Principal's Lines - April 2014

I have previously written about my idea that each year a theme be established across the College as a kind of glue binding our separate campuses and our diverse activities together, so that no one need ever lose their sense of belonging to this close community.

If properly activated and frequently spoken about, this “theme”, or point of focus, will accrue relevance from Prep to Year 12, although it will, of course, mean something different to a variety of ages and year levels. Our teachers are also encouraged to adopt the theme in their work. In 2014 we are going to be talking about “rites of passage”, those transforming moments in young lives that are part of the complex process of growing up and reaching a new understanding of the world. All “rites of passage” are both universal, and yet individual. Human beings are not machines programmed to reach certain levels of efficiency and “output” at prescribed times. This is the perennial challenge for schools: to provide a community in which these sometimes difficult but often exhilarating experiences can safely occur.

I was especially mindful of this when I spoke to Years 7s at the combined Celebratory Chapel Service at the historic Wesleyan Church in Lonsdale Street in the city. Three students, one from each of our metropolitan campuses, reflected quite beautifully on what “rites of passage” meant to them as individuals, and as members of a community, and I reminded the students that there is no more meaningful expression of Wesley’s convictions about the importance of community than our school hymn, All of Us Are One.

I was, at this point, pondering on the theme I had proposed for others, too, to think about through the coming year, acknowledging to myself how reassuring it ought to be for our students to encounter those occasionally daunting “rites of passage” within such a strong community framework. All those children at that service will face the challenges of growing on their own terms, but they do so knowing they share such experiences alongside others within a caring and supportive place, in which the common humanity of all is stressed. In many ways, we as a school can do no more than that. But it is, in itself, something powerful and enduring. When we talk about the Wesley “family”, which we do frequently, I know that it is more than just a catchy phrase. I see evidence every day of how much like a family we are: occasional discords, but a proper respect for individuals working together towards a better Wesley, and ultimately a better world.

The Governor-General and members of the official party at the Moubray Street Official Opening

The Years 7s with whom I shared these thoughts were collectively undergoing a “rite of passage”: the transition from primary to secondary schooling. All of us have been there, and most will recall what a big moment this is. Almost overnight, everything about school suddenly seems more important. The stakes are higher. You have something called subject teachers (more people to get to know!) Older siblings deliver grim warnings about what to expect. But knowing that you are in the same boat with others is comforting, and often will liberate all kinds of creative energies. This is the next step along the way. And when those creative urges link together within a single place, the results can be wondrous.

Hence our need at the St Kilda Road campus in the last two years to develop the Moubray Street Precinct, incorporating the Menzies Wing, the refurbished Adamson Hall, and the new Music School and Media centre.  In the end, such undertakings are driven by demand, and it is invariably the creative energies and accomplishments of the students which make such bold (and expensive) steps forward an imperative, not an indulgence. What students require to fulfil their creative instincts drives the future. The new facilities at the St Kilda Road campus have been the result of a generation of musicians and performing artists undergoing their “rites of passage” in such sustained and brilliant ways that their particular community has been deeply enriched, and in some ways shaped. Of course, adult leaders will have many of those ideas needed to refine and develop the best ways to implement a change which so often is, I believe, made irresistible because of what our students set out achieve. It would be fair to say that the temporary “home” for music and the performing arts in the adjacent Bluestone was challenging for all parties, but great music and theatre still emerged, such is the ability of our community to get on with things. But who would deny them the pleasure they are now taking in these superb new and renovated buildings? This, too, has been a “rite of passage” for the whole of the St Kilda Road community, and hard earned.

And the urgency with which young people want to get to know the wider world (yet another important “rite of passage) can also have exciting consequences. The world keeps changing, and good schools must respond accordingly. In our Asia Pacific region, the emergence of China has led to Wesley focusing on new relationships and educational programs with that nation, though with the passing of my friend and colleague Anna Simonsen (see a tribute elsewhere in this edition), I am reminded of the history of our connection to China, and how strongly Anna promoted extensive cultural links. Many of her students visited China and kept up their language skills post-school, and the present generation is providing the energy, and will, to enlarge this connection. They truly want to engage with their region, and Wesley will be delivering some new initiatives. Just recently I met with many parents of present Chinese students, and was truly heartened by their determination to become a part of the great community of the school they have chosen for their children. The Wesley family grows all the time.

The year has started with great focus and purpose at each of our Melbourne campuses, as well as at Clunes and Yiramalay (with a significant growth in student numbers) and at our outdoor sites at Chum Creek, Mallana and Lochend. How reassuring for us all - school leaders, teachers, parents, students, and indeed Collegians young and old – to know that 2014’s “rites of passage” will be transacted in the best circumstances we can provide.

Helen Drennen