What would Jesus see if he walked into that same room? Perhaps the pain of a broken relationship hidden behind a smile, or maybe the young man scrolling on his phone, endeavouring to mask his loneliness, or would it be the awkwardness of the mother who doesn’t feel like she belongs?

What do you see, and what do you seek, when you enter a room? Could it be that there is a “Christian” way to enter? A posture of humility and service that emulates our Lord and Saviour? A looking beneath the masks that appear before you. A looking beyond the immediate setting and seeing each one as an image bearer of the one true and eternal God. A curiosity that identifies and elevates the needs of each person in the room above our own desire to fit in or be accepted.

Christopher Watkin, researcher, philosopher, and author of Biblical Critical Theory, posed this question to those in attendance at CEN’s National Conference on Saturday 22 March. Chris invited attendees to consider the proposition that if “education” is the answer, there are four possible questions?

The first could be simply stated, “How do I pass the test?” Answer: Education

The second, “How do I earn enough to have a good life?” Answer: Education

The third, perhaps a little more noble, “How do I change the world?” Answer: Education

But, Chris posits, a more “God-glorifying” question might be, “what do you see when you walk into a crowded room?” Perhaps this question could be answered; “Christian education”.

This insightful question creates a helpful lens into the purpose and value of Christian schooling. Calderwood teaches students so much more than how to read and write, or how to solve complex problems. We seek to teach students how they might “see” others and how they might “see” the world through the eyes of Christ. Our deep hope is that students of Calderwood might also be students of Christ, apprentices, learning to see and engage the world as Jesus does.

Students observed the various features of the rainforest, exploring God's beautiful creation as they conducted geographical field work, testing soil, measuring air temperature, humidity, light intensity and exploring how these factors support this biodiverse landscape.

Students' highlights included enjoying the glorious views of the waterfall and hugging the aptly named 'Cuddle Tree'.

At the end of week 4, We as school captains, as well as Mr Brown and Mr Knight, attended Compass, a Christian leadership conference for students held annually in Canberra.

The conference went for five days, Friday the 28th to Tuesday the 4th. Over the course of the event, we met other school leaders from all over the country, discussed the role of our leadership at Calderwood, and heard from the Bible what leaders look like and how God wants us to lead.

On top of the leadership training, we also participated in various activities, including attending the War Memorial, Parliament House, plenty of free time to hang out, and a bush dance on the final night.

Overall, Compass was a great and insightful experience, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together learning about our role as school leaders.

Leadership: Be, See, Do

Compass taught us about leadership—not just as a title or position, but as a calling given by God. Leadership is often summed up in three words: Be, See and Do. As leaders we are often so oriented by the ‘See’ and ‘Do’ that we forget about the most important aspect, the ‘Be’. When first chosen as a leader at Calderwood Christian School, the 'Do' aspect was overwhelming. What am I going to do as a leader? How am I going to change the school? What's my first step? I forgot about the concept of being a leader.

Leadership is not about power or authority; it is about character. History has shown us that leadership without character leads to destruction and disaster. Take Adolf Hitler – he commanded millions, held immense power, and yet his leadership was built on fear, lies and cruelty. His lack of integrity led to devastation.

Compare that to Jesus – he had no political power, no military force, and yet led with love, humility and truth. Today, one is remembered with horror, and the other is worshiped as the greatest leader of all time.

True leadership is not about status; it’s about who you are at your core. ‘Be’ is about who you are – your faith, your integrity, and your commitment to God's will. Jesus was a leader who wouldn’t just act like one when people were watching, he got on his knees and washed his disciples' feet. Why? Because he was a loving, caring Son of God: leadership starts with who you are, and the vision and actions are the result.

At Compass we were asked a question; "who are you?". Even Moses, one of the greatest leaders in the Bible, doubted himself. When God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he said, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?”. God wasn’t looking for perfection; he was looking for obedience.

So why should others follow and look up to us at Calderwood Chrisitan School? The truth is, we have just started our leadership journey to find out. But we know these things for sure, we are children of God made in His image. We are imperfect and we make and will make so many mistakes. However, God has chosen us to be leaders and our first step in this calling is here at Calderwood Christian School.

So, we aim to both personally get closer to God and grow our faith, as well as get to know and serve our peers more. We hope that through our personal growth as leaders we will someday be able to lead like Jesus did and that our actions will flow from our beliefs, values and character.

Claire Kadwell, Jackson Taylor and Reilly Thomson

2025 Calderwood Captains

Women in Careers Conversation

During Week 6, 15 students from Years 9-11 attended the Women in Careers Conversation at Illawarra Sports High School.

They heard from women in various interesting careers, including police officers, naval engineers, tug boat drivers, and carpenters. Students learned that employers value 'traditional female' traits in male-dominated fields like electricians. They were encouraged to follow their passions, start their career paths, and work hard towards their goals!

International Women's Day Student Brunch

In Week 7, three Calderwood Year 12 students attended the International Women's Day Student Brunch at Bluescope Steel. Students heard from a panel of local business leaders, including local MP Alison Byrnes, who shared some career wisdom, experiences and stories to many other local students.

What great opportunities for our secondary students!

In this endeavour we are in partnership with Simon Brooks, a renowned educator and facilitator who has been instrumental in promoting thinking, understanding, curiosity, and independence in learners worldwide. Simon brings a wealth of experience and expertise, having worked with schools across the globe to implement the 'Cultures of Thinking' framework developed by Project Zero at Harvard University.

“The best teachers are those who continuously innovate and seek to deepen their practice, and families at Calderwood Christian School can be delighted to know that these are exactly the kind of teachers they have. I look forward to continuing my work with the teachers and leaders at Calderwood as they build an ever-richer culture of thinking for the students in their school.”

– Mr Simon Brooks

Through professional learning sessions with Simon, the central tenant “learning is a consequence of thinking” has been embraced and embodied by staff. Various aspects of teaching have become inquiry areas for each staff member, which requires them to intentionally and purposefully think – and therefore learn – more about.

“Learning happens as a result of thinking’ has resonated with me throughout the training. It has encouraged me to look for opportunities to allow space for student thinking and wondering to promote more meaningful learning experiences. By examining my practice through this lens, I’ve been able to make small adjustments to my lesson delivery which have supported growth in student thinking, increased student engagement and deepened their learning.”

– Mrs Cara O’Neill

These sessions have also provided us with practical strategies to make thinking visible in our classrooms and to cultivate a culture where students' thinking is valued and actively promoted.

“Having Simon Brooks come and support us in developing a culture of thinking in our classrooms has been a highlight of my teaching career. By putting the emphasis on thinking and encouraging students to think, as the way to learn, feels like why I wanted to be a teacher in the first place.”

– Ms Elise Semenchuk

We are excited to see the positive impact of this professional learning on our teaching practices and student outcomes. As we continue to grow and strengthen our 'Culture of Thinking', we are confident that our students will benefit from a richer, more thoughtful educational experience.

Mr Ross Graham

Leader of Teacher Innovation and Learning (Secondary)