School Council

As I write this, my wife and I are camped on the banks of a fast-flowing Darling River. We are slowly wending our way back to Melbourne after travelling for the last two months through remote outback Queensland and New South Wales. Much of this time we have been literally off-grid, disconnected from network coverage and the internet, and relying on the sun for our power. Only occasionally have we ventured into small towns to reprovision, to reconnect with the wider world, and to attend to work responsibilities and commitments. It has been a wonderfully restorative period, a rewarding opportunity to experience the expanses of this remarkable country after the restrictions of the last two years.

Each small and remote town has reinforced a valuable lesson for me: the importance of a strong community. Whether we were in Bedourie or Thargomindah, Copley or Innamincka, what was so evident was the way in which these tiny but cohesive groups of people fostered a civic pride in their communities, coming together to create connection, purpose and meaning. Each of these communities were characterised by selfless, voluntary commitment to each other, evident in everything from maintenance of common facilities, to support for a range of social agencies.

As I have noted before, belonging to strong and positive communities is essential for every individual if they are to flourish. But, communities exist by virtue of our active involvement in them.

Of course, one of the core communities to which we belong is Trinity. And, Trinity thrives as a community because of the engaged involvement of so many. Much of this engagement is also voluntary – indeed Trinity could not exist as it is without the extraordinary commitment of so many who freely give of their time to ensure that the school flourishes: from School Council to the Parents’ Association, members of the Stakeholder Group and the Old Trinity Grammarians’ Association.

Aside from their normal fiduciary duties, members of Council have been busily involved over the last three months in finalising Trinity’s Strategic Plan, and it is expected that this will be launched in Term 4. Council has also appointed a firm of architects to assist in the development of a renewed Master Plan to frame the future building, infrastructure and technology requirements that will enable the implementation of the strategic vision for teaching, learning and caring. We have much to look forward to.

As we inexorably move towards the culmination of yet another successful and rewarding year at Trinity, we should pause to reflect on the past and present contributions that so many have made in creating and sustaining the strong learning community that we enjoy today.

Simon Gipson

Chair of School Council

A sweet congratulatory moment from the First XI Hockey team‘s AGSV Premiership win against Camberwell Grammar School in July. The final score was 3-1!