Friday Reflections on Grace Love and Forgiveness
At Eastside Lutheran College Hobart, we are just beginning our new school year. It has been a busy time with new staff, staff with new positions and roles, new students, new year levels and additional subjects amid building new classrooms and specialist places, welcoming our first Year12 students and 22 Year 11 students… and of course there is COVID to add to the mix.
At this busy time, we remember how blessed we are as a community. As we drive up the College drive every day we are welcomed by the signs, Grace, Love and Forgiveness and on our stairs to main building are the words, Grace, Love, Forgiveness and Hope. At the College these are more than just words, they are how we try, every day, to live, work and teach at the College.
In this first week of the school year, we have spent time as a staff and in classes discussing these concepts in staff devotions, pastoral care groups and Christian Studies Classes during the first week of school.
Grace Love and Forgiveness (Staff)
Grace, love, and forgiveness at ELC is about accepting that everyone is unique and valuing others’ opinions and views.
Grace, Love and Forgiveness at ELC is so evident in the way the children and staff find joy in the every day and provide support for those in need.
I think teachers are the living embodiment of these – and none more so than the people I’m privileged to work with every single day. Every morning we walk into class knowing each student has a clean slate to be their best self. GRACE. Every day we find the positives in our students – their humour, strengths, goals, and desires and love them because of, not despite their weaknesses, fears, and lack of engagement. LOVE. And most of all, no matter what they say or do, we forgive and move on – day after day. FORGIVENESS. That is gold – every day.
Grace love and forgiveness are the way we have been blessed by Christ and the way we strive to treat others in our community. We love as he first loves us, forgive as he forgave us, and show grace by acts of love to all those in our community, staff, student, and parents.
Remembering through Jesus’ death on the cross that we are forgiven and therefore should forgive others and simultaneously boldly ask for forgiveness ourselves, through empathy, gentleness, understanding and seeking to encourage strong school community connections.
ELC shows these qualities every day by the way we interact and treat our colleagues, students, and peers. When we are having tough days, this is when these qualities as a college really start to shine. We are always there to support one another and help each other strive for success and reach our goals. ELC is not just a school it is a family, and the true love and compassion is abundantly clear and obvious the moment you set foot on our campus. ELC does not boast or judge. ELC is humble and compassionate. ELC is supportive and welcomes everyone with open arms. ELC does not judge and will never turn its back. ELC touches the hearts of all that are lucky enough to have worked or studied here.
Grace, Love and Forgiveness at Eastside mean that I intrinsically know that I am loved and belong as part of the family. It means that even when I make a mistake I am forgiven and know I can start a new day with the drive and determination to be better version of myself than the day before! This fosters a growth mindset and a positive outlook which creates an effective teaching and learning environments for all members of our Eastside community.
Today – in one-word XXXXXX! (a student with challenging behaviours). For me, being forgiven for leaving the laptops off charge overnight.
Bringing all backgrounds, all moods, all bad mornings, all burdens, all fears, of students and teachers alike, and join hands (metaphorically as we are a COVID safe school) under our wonderful gracious God.”
By God’s good Grace we get to work in His vineyard every day at ELC.
By God’s love we get to emulate His teachings with staff and students.
By God’s forgiveness we begin anew every day to practice Grace, Love and Forgiveness.
Every day we are blessed with a new day to start afresh and try to live as our loving God wants us too. When we are tired and weary, we look to God for our strength none more so than now when we are dealing with students and staff with COVID. By God’s grace I am at ELC where, as a family, we pray together and we love, and forgive each
Grace Love and Forgiveness (Students)
Love means that we are a loving community, and we are more like a family.
It’s how we get to heaven.
It’s treating everyone with kindness even when they hurt our feeling.
When you’re loved even when you’ve been naughty.
God blesses us with Grace.
Grace is the prayer we say before eating at School.
Grace a name someone is called and it’s in the Bible.
I think it means to be good to everyone.
Grace is when you walk like a ballerina.
In the Gospels it explains that Grace, Love and Forgiveness is something that God gives us and not something we can do.
We are all loved by God when we don’t deserve it, so we show that same love to others.
I am loved for who I am.
Something that makes you good inside.
Forgiveness happens when you say sorry, and you mean it.
It’s something that you pray for so you like people you’re mad at.
When Ryan annoys me, I forgive him because I still want him to be my friend.
Not being angry with everyone all the time.
Jesus’ love is grape love (agape).
It’s something in your heart that makes you feel nice to people.
It’s when you give someone a second chance when they’ve been rude to you.
It’s to do with trespasses.
It’s something that Jesus teaches us.
Understanding that none of us are perfect and we will make mistakes, but we can learn from it and grow stronger rather than holding it against them.
Forgiveness means if you’ve done something or done something to someone, the teachers still love you.
Wendy Ruback
Principal
