A MESSAGE FROM MS JEN

I read a great story recently that I want to share with you.

The Dead Sea scrolls were first discovered by shepherds in 1946, deep in a desert cave near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. This was an incredible discovery! Religious manuscripts from around the time of Christ! Archaeologists offered to pay money to the shepherds for each new scrap of scroll they found. Their intentions were good, but they didn’t anticipate the unintended consequences. The shepherds quickly ripped up any full scrolls they found into tiny fragments to make more money. Many scrolls were ruined – and even today scholars are trying to piece together the scrolls. This is a wonderful reminder about the importance of thinking deeply and critically about schools or in life; that sometimes our best intentions have unintended consequences.

As children enter into the semester exam period, we need to stay focused that learning is for life, not just for a one-off exam. Learning must be much more than memorising and cramming. It must also be about attaining deep understanding, synthesis and evaluation. Exams are important, but as a school, we have a much larger obligation than simply exam preparation. I am excited about our initiatives in technology, student leadership and CCAs, so our students experience a more holistic education. Thank you to our parents for your support as aspire to create Learners for Life.