It is with much excitement and anticipation that I welcome all our Genesis families back for the 2019 school year.

An extra special welcome is extended to our new families that are joining our wonderful Genesis community this year. We trust that settling in to your new environment does not take too long. We do thank God for the wonderful community He has blessed us with and we look forward to the 2019 journey that we will embark on together.

To begin the school year, I shared with the staff the story of the “Brother In Arms” project that originated in 2006 when the bodies of five Australian Soldiers were uncovered during the laying of a gas pipeline in Westhoek, Belgium. It is quite a remarkable story because of what has been achieved due to one man, Johan Vander Valle’s determination, passion and motivation. His commitment to finding who these men were has led to others becoming committed to this cause and so funds are currently being raised to erect a memorial to commemorate, not just the
Hunter brothers, but many other families who lost multiple sons during war time.

My challenge to staff centred around what their passion and motivation is for 2019 and how that may benefit the students they teach or interact with this year.  Schools are in a unique situation because every new year there is an opportunity to start afresh in so many areas of endeavour. Students, likewise, are in that position as well because they can put behind them any disappointments from previous years and focus on new beginnings and aspirations for the new academic year. Could I therefore encourage all parents to include, as part of their conversations about returning to school, the topic of “what are your goals and passions for 2019? ”

Obviously, these are going to be age appropriate, however, children irrespective of age can aspire to achieve short and long term goals. Often these are small incremental goals which can built
upon, be they in the classroom, on the sports fields or on stage. Parents as the primary educators, play a pivotal role in this regard and can provide enormous support and motivation to children be they in Year 1 or Year 12.

This year there is much to be excited about on the building front. Unfortunately, the Primary playground project is running behind schedule. We are expecting it to be completely installed by the end of the second week back. Currently, expressions of interest have been called for tenders for the construction of the final stage of the Secondary building program. This building consisting of 4 classrooms, Learning Support and Enrichment facilities and STEM learning spaces will be built between the Science Centre and the Industrial Technology Centre. Clearly its location is going to pose some parking and access issues which we will communicate about closer to construction time. Despite these challenges this building will be an exciting addition to the specialist
facilities we already enjoy here at Genesis.

Now, back to business. Some very important annual reminders are listed below. To ensure minimal disruption and frustration, we ask all parents to adhere to the following requests:

  • The car park and drop off and pick up zones experience significant congestion during the fi rst few weeks. While it is unavoidable, it is important that all users are
    polite, patient and cooperative.
  • Prep students are to be collected at 2:30pm. Prep parents must please park in the main car park or at No.7 Youngs Crossing Road as leaving their vehicle in the drop off
    zone is never an option.
  • Primary students are dismissed at 2:50pm and, therefore, they should be collected between 2:50pm and 3:00pm. Safety cones will be used to keep the drive through
    clear. They will be removed close to 2:50pm. This measure is critical to avoid congestion on Young’s Crossing Road which causes considerable frustration for our
    users as well as other motorists.
  • Secondary students are dismissed at 3:00pm and, therefore, can be collected after 3:05pm.
  • Parents with students in both sub-schools are asked to please collect them after 3:00pm. Staff supervision is provided across the Campus so Primary students are catered for while waiting for Secondary students to finish. Alternatively, parents with younger Primary students may wish to park in the car park and arrange for their Secondary students to meet them there. Waiting in the pickup lane for 5 minutes is not an option as it interferes with efficient traffic flow at the busiest time of day.
  • Please note that the Secondary Staff Car Park is required for staff parking only between the hours of 7:30am and 4:00pm. There is usually sufficient short term parking for pool and court users. Please ensure that extra care is taken using this car park as there are usually students moving through it to access the sports precinct.
  • We would request that the Secondary Car Park is never used during College hours for picking up or dropping off students unless they are using the sports facilities.
  • Council imposed restrictions identifies the main entrance as the primary entrance to our school and that is where the majority of pickups and drop off s should occur.

Please support us in our attempts to ensure we comply with these requirements and assist us in ensuring the safety of our students as we keep our car parks and pedestrian areas safe.  Please also note that No.7 Youngs Crossing Road is available for overfl ow parking at all times. I would encourage new parents or those walking their children to class on the first day to utilise this location to avoid congestion in the main car park.

We have already welcomed Mr Jeremy Williamson, Head of School-Primary. He together with ten other new staff have been hard at work for nearly  three weeks now. You will find details of who these staff are and where they will be working in the Primary and Secondary sections in this publication. We also are welcoming back a number of staff who are returning from long service leave and maternity, again details are available in this edition of the Chronicle.

Finally, all the staff at Genesis are aware of the significant trust placed in us to be part of the educational journey of your children in their formative years. We realise it is a partnership we enter into with our families that we should not take for granted. We covet  your prayers especially for the wisdom, patience and compassion which only the Lord can supply in abundance. Be assured that the staff pray weekly for our students and their families.

I look forward to catching up with many of you in the next couple of weeks.

Brian Barker

Principal