From the Chaplain
February 11, 2026 – Edition 1
Welcome Back
It’s incredible how quickly the routines come back and we begin the annual events of the school year!
We are currently preparing for the Junior and Senior School Commissioning Services. At the Junior School Commissioning, we will, for the first time, be inviting any Year 6 parents who wish to attend, rather than only the parents of the leaders.
Year 6 Families: Please look out for your email invitation and RSVP by the required date if you would like to attend. We would love to have you there to mark this special occasion.
However, before looking too much into the future, I would first like to pause and reflect back for a moment.
At the end of last year I had the great honour and privilege to oversee the collection and processing of the extremely generous Christmas donations across the whole school. These were delivered to four different charities; The Salvation Army, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Backpacks 4 Vic Kids and Pets of the Homeless.
On a personal level, there are many highlights over the course of the year. Yet, for me, the Christmas donation drive demonstrates our school community at our best. One of our Foundation students touchingly gave $50 from her money box to support the Salvation Army baskets. What a beautiful example of our school value of compassion in action!
We also had our Year 11 and 12 Leaders using their lunchtimes to process the donations at the end of the year. They lived out our value of respect, ensuring that each donation was properly sorted, went to the correct place and was checked before being distributed to our charity partners.
Christmas Donations
We always trust that the process of students and families donating to these Christmas appeals is an opportunity to consider the alternative to the commercial push of the season.
The ultimate gift of Jesus at Christmas is a prompt for us to consider how we can give to others, particularly those beyond our immediate connections. The invitation to show compassion to others was accepted by so many in our community. Please know that it was deeply appreciated by the organisations we delivered them to.
I had the great privilege with Claire H (Junior School, Booth Head of House) of handing over the many baskets to the Salvation Army and then delivering food and toiletries to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. These items are so necessary and very much appreciated by those who receive them.
Thank you also to Tegan K who kindly delivered the donations to Pets of the Homeless, supporting their important work. It is a beautiful example of the power of many small acts of kindness coming together to create something much larger than what an individual alone can achieve.
Our loving thoughts and prayers
I wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the staff and families within our school who have connections with the Australian Jewish Community. The horror that unfolded in December in our own country is unimaginable, and I am sure I am not the only person who is struggling to comprehend that this has occurred. The message of Hannukah to remember light over darkness is one we must try to hold on to.
Also in our prayers are the families who have been impacted by the fires and flooding that took place over the Summer period. Holidays were abruptly changed, and some in our community have family members in impacted areas. We continue to remember those whose communities are continuing to recover from the impact of natural disasters across our nation.
Each of us have varying experiences of our time away from school. Some are life affirming and positive, while others are more challenging and heartbreaking.
As we adapt to school life again, our staff, students and families carry these with them.
May God’s presence meet us all, wherever we are at.
May God’s peace be found in our hearts, regardless of the circumstances we are in.
May God’s love be demonstrated in the actions and words of those who walk alongside us.
Monique Riviere-Pendle
Chaplain
