This week at PCS is significant as being the final week of our 2020 High School year. From next week, all our classes from Year 7 to Year 11 will move up a grade and begin their new year of study. How exciting! We love finishing the school year with purpose and getting the most out of our time together. Part of finishing up a school year is welcoming our new Year 7 and Kindergarten classes for 2021. Last Thursday we did just that, and what a momentous occasion it was for multiple reasons.
On Thursday morning we met 34 eager young Year 7 students looking at being part of our 2021 class. This is the biggest Year 7 orientation class ever at PCS. They were a fantastic group of students who really enjoyed a day experiencing life in high school, which included Tech projects, Science experiments and even a PE lesson. Having such a large number of students prepare for Year 7 enrolment in 2021 is an exciting prospect and an indication of our continued steady growth.
Year 7 wasn’t the only orientation class here on Thursday. We had the privilege of holding our first Kindergarten Orientation play group for the 2021 class! I am pleased to say that our 2021 Kindergarten class is at capacity with over 20 students. Again, this is the largest Kindergarten orientation class we have ever had! They are a fantastic group of boys and girls who are all super excited to start their schooling journey.
We welcome steady growth, however at PCS we are not striving to become a big school. We are striving to be the healthiest school we can be. We know that with health comes growth and with growth comes challenges. There are many challenges that come with growth, from staffing and budgeting to logistics. There is certainly plenty of work that needs to be done to cater for increased student numbers, however one of the greatest challenges that comes with growth is maintaining the culture of an organisation, and it is no different for schools. Culture is everything.
At PCS we have worked hard to develop and maintain a positive culture; which needs to stay at the forefront of all we do. Whilst our classes may be growing, our desire and focus on maintaining a supportive, encouraging and positive culture will remain the same. We celebrate our smaller school environment. Our strength is in knowing each individual student well and working with families to help grow them into the young men and women they are called to be.
I can’t wait to properly welcome Year 7 and Kindergarten into PCS in 2021. It is an exciting time to be part of this great school, and I’m so happy you are all here to share the journey with us.
Have a great week everyone.