FROM THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS
“If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.” ANON
I
recently had the privilege of attending a bar mitzvah, a beautiful rite of passage ceremony. The presiding Rabbi told a poignant family story that struck me because of its simplicity and complexity, its personal gravitas and its historical significance. It was also a reminder that although change can be forced upon us, we can harness it as a tool for growth. The Rabbi shared how his grandfather fled with his children from Germany to Ukraine in the 1930s to seek safety and that his cousins recently fled from Ukraine to Germany with their children to seek safety. He then wove this story of courage and change into a message for the young boy stepping into manhood, that when you encounter change, you can choose how to react and come to the understanding that ‘this too shall pass’. With all the curve balls that we have encountered over the past two years, it is sometimes easy to forget how resilient we have been in dealing with the minutiae of the day. I was reminded of this when I visited Sydney in March and met with several teachers, students and parents. The disruptions that schools and families experienced in New South Wales were very challenging, yet the overwhelming assessment by locals was that “it was not that bad”. We are all choosing pathways, not knowing where they may lead us but knowing that the people we choose to have around us, the thirst for knowledge that we choose to accept and the strength of character and resilience with which we test and adapt, are all building the foundations for us not only to accept planned and forced changes, but also to ensure that we choose to see the butterflies around us. Thank you for everything that you are doing to accept change, to build upon it and to make our community stronger. As we continue to engage hearts and ignite curious minds, our St Mary’s community is building its foundations for the next 100 years. Best wishes for the remainder of 2022 and whatever changes come our way.
Elizabeth Carr (’81) AM Chair, Board of Governors FIDELITER From the Board of Governors
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