Last week was a reminder of how quickly circumstances can change. It also highlighted the importance of preparation, resilience and adaptability. Cyclone Alfred reminded us that, even though we would love to think we can, we can’t control everything. However, we can be prepared and adaptable so that we can face whatever comes our way. It is reassuring to know that, in all circumstances, we can trust in God’s presence and protection. 

I want to thank our facilities staff for their amazing effort in securing our campus before we closed the College and our parents/carers, students and staff for being flexible when school closure was announced. We continue to pray for those still recovering from the extreme conditions that impacted areas of South East Queensland. 

Promoting Purposeful Workmanship

What comes to mind when you hear the word workmanship? A carpenter crafting an intricate piece of furniture? A baker decorating a cake with precision? A programmer structuring flawless lines of code?

In our last newsletter, I introduced our Guardrails and Guiding Principles—key values that keep Caloundra Christian College aligned with our mission, vision and Foundations for Life and Learning. These guardrails shape our curriculum, classroom interactions and extracurricular activities.

Previously, I shared our first guardrail: We Focus on Faith and Wisdom. This time, I want to introduce the second:

At CalCC, We Promote Purposeful Workmanship.

We have all heard the expression 'If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.' This saying was first written by Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, in a letter to his son back in 1774. One of 448 letters that Stanhope hoped would help his son to be  'as near to perfection as possible' in conduct and deed. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us that salvation is not earned by our works but is a gift of grace through faith in Christ. Yet, this grace does not diminish the value of our work. As Paul continues in Ephesians 2:10, 'We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.'

Purposeful workmanship is about students seeing learning as more than achieving a good grade. We all want what we do to be meaningful and impactful to ourselves and others. When students understand the purpose behind their work and see its relevance to broader community needs, they are more likely to invest effort and take pride in their achievements.

At CalCC, promoting purposeful workmanship means embracing quality, evidence-based teaching that fosters deep engagement, critical thinking and real-world application. We encourage students to develop a mindset of continuous improvement—not for perfection’s sake, but for the glory of God and the benefit of others.

When students grasp why they are learning, purposeful workmanship follows.

God Bless

Vince Wakefield

Principal