We partner closely together with families in order to offer them an affordable Christian Education in a supportive environment.
We expect every child at our school to know, and feel, that they are valued, and in turn, they value and respect others.
Our positive Pastoral Care Programme is well-known. Our staff regularly attend professional development sessions to keep up-to-date on the best strategies by which to support our students, however for those requiring extra care students can be referred to either of our College Chaplains, one of whom is a qualified Family Counsellor.
We are also developing our Community Network with churches and other not-for-profit organisations in order to help our families more effectively.
We want our students to feel cared for and our families supported in whatever way possible.
As individuals we have a deep desire to be known. We all need to know God’s love for us and to be valued as we are. The size of the College allows all students to be known by staff and families.
When students are playing, staff are there as guides to support students in using wisdom, to problem solve, to collaborate and to remain safe. Our staff are there to listen and assist where needed.
Bethia is currently on Maternity Leave.
***********
"Welcome to FCC! I’m Bethia, the Family Support Counsellor.
I have two gorgeous kids who attend Foundation, and an awesome husband, Brett, who works in Gardening and Pastoral Care. My background is in Mental Health work, and working for the Family Courts in Perth. I was also a missionary for two years overseas, and have studied Counselling as well as a year of Theology.
But my passion is seeing people encounter Jesus for real. Not encountering a set of beliefs to try to fix the mess in their life. But actually meeting with Jesus Himself! As Christians, when we receive counselling for our broken internal world, a big roadblock is often our obsession with doing the right thing. This sounds crazy as doing the right thing can’t be wrong, right?
Many of us believe that doing what’s right or Biblical will fix our mental or emotional pain. So we agonise over what that right thing must be. We attempt it, and either succeed and become prideful, or fail and fall into shame. All the while, our hearts lay aching beneath our striving efforts, longing to be heard.
I’m beginning to understand that our mental and emotional pain is never going to be fixed by “doing better”. Rather, pain is a message from our heart that something isn’t going well internally. When we offer our unresolved pain to Jesus, He has the opportunity to lead us through unravelling its mystery together. And we get to grow more intimate with Him in the process. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, we don’t have to lean on our own understanding of right and wrong anymore! Hurray! Instead, we invite Him into our mess, acknowledging Him in every part of ourselves. And He does the hard work of straightening up our life-paths.
Sharing emotions is such an intimacy building exercise. As we vulnerably show Jesus everything – our unresolved pain, guilt, grief, turmoil, joy, wonder, delight, and passion, and allow Him into our mess before we’ve “fixed” it, we can experience such a full, genuine relationship with Him.
God’s desire for us was never that we get everything right. It was that He could have closeness with us – that He could know us truly and deeply. And that we could know and love Him in return. And as a side effect, we’re empowered to make great choices.
I pray for the richness of a full relationship with Jesus over you and your family! May your hearts be saturated in His love, and filled with peace.
Feel free to come find me in my office, or contact me any Tuesday or Thursday during the school term for a confidential chat or some prayer.
Much love,
Bethia"
