Research has shown that what parents look for first, when choosing a school for their children, is that their children will be safe and feel loved and cared for. Of course, as parents, we also want to know that our children will have the very best possible opportunities to reach their full potential academically, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Choosing the right school for yourself or your family is one of the most important decisions you will ever make.
As a parent of three children, I am driven to ensure that our school meets the needs of our children. This world is a hot mess of narcissism, political and social drama and feelings of isolation. Students in this generation face the uncertainty of a rapidly changing world where 50% of what is learned in a university degree is obsolete less than five years after that degree is finished. With this reality, it can be hard for students to engage in education.
From my experience in education across several different nations, the most enduring commonality I have seen is a need for students to feel a connection to their teachers and their peers in order for learning to succeed. To learn, students must feel ‘at home’ when they are at school.
In a practical sense, this means that students must feel valued for who they are now, as well as being inspired to be the person they want to be in the future.
The students and staff here at Mackay Christian College will tell you that our vision is “becoming all God wants us to be”. Whether your child wants to be an accountant, airline pilot, architect, artist, author, … all the way to zoologist and zumba instructor, they are unique and valued at our school. We focus on meeting your child where they are, and working in partnership with you, the parent, to assist and guide them in the development of their own particular combinations of gifts and talents. Above all, students should feel cared for, safe, valued, and loved. It is these certainties that will allow them to face an uncertain world.
As a Christian school, we do all of these things within a Christian values perspective. The College values are CLEAR – Christlikeness, Learning, Excellence, Attitude and Respect. Unlike the example of the university degree above, these values will endure for a lifetime. We hope that our students will learn the value of a personal relationship with Christ as they follow the pathway we create together.
Mackay Christian College is a place where students truly belong.
Dr Barclie Gallogray
College Principal
