The Chrysalis of Excellence

As a model of excellence in the power of feedback and striving for improvement with attention to refining practice, Ron Berger’s lesson on Austin’s Butterfly has become a staple exemplar in teaching circles (https://youtu.be/hqh1MRWZjms for those who would like to learn more!)

Watching the evolution of Austin’s butterfly drawing is a concrete example of how our capacity builds when we attend to deliberately shaping and nurturing our craft.  The creative and performing arts continue to be arenas where our students at Norwest Christian College absolutely shine; the recent Thrive showcase by our Seed Academy students last weekend exemplified our college mission to inspire and equip students to build purposeful lives. I am confident that every parent in the room felt immense joy witnessing the growth in their child’s ability to play, sing, dance and create.  When our children become proficient in their pursuit it can be easy to lose perspective on how far they have come. The many hours of practice move from staccato one finger keyboard playing, through to two awkward hands trying to coordinate chords through to seamless melody progression in a few short years.  It was a delight to have the breadth of experience on display to remind the audience that the simple beats of “I love coffee”, ably accompanied by tutor Jennifer Cheung, could become the accomplished rendition of “High Hopes” by another of her students on the grand piano.

We are so thankful to our team of professional tutors who have been working with our students throughout the year to thrive in the areas of dance, singing, piano, violin, guitar (acoustic, electric and bass), drums, cello, trumpet, flute, clarinet and their art enrichment.  The Thrive showcase would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our administrator and tutor, Mrs Sarah Maleckas, along with the administration support of Mrs Chanelle Gluskie and technical expertise of Mr Michael Ford.

This celebration of excellence and effort amongst our 100+ Seed Academy students kicks off a season of recognising student endeavours and learning, and an opportunity to give thanks to God for what He is doing in the lives of young people at Norwest. We are truly blessed to work and learn in our college where God’s abundance is ubiquitous, and we give Him thanks and praise for His work in our students.

Linda Hogan
Director, Teaching and Learning (K-12)