Celebrating First Educators
I was lucky enough to attend the 2024 Children’s University Graduation in the historic Bonython Hall at the University of Adelaide. I was lucky enough to witness the awesome sense of achievement in our graduates who have put a great deal of effort into extra learning opportunities across the year. I was lucky enough to be immersed within a ceremony of rich tradition, which deeply values, acknowledges and celebrates the life-long pursuit of learning.
I was also lucky enough to witness the absolute pride of parents and family members as they watched their young ones walk across the stage to receive their certificate. There was great applause, hugs, kisses and a million photos! And that’s when I was reminded of the power of first educators- our parents and caregivers!
It was obvious that this group of students, like all the students of St Thomas, are surrounded by the constant, rich learning of family. Each comes to school every day, already grounded in a world of knowledge and skill. What a foundation for taking learning to the next level!
So a big shout out to all our families, as the first educators of the students of St Thomas School and Preschool! On behalf of future generations, thank you for playing your significant part in growing young minds and beings! Thank you for the extra opportunities to experience and learn, to try new things, explore and play! Thank you for the encouragement to join a team, get up on a stage, practise, practise and practise some more! Thank you for believing they can do it and being there to encourage them to get back up after the fall! Thank you for the hours of discernment and consideration- and all the guilt that comes from your role as parents!
Parents and caregivers of St Thomas- the first educators, we say thank you for allowing our team of educators to join you on this journey, to complement your passion and partner in raising these young hearts and minds!
A special thank you to Megan Phillips who coordinated our Children’s University Program for 2025- continuing our great tradition in this fantastic aspect of our extra-curricular offerings!
Celebrating First Educators
I was lucky enough to attend the 2024 Children’s University Graduation in the historic Bonython Hall at the University of Adelaide. I was lucky enough to witness the awesome sense of achievement in our graduates who have put a great deal of effort into extra learning opportunities across the year. I was lucky enough to be immersed within a ceremony of rich tradition, which deeply values, acknowledges and celebrates the life-long pursuit of learning.
I was also lucky enough to witness the absolute pride of parents and family members as they watched their young ones walk across the stage to receive their certificate. There was great applause, hugs, kisses and a million photos! And that’s when I was reminded of the power of first educators- our parents and caregivers!
It was obvious that this group of students, like all the students of St Thomas, are surrounded by the constant, rich learning of family. Each comes to school every day, already grounded in a world of knowledge and skill. What a foundation for taking learning to the next level!
So a big shout out to all our families, as the first educators of the students of St Thomas School and Preschool! On behalf of future generations, thank you for playing your significant part in growing young minds and beings! Thank you for the extra opportunities to experience and learn, to try new things, explore and play! Thank you for the encouragement to join a team, get up on a stage, practise, practise and practise some more! Thank you for believing they can do it and being there to encourage them to get back up after the fall! Thank you for the hours of discernment and consideration- and all the guilt that comes from your role as parents!
Parents and caregivers of St Thomas- the first educators, we say thank you for allowing our team of educators to join you on this journey, to complement your passion and partner in raising these young hearts and minds!
A special thank you to Megan Phillips who coordinated our Children’s University Program for 2025- continuing our great tradition in this fantastic aspect of our extra-curricular offerings!
“But he did it first!”
When you are the Deputy, you have a number of conversations across the week about behaviour choices. With over 300 developing minds, there is always new opportunities to learn the complex skills of relating and connecting with others.
Our whole school expectations, called the St Thomas Way, provides a strong foundation for this learning and these conversations. Perhaps ask your child if they can recall the 3 parts to the St Thomas Way… and let them tell you about how we do things at St Thomas. We are Respectful, Safe and Ready to Learn! It is that simple… and perhaps that complicated!
Emotions can get in the way of good decision making. Sometimes old ways of thinking can also prevent us from following the St Thomas Way… you may or may not be surprised at how many times I might hear these sayings…
“But he did it first”
“But they always do it to me”
“But she made me angry”
‘But they’ve done it to me before’
“But if someone pushes you, you push them back”
“But…but…but…”
Have you heard these words before? They echo the ancient teachings of ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ It always surprises me how much these words are still used today; that our poor choices and our harm of others, through words or actions, can be justified. This approach to disagreement or conflict is further encouraged by the structure of our ‘animal brain,’ where our amygdala fires and we act without thinking. But to be human, to fully be human, we can access other parts of our brain which take us beyond this reactive thinking.
Over 2000 years ago, this fella called Jesus was teaching about how to be the best version of ourselves and how to make earth just like heaven. (He got really famous and lots of people thought, and continue to think, his teachings are life changing and hold the secret to true happiness!) In all this teaching, he told his disciples, and all human kind, to stop using the ancient teaching of ‘eye for an eye’ to justify hurting others. He taught his disciples to ‘love one another, just as I have loved you.’ Love one another, even if they hurt you. Love one another, in spite of how you are treated. Love one another. You can see this expressed in Matthew’s gospel (5: 38-48.)
For some reason this teaching has got a bad rap. For some reason, this teaching can sometimes be viewed as weak or naïve. Suggesting that love is weak and seeking justice through harming others is a sign of strength. But this Jesus fella knows that seeking justice through harming others only brings disharmony, unhappiness and an endless cycle of retaliation.
Our St Thomas Way is grounded in unconditional love of all people that seeks to support all our learners to be the best version of themselves. It is grounded in Jesus’ teaching. It calls our learners to be respectful, safe and ready learn- regardless of the situation. We do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. The happiest people are those who live out this call!
I guess our shared challenge as educators in partnership, both parents/caregivers and teachers, is how we get this powerful message into the daily life of our young people! It certainly takes a village!
Go gently,
Paul Mensforth
Deputy Principal
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