Principal's Report
Do you remember the first time you felt that you had to do something completely by yourself? That feeling of maturity mixed with a little bit of anxiety, panic and overwhelm? We encourage our young people consistently towards a place where they are unconsciously skilled, and can recite, do, create, edit, sing, play, pass, bowl, jump catch and so on. We also encourage our teachers and I encourage myself towards that place of being independently able in the key skills that are needed to flourish.
It reminds me of the unusual sort of pain that comes with being fully responsible and kind of fully alone.
Yesterday the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of the Ascension. The Ascension occurs in Acts as well as the Gospels of Luke and Mark. In all accounts, it tells the story of Jesus being taken into heaven in front of the disciples, 40 days after His resurrection.
The Feast of the Ascension can feel a little distant or abstract. It tells the story of Jesus leaving His friends and returning to God. But for us today, it can say something very practical about how we live our lives.
In simple terms, the Ascension is not about Jesus ‘going away’. Another way of viewing it is about a change in how He is present. Instead of being with a small group in one place, Christ is now present everywhere—in people, in community, and in the ordinary moments of life. It reminds us that God has not stepped back from the world, but is forever deeply involved in it.
For the disciples, the Ascension must have been really unsettling and probably frightening. They were used to relying on Jesus as a teacher and a leader in a very direct way. Now they were being trusted to carry forward His mission themselves. In that sense, the Ascension is about responsibility. It marks the moment when the followers of Jesus realise: ‘Now, it is our turn’.
For us in a College community, this speaks plainly. We are not simply managing timetables, curriculum, policies, and people. We are entrusted with something much deeper—the task of forming young lives, fostering community, and bringing hope into everyday interactions. The Ascension, and God’s presence in our everyday, reminds us that this work matters, and that we are not doing it alone.
It also invites us to lift our perspective. The disciples are described as looking up, but they are soon called back to earth—to get on with the work in front of them. In the same way, we are invited to hold both vision and action together: to keep our focus on what truly matters, while staying grounded in the daily work of care. That is as true of me as the Principal as it is you as the parent, teacher or student.
In the end, the Ascension convers for us a message of trust. God trusts us to continue the work of love and service, pursuing the Common Good, every day, here and now.
Mr Chris Gabbett
College Principal
