General News
4 February, 2026
A Mum's World: It's now what you know
With one week of school term behind us already, it feels to me like classes started a month ago! When a thousand people get together, a lot can happen quickly.
As Chaplain at Horsham College, I had the honour last week of debriefing a fairly hideous summer with some, while celebrating brand new beginnings with others.
By Wednesday I found myself pulling-off a morning tea for 130 Year 12s in their Common Room followed by the sanitary saucing of 300 hundred sausages for our new Year 7s, and their most senior counterparts.
My next catering gig is a free fresh fruit stand at our swimming sports day at the pool before I settle into my regular Brekky Hubs and lunchtime clubs.
Not everything I do has food involved, but if I can wrangle some in there, I will – I’m a bit of a fan.
The fabulous Chaplaincy Committee meet for our February cake fest, I mean meeting, this Thursday at 5pm – come along if you like – as we start weaving together all the details for our major fundraising Chaplaincy Book Fair on May 22 and 23.
Working at a school doesn’t feel like ‘Ground Hog Day’, but it is quite cyclical.
As the students get older and change year levels, the tasks for each school term remain unique to that term, but very similar each year.
There is comfort in the familiarity of routine and known expectations.
As my three daughters have all finished their secondary educations now, their life trajectory has flung out into the world in very new and unpredictable directions.
There is excitement in the adventure of the novel.
They are finding new rhythms in their lives, shaping commitments where possible and tolerating them otherwise.
Having a purpose in life is important when you are trying to find direction.
All three of my daughters want to do something meaningful with their time, but they also need to earn money to pay for their heat protection hair spray and favourite moisturiser.
My husband worked at a service station before joining the Airforce at 17.
My roadhouse, restaurant and room cleaning jobs were fine for some finances, but after four years at university I wanted something with more impact.
Back then, jobs were advertised in newspapers and I knocked on doors.
Nowadays, our 21-year-old Batchelor of Communications graduate googles jobs and applies online.
Do people knock on doors anymore?
That whole, ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know’ rule is tricky when you’re a country girl in the big smoke and everyone you know is a county kid in their 20s.
I’m trying to help Yasinta with looking at job ads and proofreading her letters of application.
I always struggled to present myself on paper, and much preferred to meet people, even though the thought of putting myself out there was terrifying.
Just look at me know, presenting myself on paper once a week and getting to know new people as a chaplain every day.
Life’s funny.