It was great to welcome our families to Term 3. A special welcome to the 15 new students who commenced at Launceston Grammar on Wednesday. We welcome them into our Grammar Community.
I have been interested to hear the many exciting adventures that our students and staff have had over the break. A particular congratulations must go to Emily Wood who organised a black tie dinner party fundraiser on Flinders Island to raise money for the Grade 12 walkathon charity “Let us speak”. The event was well attended by Grammar alumni and raised in excess of $30,000. Well done to Emily and her family for championing this wonderful cause.
It is with sadness that we also note the passing of former staff member Mr Barry Dudgeon. Barry taught at the school for 28 years, over 20 of those as our Director of Music before becoming our Academic Dean. An incredible teacher and mentor who will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Our sincere condolences to Barry’s family.
It was wonderful to see our students planting trees as part of National Tree Week. It also gave me cause to reflect on the many beautiful trees around our campus. I was fortunate enough as part of a tree planting campaign to buy a Plane Tree which was planted outside the boys boarding house in the late 1990’s. There are so many metaphors that can be taken from the growth of a tree. I once read that the true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit. I was reading in the book Big Panda Tiny Dragon. As the two of them looked up in the tree in the picture I have included, the Tiny Dragon asked, “how is that tree still standing?” “During better times” said Big Panda “it grew deep roots, now it can weather any storm”.
Trees, however, also need people to nurture them. It takes someone to plant them, to provide water, maybe some fertilizer, and perhaps protection from the wind when they are little, just like us. At times we get buffered by life’s winds as well and during those times we need to rely on those deep roots that were bedded down in better times and the gardeners in our life to provide some protection. As I once read someone wished that they had of planted a tree earlier in their garden and were told this it is okay you are planting it now. When is a good time to start something? Today. As we start this new term some of our students will have their roots well and truly established to help the weather difficult times and for others today is a good day to start spreading theirs. As always, I encourage our students to rely on their proverbial gardeners in life, their parents, their coaches, their teachers, and their tutors are all there to help nurture that growth, to provide protection from life’s winds and often just to sit along side them and enjoy the sun together.
Finally, I hope that our Grade 12 students enjoy their ball on Saturday evening and thank Mr John McLaine for organising this wonderful evening.
Enjoy the weekend with your families.
God’s Blessing
Nick Foster