Staff Farewells

It’s a joy to celebrate with our staff who are embarking on the adventure of having a, or in some cases another, child!  We congratulate Mr Josh Leembruggen and his wife, Rachel, who recently welcomed their second son.  And best wishes to Mrs Rebecca Taylor and Mrs Hannah Reynolds, who head on maternity leave, and Mrs Kirrily Littlefield whose contract finishes now but who is also expecting in the new year.

We say thank you to Mrs Jodie Bazley who worked in Secondary this year to cover maternity leave, along with her Primary days.  We also thank Mrs Susan Radke and Mrs Julie Koplick who covered contracts this Semester.  Thank you all for not just stepping in to cover these classes, but for taking them on as your own and going above and beyond to look after our students and being a valued part of our staff.

We wish you all God’s richest blessings in your next phase, and thank each of you for your service and dedication to Parklands Christian College.

Congratulations to the Class of 2017

From your pranks in Year 8 Maths to your natural leadership in Year 12, it has been such a joy and honour to cheer you through your Secondary journey.  As a cohort, you have demonstrated impressive unity and stability, which has been so important for the younger year levels to see.  You’ve also shown a strong sense of joy and encouragement, for each other and for all those around you.  Thank you for being excellent role models this year, I’m so grateful to have had your leadership support.

In Pastoral Care and Christian Life Skills classes this year, we have provided opportunities and skills for you to learn about how God has wired and gifted you and we pray that you stay close to His path for your life.  During your Parklands journey, you will have seen the CLEAR values demonstrated in various ways and we trust that you continue to cling to these values, as they will hold you in good stead in life.  Through our staff’s transparency, you will have learnt that life isn’t always clear cut, but when we hold on to God He is our rock and His love surrounds us during tough times, which makes them bearable and often transformative.  And transformation is quite the theme at Parklands, isn’t it?!  Let your experiences be opportunities for growth.  Don’t be disheartened when you make a mistake or something bad happens – these are realities.  But they don’t have to stay negatives; if we use them as learning experiences and opportunities to demonstrate inner strength and share joy and kindness in those moments, then these experiences can be the making of us.  Of course, it’s always easier to get things right first go, and you are equipped with principles for your best life and a reflective practice to help you make great decisions.

So embrace the adventure ahead of you, knowing that you are well prepared and that we are cheering you on!  It was lovely to spend the final days with you, listening to guest speakers, throwing coloured powder at each other, laughing at you on the giant slip n slide, calling your names at your final Awards Night, tearing up with you at Graduation, and celebrating at the Formal.  Keep in touch, we would love to hear how you are going!