Kaelene McCaull, Head of Primary
Schools are busy places, and it is wonderful to walk around and see the many opportunities for learning, growth, and connection available to our students. Each week, our teachers work hard to provide lessons and experiences that inspire, challenge and encourage our students to grow into the people God has called them to be.
It is important to remember, though, that our teachers do not work in isolation. Community is an essential part of who we are and what we do here at Kuyper. Over the past few weeks, we have seen some wonderful additions to our Primary School that have greatly blessed our students as they learn and grow together. These blessings have come about through the faithful service of our Kuyper Community Group (KCG).
The KCG is made up of parents and community members who generously give their time, energy and expertise to plan events that build our school community and raise funds for resources and opportunities that benefit our students and their learning. Their service is a wonderful example of how a community can work together to bless others.
Earlier this term, our Primary playground received a facelift with the addition of new line markings to provide physical challenges and opportunities for active play. This has been a very welcome addition, with many students using this space each day for a quick burst of activity between classes or during break times. This rejuvenated play space has also provided another opportunity for our students to play together, practising important skills such as taking turns, cooperating with one another and including others in their play.
In addition, the KCG has provided funds for a class set of gardening equipment. Mr Boughey and our Friday Gardening Club have jumped straight in, with some very pleasing results, as you can see in the photos below! The students have planted some quick-growing produce, including lettuce and snow peas.
Our Gardening Club is about much more than learning how plants grow. It is another opportunity for our students to develop their understanding that the knowledge and skills we gain can be used to serve others. Under the watchful eye of Mr Boughey, the students are growing fresh produce, such as carrots, cabbage and herbs, to bless our Secondary Catering Team. The produce they grow will be donated to the Catering Team, helping them to continue doing what they do so well.
What a wonderful lesson in living out our learning in a way that honours God by serving others. Our students are seeing a beautiful cycle of service in action: their teachers and the KCG serve them by creating opportunities for them to learn and grow; in turn, the students are using their developing knowledge and skills to serve others who will, no doubt, use this blessing to serve others.
On behalf of the Primary team and our students, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the KCG for their care, generosity and service. Through their faithful contributions, they are helping to create opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and bless others — and, in doing so, helping our wider school community flourish.
We are very grateful for the part they play in helping us live out our calling to serve one another and, ultimately, to honour God through all that we do.
Something really is happening here!