Ms Colnan welcomed the children to the new school year in special assemblies this week.
“I hope you all had a wonderful summer holiday,” she said..
“My family celebrates Christmas, but Christmas was strange at our place. I’m part of a very big family and it was our turn to host Christmas. We were all set and ready to go, and then on Christmas Eve, messages from my family started coming in. One person after another had to drop out and stay home because of COVID. So we went from 30 people coming for Christmas lunch to just two which was a bit sad.
“To make matters worse, I had gone on a baking spree in December, making 100s of shortbread biscuits as Christmas gifts that I put in little boxes.
“And so to cheer everyone up on Christmas eve, Mr Colnan and I dropped the boxes of shortbread around to our families who were stuck at home all over Sydney. It was fun and we got to see everyone, even though they were leaning out of windows and we were standing back with our masks on.
“I guess we all have our COVID stories and so I hope that you and your families are all okay.
“But back to summer. What I love about the summer holidays is that we have time to unwind and go out into nature. I love to sleep in and read good books at that time of the year and spend more time with my family.
“One of the books I read was called Maybe by Kobi Yamada and Gabriella Barouch.
“It’s a beautiful story that starts with an interesting idea: And that is that you are the only you there ever has been or ever will be. You are one of a kind and the world needs what you have to offer. These ideas got me thinking about you. And so as we begin this amazing new year, I want to share some of this book with you because I like what it has to say.
“Have you ever wondered why you are here? Do you realise that you have so much to offer the world?”
Ms Colnan urged IGS students to follow their hearts and see where they lead, and that if they make mistakes, they will rise up taller.
“To all of you, my hope for you this year is that you stay well, have a happy year, and maybe even the best year of your life so far.
“Be kind every day. It’s so easy to be kind. Look for opportunities to do something for someone else. Really listen in class. There’s so much to learn from your wonderful teachers.
“Try really hard and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve. And above all else, have fun!
“All the very best for a fantastic year!”
