At times in the last few months, people have asked me why there is so much change at the moment and why are we doing so much? This is really difficult to explain as my answer is simple. God has provided Hillcrest Christian College with opportunities that are rarely, if ever, seen. Let me try and explain this a little better with the use of scripture.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made of what was visible. Hebrews 11: 1-3
The rest of this chapter focusses on the deep faith of all the biblical characters and prophets. The list is extensive and shows the incredible relationship that these people had with our God and the trust they had in serving Him. God had a plan and these men and women of God trusted that God’s plan was perfect. The stories of their faith now form many chapters of scripture and teach us the importance of following God’s plan.
Hillcrest Christian College is a truly special school and as I have said many times, it was incredible when I got here and it will be incredible when I eventually leave. I am called to be the leader of this amazing school for just a period of time and God has shown me that we are to build the “Best Christian School in the World”. That is what we are trying to create with God’s leading. The developments from a physical and curriculum perspective are taking shape and the new injections of energy from our staff can be found in all areas of the College. In many ways, Hillcrest Christian College has come alive as we receive blessing upon blessing and are presented with new opportunities to improve outcomes for our students. I cannot explain to you why so many opportunities have come about in such a short period of time, but I know that we as an Executive team, are all responsibly considering each of these and ensuring that the decision making around each of these opportunities is fully considered from every front. I also acknowledge that the number of interruptions at this moment is not ideal and far from what we had initially expected.
As I have already stated, we have had opportunities to reform the physical buildings and learning programs at Hillcrest in the last 2 years, far more quickly than anyone ever expected, but if I go back to scripture we can see that God has a plan and He knows what is coming. It is referenced throughout scripture that God knows the future. We as leaders are trusting that God has a bigger plan for Hillcrest Christian College than we could dream of and remain committed to leading this College as God directs us.
Last week, Darren Rackemann (Director of SLC – Academic Performance & Innovation) and I visited Microsoft’s head office in Seattle, USA, to participate in a summit on the future of digital technology in education. Microsoft invited us and completely funded this trip so that they could hear our views on digital learning. Hillcrest Christian College was one of just 17 partners from around the world that were invited to this exclusive event. There were 8 schools and 9 universities who attended this summit and in doing so we had the opportunity to inform software and hardware designers of the needs our students have in completing their learning journeys. As part of this trip, we visited schools and also the Microsoft design labs to see and test the latest technologies. This in the main was an enormously insightful trip as we were able to meet and talk with fellow educators and digital technicians who shared our passion for learning. Everyone, including the Microsoft Vice President for Education, were amazed by the developments Hillcrest Christian College has made in the last two years and placed our College at the leading edge of learning innovation. While this was pleasing, we learnt that a completely new digital paradigm will be released soon that will quickly change the lives of everyone on this planet.
When we talk about digital milestones, we would all agree the release of the Apple 2E and the internet were huge milestones for the consumer market. When a computer first beat the chess world champion in 1997 and then won a gameshow in the USA in 2005, from a digital development perspective these were milestones in digital capabilities that transformed the belief in what was possible. The technology we saw being developed at Microsoft will be the next major transformation and we as a world are not ready for these developments and as schools even less ready for this significant shift. I was impressed with almost all of this technology, but then as I reflected, I became worried that we need to have very strong communities to support the potential challenges that this technology may bring to our lives.
If I could start a school from scratch, knowing what I know now, I would build a school that would reflect exactly what Hillcrest Christian College is moving towards, (with a few more carparks of course)! God knows what is coming and has provided us with the provision and expertise to champion new developments that have accelerated our ability to be ready for these new technologies. The learning paradigms that we are developing will enable these new technologies to be effectively used, but more importantly, controlled so that students do not become trapped in a technological world where human interaction is minimalised. We are in fact a step ahead of most learning places and as such, will be leaders in ensuring that our students are taught to proactively use these technologies in ways that will enhance their learning opportunities. I thank God for guiding us on this path even though it has caused many disruptions. Without being where we are now, our only option would be to react and potentially make poor decisions. I will outline this further next term at a P&F meeting showing everyone what we can expect in the next few years from digital companies.
I know that this term has been both exhilaratingly and challenging for all of us and we are all looking forward to a well-earned break. When we return, the majority of the Senior Learning Community renovation will be completed so that SLC classes can return to normal. By mid-year, nearly all of the developments will be finished and we will have many more carparks and playgrounds. Thank you for your patience. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again at the start of next term.
Have a wonderful rest.
Jeff Davis
Principal
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