and their students well. The interaction was personal, and when appropriate, playful (the principal from 2015, David O’Hara, was well known for enjoying running with the students, always with a tone of encouragement). Parents who enrolled their students in this small educational community testify how well their children were known there – and because they were well known, they were not ‘just another student number’. This friendliness and care meant that the teachers didn’t give up on students, who therefore learnt more than if they were a ‘lost person’ in other places. It also meant that students who might need some extra care (e.g. with allergies or other life challenges) were given it. There was also a gentleness of spirit and caring that started with the principal (David) and worked its way through into the classes. Some report that across its history, there has been a ‘Gospel heart’ that the staff have carried. Such a caring spirit reflected Jesus Christ who came in grace and truth. This gracious context was highly cherished by the children’s parents who were at the school, but it was not well known throughout the local area. As described by one parent at the time, it was the ‘small school on the hill’, that was sometimes not even known to the parents of the preschool down the road. Thus, the school continued in its preciousness of spirit, quietly and faithfully, but it was little known outside that community. Then, in 2017, external dynamics changed. Transition At the end of Term 3 that year, the sponsors of the school made a difficult decision and the staff and parents were informed that the school would not be continuing into 2018. Staff and parents were devastated. David and a group of parents came together, praying earnestly for someone to help. In the past, Joyce Andrews, one of the teachers, had been in contact with a group of Christian schools whose principal was Dr Ted Boyce. Others had heard of other Christian education groups who had helped in these kinds of situations. Calls went out to these Christian education leaders, asking them to consider supporting the school so that it would not be lost to the community. 36
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