Dear Parents and Community members,
Welcome back to the 2020 school year. We are excited by what has happened already this year and as a staff community we are looking forward to partnering with you to provide a community experience that exceeds all expectations. Already this year, a significant amount of effort has been undertaken to create an environment where everyone can experience success and that we can all be clear in the goals and objectives for Hillcrest Christian College. The Executive team have developed a clear path forward which has been presented to all staff when they returned, and then at the commissioning service at RCBC in early January. We are looking forward to sharing this with our community as well. The tenants of this message are simple:
VISION As an outreach of Reedy Creek Baptist Church, Hillcrest Christian College aspires to deliver a world, leading future-focused educational experience underpinned by a biblical world view.
MISSION Hillcrest Christian College delivers young people to society who are:
- Educated and prepared for success in their personal, professional and spiritual life.
- Equipped with the knowledge to discern what is good, the skills to demonstrate self-discipline and integrity and the spirit to live with compassion.
- Empowered to commit themselves to action, for a better society
- Energised to live the truth of the gospel of Jesus in the service of God.
Of great importance are the values that reflect our organisation:
- INTEGRITY
- RESPECT
- COURAGE
- SERVICE
- HUMILITY
- DILIGENCE
- DISCERNMENT
We are also very aware that we as an organisation must be clear on what we stand for and how we function. The SHIELD (above) is our visual representation of how Hillcrest Christian College function, and how we all fit together to support each other as part of the same organisation. We would encourage all members of our community to become familiar with the Hillcrest SHIELD so that you fully understand how we are all connected.
This year we have identified the BIG ROCKS which will frame how we develop as an organisation in 2020 and create outstanding student experiences. These are:
• Staff
• Operational Efficiency
• Alignment to Culture
As we move through this year, our focus will be to improve the drivers of these areas to ensure we achieve organisational improvements across the College. All of these combine to deliver our ultimate goal of an outstanding community experience for all.
Each year we have a theme of the year as a focus for improvement. This year the word is Unity and encompasses all that is important to the College in 2020. A strong focus on Unity of vision, the SHIELD as the guide for the way in which we operate, and the cross at the centre.
The bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:10 -
'I appeal to you, brothers and sisters in the name of Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you might be perfectly united in mind and thought.'
My prayer for our community this year is that we join together to continue to build this community into one that honours Christ in all that we do, and that we as a community stand strong and united in our vision for 2020. We have had a wonderful start to 2020 and I implore you to not become distracted by those seeking to cause harm to our community.
In concluding, I would like to thank Aaron Hennessey and his team who completed the renovation work in the Years 3 and 4 rooms. After winning an open tender to complete this work, Aaron and his team completed the works ahead of a very tight schedule and then took over the efforts to complete the Year 1 rooms after the flooding that occurred. Aaron’s commitment to excellence ensured that he exceeded every expectation we had and has set a tone for the College for the rest of this year.
The construction of the Years 7 and 8 precinct is in the process of being tendered, with a large number of companies currently involved in an open tender process. We anticipate this process to be completed soon, and that works will commence in this construction later this term. The Board has passed motions to support this construction and the tender processes are being approved with the relevant authorities, as is required for funds to be released by the Block Grant Authority to Hillcrest. We have delayed the schedule for this project to ensure that the pedagogical design aspects of this construction are clearly documented for consideration by all companies who will tender.
Thank you for partnering with the Hillcrest Christian College community. We are looking forward to having a truly incredible year and continuing to grow this community into a place where we are aiming to provide the best Christian educational experience in the world.
Blessings,
Jeff Davis
Executive Head of College