BMG 2020 Grammarian Issue 2

3 REFLECTION FROM THE YEAR 12 LEADERSHIP TEAM As we approach Term 3, traditionally our ‘dreariest’ period of the school year, it is refreshing to see our Maddingley Campus burst into life as our students return full of optimism. Every generation refers to “when I was at school”, and for most of us this period will be a focus of that narrative. We accepted the challenge that has been presented to us and, as we move forward, we will reflect upon and learn from the experiences we have had over the past few months. Being able to embrace change and persevere during adversity is a lifelong skill that can be retained and utilised for future endeavours. Everybody copes with change in different ways, and the foreign home learning situation truly put our resilience levels to the test. However, the students have handled these restrictions with maturity and optimism. The online learning period created academic and work- based skills that will assist those going to university and into the workforce; creating skills that can carry us through life. Having spent time away and coming back to school has really opened our eyes and made us incredibly grateful for all the amazing things available to us at Bacchus Marsh Grammar. It’s great to be able to see our friends again and get that face to face feedback from our teachers. This has strengthened our connections as a school community and will carry us through until the end of these uncertain times. Globally, people are talking about change, and here we have the opportunity to make change, change our habits and turn a perceived negative situation into a positive. In the period we have been away, the changes we have experienced on campus and the development of the Senior School facilities truly reflect the approach that we should all be adopting - commitment to moving forward, striving towards the future and working each day towards our goal - Education for Life. FROM THE PRINCIPAL I was met recently at the gate one morning by a parent who thanked me, the school and the staff for the job we have done this term. She stated that she was proud to be part of a community that had responded so well to the crisis and that, as an aside, stated that her appreciation of the work of teachers had gone through the roof. This short conversation encapsulates most of the comments that I have received over the past few months from parents and students. There has been considerable gratitude expressed for what has been done for our young people, and new found respect for what teachers do every day. We could not have weathered the storm without a great deal of hard work by everyone in the community. I have been overwhelmed by the extent to which people have understood the problems we faced and have pitched in and helped get things done. The degree to which parents and students have been willing to cope with change and glitches has been very impressive. I think the key has been a common concern to not only enable our young people to survive during the crisis, but to ensure that all that can possibly be done to make their learning occur in an uninterrupted fashion will be tried and mastered. As we commence Term 3, we are not able to say that the crisis is behind us but we have got through the initial health emergency. However, there will surely be bumps and turns on the road out and we are yet to be able to gauge the full economic effects of the downturn we will inevitably face because of the virus. You can be assured that we will continue to work through these issues in a calm, systematic way, with the needs of our young people uppermost in mind. I simply thank all in our community for your help, patience and kind words over the past term and I am sure into the future. Mr Andrew A. Neal