Total Education Blog

Independent Schools Queensland recently ran a two-day workshop on school wellbeing, facilitated by Professor Donna Cross from the University of Western Australia. SOTE principal Shane Power and Secondary Coordinator Judy Funder attended.

The School of Total Education was privileged to have Dr Derek Chong, Queensland's first indigenous psychiatrist, visit the school in late November following his address to the International Men's Day breakfast, which was hosted by the school's psychologist, Mark Cary.

Children are taking in thousands of impressions every second; they take in everything. Their 'camera' is running all the time. With all this going on, by the time they get to 16, the picture they have built up is unacceptable. This is why we as parents must take a hard look at ourselves in the interest of our children's future. - By David Leech

We are very fortunate that past student of the school, Dr Indra Nordstrand, is returning to address the graduates and parents at our graduation ceremony and parents seminar on Sunday 20th November 2016. Most parents and newer teachers will not know Indra, who graduated from The School of Total Education herself in 1989 and went on to study medicine at the Flinders University of South Australia. After developing an interest in Cardiothoracic Surgery, Indra completed postgraduate studies in surgery at the University of Queensland and specialist surgery training in Victoria to ultimately become one of a few female Cardiothoracic Surgeons in Australia.

"Existing modern education is not education to produce happy individuals..." the Dalai Lama states "[The] existing modern education system is very much oriented in material values, external values, completely neglecting about our inner values."

We often say that The School of Total Education is a living community. One of the ways that aliveness is engendered is through the encouragement of communication - not just between teachers and students but between teachers and parents. Deputy Principal Judy Currie was asked by one of the parent groups to talk about this recently. This is transcript of her talk.