelong impact for those who are privileged to be a part of this village. Our endeavours must always honour this goal. The passing of time and how we ‘do school’ empowers our learning village to be different. I have been working with our staff and students to better understand the learning that will ensure life success for Grammar graduates. We will over time embrace new ways of doing. We will evolve our offering to reflect the needs of our students and maintain our relevance by being the lighthouse leaders of wellbeing and learning in Tasmanian schools.

Wellbeing and character education shaped by the values of the Anglican Church are in our DNA. They sit comfortably alongside our rigorous academic standards and commitment to not just be a school but to be a community. It is these golden threads which we have proudly maintained and relied upon when the going gets tough. They will serve us well as we embark on this next chapter of Grammar’s story. I invite each community member, whether a student, former student, current parent or former parent of Grammar, have a generational connection to the school or perhaps just starting their family’s relationship with our school, our incredible staff … each of us has a role to play. Importantly, I would urge you please not to wait by the sidelines, but to embrace the opportunity to be a part of the conversation about how we ‘do school’.

I look forward to meeting and getting to know our community – a community like no other. Let us work together on our mission because together we are stronger and with that strong partnership in place our children will thrive.