A Farewell Message from Mrs Argue
On a mild August day twenty three years ago, I began my journey with Carey, and what an amazing and wonderful journey it has been! Charged with the responsibility of establishing the Primary School on our Harrisdale site, I could never have imagined back then, that this brand new school nestled amongst banksias and black sand on the fringe of suburbia, would become, within two decades, the thriving multi-campus organisation that stands today!
I’m sure you are aware that our College’s were established by the Carey Baptist Church, a small group of ordinary people with faith in an extraordinary God. They had a vision to serve others, to build a school of excellence, where students and families could find “community” – a place to belong, to flourish. It was this vision that first captured my imagination and has held it ever since! What an honour it has been to work together with so many remarkable people to bring this vision to fruition: our Governance Council that governs with wisdom and integrity; our Executive Teams and Senior Leaders who lead with courage and compassion; and our outstanding staff, professionals in their respective fields, who are deeply committed to the job they do and to the students and families they serve.
Over the years, I have delighted in meeting and getting to know so many wonderful parents and grandparents, and I thank you for the support, encouragement and honest conversations we have had along the way! Above all, I thank you for choosing Carey. We have always considered it an immense privilege to be in partnership with parents; to be part of your village, as together we prepare our children for the world beyond school. Indeed, one of the greatest joys of my lengthy tenure has been the opportunity to see so many students successfully complete their education at Carey, discovering their talents and interests, and stepping out into the future with a desire to make a positive difference in the world.
Serving the Carey Community over the past two decades has been an extraordinary privilege and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have done so. I am grateful too, that this community has been part of the village that has helped us to raise our own two children.
As I leave, I am very much looking forward to the new adventure that lies ahead. I have come to realise that, in the words of Dr Henry Cloud, life is filled with ‘necessary endings’ so that new beginnings can emerge and I have a sense of wonder at the doors that are opening in this next chapter of my life. I am very excited about joining the team at AVENIR Leadership Institute – although I may be hoping that a caravan, and a little bit more time shared with my grey nomad, might be in the picture somewhere too!
Blessings,
Jen
