The heart of everything
Our new Head of Wesley at Clunes, Tara Clark, has joined us from a farm on windswept King Island, where she founded and nurtured community wellbeing organisation Foundations to Flourish. The fabric of life in Clunes is quite different to that of her island home, but the move has reminded her of an essential common thread: Relationships are at the heart of everything.
‘Since commencing my role, I have had the good fortune to meet people from a range of backgrounds: students, parents, staff members, suppliers, community members, OWs, educators, Clunes ‘locals’… and a possible personal favourite: café owners!’ said Tara.
‘What strikes me is how we choose to connect with people when we first meet someone new. We try to find common ground – interests, experiences or people. “King Island? Oh, is that where they make the great cheese?” is a common response, or “I believe we have a mutual friend - do you know…?” These experiences have reinforced how much we value connections and relationships and the integral role they play in the Clunes experience.
'Our students spend their term exploring the role they play in the world through relationships and connections with the natural environment, the township of Clunes and the Wesley at Clunes community. We invite them to discover the impact that their very presence has on these relationships and to examine their value and potential. We encourage them to be curious about how they negotiate challenges and grow and develop the relationships they value.
'Es Gulbenkoglu and Sonny Kirk, from Group 93, helped me to understand how to best navigate relationships in the Clunes context. Es told me that he was worried about not making friends at Clunes but was pleasantly surprised at how quickly he was able to form friendships: “It helps if you have a growth mindset and make an effort. When you show initiative, people will reciprocate,” he said.
‘Sonny was surprised by the depth and breadth of relationships on campus. “I thought we would just be friends with our house mates,” he said. “I’m so close with my house mates – they are like brothers – but also very close with the people in our sister house too.”
‘One of the beautiful aspects of the Clunes program is that students are, in a way, able to choose their own adventure,’ explained Tara. ‘The way they develop and maintain relationships is a part of this experience and I am excited about how this translates beyond the Wesley at Clunes context.’
