Welcome to our third week of Term 2, Prescott Northern family. I am writing these remarks to you from a school leadership conference in Brisbane. One of the advantages of stepping out of the everyday demands and business of school by attending a conference such as this, is that it gives me a little time to lift my eyes up a little and look further than the next challenge that a phone call, email or person at the door, might bring.

My guess is that as family members we experience similar challenges in the cut and thrust of everyday life. We get really wound up and consumed by the many demands of doing family life, that there are times we struggle to find the time, and mental and emotional space to lift our eyes and see what it is we would like for our families, the directions we would like them to take and how we go about getting there. Yet if we don’t make and capitalise on opportunities to look where our family life is heading, we end up finding ourselves only looking back and wondering how we got to where we are.

Some of you know I enjoy camping and four-wheel driving. Over the years. I have driven for thousands of kilometres on rough outback roads and tracks, and across thousands of sand dunes in the deserts. Through trial and error, as well as helpful instruction and careful reflection, I have gleaned a little gem that has saved me on many occasions. I end up driving to where I focus my attention. That statement may seem really basic and obvious to you, but there is a dept of wisdom in its application.

If I focus on the bump or hole or rock that is right before me, it is really hard for me to avoid it. If I give my attention to the path around the challenge and where I would ideally like to end up, I have far greater success in achieving those things. I hope you can see the parallel I would like to draw here with our desired outcomes for our children and families.

I would like to encourage you take a bit of time as parents and educators to step back and ask what it is you really desire for your kids and where you would like to be as a family. I think this brings us the advantage of perspective that is really hard to achieve in the hurley burley and rush of everyday family and school life.

Have a great week with our kids,

Mark B

“The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” Matthew 6:21