Dear Families

Naomi and I have been having conversations with our own children in the last few weeks about achievement, high standards and delivering a ‘personal best effort’ in the many and varied elements of their full lives. From their netball try outs, to swimming, to the academic challenges they’re working through, along with friendships with their peers and connections with their teachers and coaches, we encourage our children to deliver their best efforts, every time.

We expect them to give their personal best in all they do and in their interactions with those around them. Personal best looks different for our 3-year-old as he starts his first soccer lessons, in comparison to our 5-year-old who is learning to read, to our ten-year-old as she competes for a place in a high-level representative team. It’s our role as parents to know and understand how to support our children in the most personalised way when they’ve given their personal best, but not had a ‘podium finish.’ Or given everything in an academic challenge but fallen short of receiving the grade they aspired to gain. It’s in these moments, that deep reflection, complex learning, heartfelt improvement, and personal progress can and should occur.

My focus is that every St Andrew’s student and staff member is committed to the delivery of their personal best, every time. We are strategically investing in the St Andrew’s community so that as individuals, and collectively, our personal best is constantly getting better. I value the high expectations and standards we have for our students as they use their scientific and design skills to create in The Collaboratory with Mr Boden. Listening to the incredible music that is created when our students as individuals come together to play their personal part in an ensemble or choir, with the collective effort delivering exceptional music not only for them as a group, but for their engaged audience. Personal best, combined with high expectations, personalised support, and encouragement, creates the optimum environment for our community members to flourish. Here is a short snippet from ’22 Speech Night taken on my phone from the front row in the Adelaide Town Hall, 17 seconds of pure joy, personal best and high standards in full swing.

Luke Ritchie
Principal