Dear Middle School Parents,

Tuesday night we had the pleasure of welcoming Middle School parents on campus for our Week Without Walls Parent Night, where trip leaders were able to share important information with you regarding the upcoming WWW trips. I told the parents of the Telunas trip that taking a group of 25+ students overseas is one of the most stressful things that our teachers do. We recognise and appreciate the fact that you are trusting us with your most valuable possession. I want to assure you that we do not take that responsibility lightly and we ensure that we do everything in our power to keep everyone safe along the way.

On the other side of that coin is the responsibility and trust that we give to our students who go on these international trips. Even as Middle School students, we expect a high level of responsibility from them during key moments on these trips. It is important for students to recognise the situation and ensure that they are behaving appropriately in that moment. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” I think this verse is perfect for what we expect of the students on these trips. I have adapted verses from Ecclesiastes 3 to remind us of this idea:

a time to play and a time to work,

a time to focus and a time to let your mind wander,

a time to stay up late and a time to sleep,

a time to yell and a time to be silent,

a time for questioning and a time for obedience,

a time to stand out and a time to blend in,

a time for laughter and a time for reverence.

For what do students gain from their travels? 

They gain knowledge of time and place.

They understand that the trip is but a single week, yet contains multitudes.