It is impossible to not think of joy when you watch the Senior School production of Mary Poppins. From the first moment as the orchestra plays and Bert walks through the audience with his lamp, to the finale when the whole cast is on stage, joy abounds.
Joy is that deep feeling of happiness or contentment that often results in an outward show of pleasure or delight. Mary Poppins appeared to be a joyful experience for every person involved and was certainly joyful for the audience as we were swept up in the music, dancing and acting. Regardless of the rain, we left the auditorium with a swing in our step and a joyful thankfulness.
But joy is also in the smaller, less dramatic moments. Joy in learning starts early—when a Kindergarten student learns to read their first word, or when they marvel at a butterfly’s wings and call it amazing because it is part of God’s creation. As students move into the secondary years, the joy of learning matures into something deeper. Young people start to ask big questions about life and purpose, while still enjoying friendship, learning and considering future pathways.
This week we have seen students who have joyfully celebrated with their teachers when they have struggled with their learning and suddenly understood the concept being taught. We have seen students joyfully support their peers in sporting events, and seen the joy of a young child who can’t help but run through a puddle in the rain.
Junior School also participated in the National Simultaneous Storytime this week. In this event a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools and bookshops around Australia. This year’s story was The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell. The story is a beautiful story about the importance of home and family. It was a joy to share in the reading of this story and to listen to the students as they talked about their own experiences of joy in their home and family.
