Welcome Back from Dr Wattam
Prayer for a new term
We give thanks for this new school term and pray for energy and patience as the year gains momentum.
We pray for compassionate hearts to reach out to those in need.
We pray for unity as we work together for a safe community.
We pray that all people will treat others with kindness and respect.
We pray for those who are sad, sick or lonely that you will give them hope.
We ask for wisdom for those who make decisions for our futures.
We pray for Your emotional, physical, and spiritual protection.
We pray that we continue to be inclusive and broad in our thinking, that we continue to be imaginative and innovative, that we have the energy required to sustain us.
We pray that we continue to be intentional collaborators, guided by your spirit.
We give thanks for all the blessings you have given us. Help us not to overlook them.
We ask this prayer in Your name.
Amen.
Welcome back to the fourth and final term of the year. This term always seems to gather momentum as we rapidly move towards Christmas.
During the school holidays, I had the privilege of going to South Korea on a Principals’ Study Tour, hosted by the Korean Education Centre and the Korean Consulate. I visited a number of schools and universities as well as attended lectures by the ministry of education, the Australian embassy, and a number of museums. Of course, there were cultural sites of significance that we also saw.
As you may know, Korea has one of the highest performing education systems in the world. What struck me most about what I saw and listened to though, was not the stellar academic outcomes, it was the warmth of the school communities I visited. Many schools have written into their curriculum, or their stated goals, words such as “love”, “passion”, “patience”, and the like. I suspect this comes from a country where students are so driven and pushed to succeed, and that education officials are recognising this, and therefore prescribing activities and approaches that support student wellbeing, and emotional growth this then paves the way to acknowledging and responding in ways that respect the human condition and spirit, and nurturing each person as valued in their own right. Korean children are very focused on their learning, and classrooms are orderly and fast-paced.
Two key historical events I learned about during the trip spoke loudly to the Korean sense of nationhood and community spirit – perhaps what we as Catholic might describe as a commitment to the common good – were the financial crisis of 1998 in Korea, and the building of an economy that has taken the country out of poverty, to being a leader in many fields of manufacturing, and technology.
When financial trouble hit the world in 1998, and Korea in particular suffered economically, the country was in danger of defaulting on its international loan payments to the international monetary fund. Millions of Korean citizens went to their local banks, and donated gold jewellery, to assist the country in paying its debts. More than 227 tons of gold was donated, raising billions of dollars. Their spirit and patriotism allowed foreign debts to be paid. This effort commenced from a grass-roots women’s group.
In 1950 Korea held the unfortunate title of being the poorest country in the world. In 70 years, the country now has a stronger GDP per person, than Japan. Like Japan, Korea has no natural resources. Their industrialisation has been phenomenal. Korea now exports more than 45% of the steel that it produces, has the biggest ship-building business in the world, and is home to Hyundai, Kia, LG, and Samsung to name a few leading brands. Korean people are rightly proud of their embracing and development of cutting-edge technologies.
My visit confirmed for me the warmth of the Korean people, their care for their fellow humans, and an absolute commitment to stewardship of all they have. The schools are spotlessly clean, public amenities are well-cared for, and everyone is respectful, especially to elders, and those in positions of responsibility. The spirit of Korea is wonderful to behold. We currently have one Korean class at St John Paul II College. I am looking to expand this in the years to come. I do hope that more students will demonstrate a desire to learn to speak Korean, and learn more about this fascinating country.





Dr Craig Wattam
Principal