As Mountain Creek State School celebrates its 30th anniversary, we sat down with Principal Sean Bennett to learn about the school’s celebrations and what’s in store for the next 30 years.
Congratulations on celebrating 30 years of Mountain Creek State School! Can you tell us a little bit about the school’s history?
Mountain Creek State School was established in 1994 by founding principal Randall Burow. The school has a proud heritage built on traditional values, including pride in appearance and outstanding academic, cultural, and sporting success. Our students thrive in a caring environment based on respect and effective relationships.
Since those days, our lovely school has become a cornerstone of the community in beautiful Mountain Creek! Today, we have an enrolment of almost 1000 students and provide quality learning for students from Prep to Year 6.
The school’s supportive ethos is captured in the motto ‘Caring, Sharing and Learning Together.’ Although the motto was established in 1994, we believe we embody that ethos as much today as we did when the school opened.
Mountain Creek State School opened with just three classrooms in 1994.
The school and the community have changed a lot in those 30 years!
Yes! Over the 30 years, we’ve grown from a couple of classrooms to an expansive, fully air-conditioned campus, with every classroom boasting a 20-point interactive touchscreen display and wireless internet connectivity, enabling teachers and students to engage in 21st-century learning.
Today, Mountain Creek State School is a high-performing coeducational campus recognised as a school of distinction. We continue to seek to set the benchmark for educational excellence through committed teachers, innovative programs, quality facilities, and strong community partnerships.
Individual talents are nurtured through highly trained staff and partnerships, and Programs of Excellence ensure high-performing students are challenged to excel. Yet, we are probably most proud of our place in the community. We truly value the positive and productive relationships between the school, parents, and the local community at Mountain Creek, as we believe that these relationships are central to enabling children to achieve their potential.
Mountain Creek State School in the early 2000s.
What have you been doing to celebrate the big 3-0 birthday?
We’ve had many events at MCSS to commemorate the milestone. A portrait of the foundation Principal, Randall Burow, has been installed high on the wall in the office foyer. He overlooks the daily comings and goings as if to marvel at the ongoing innovations in his beloved school. Around the room, etched in large letters, are the words that guided his work in establishing the school 30 years ago.
What’s in store for Mountain Creek State School in the future?
Randall was firmly committed to the social and emotional wellbeing of students and staff, and 30 years later, the school community still benefits from this. Therefore, to continue his work, we are implementing The Resilience Project throughout the school. The project’s underlying message is gratitude, mindfulness, empathy, and emotional literacy, which addresses the personal and social capabilities of the Australian Curriculum.
We are very excited about how this will further support the wellbeing and growth of our wonderful Creekers over the next 30 years!
What is the Resilience Project?
The Resilience Project is an evidence-based program designed to promote mental health in schools. Through engaging lessons and resources, it teaches students, teachers, and parents the importance of gratitude, empathy, mindfulness, and emotional literacy. The program offers comprehensive support for educators and includes professional development opportunities and online resources.
Gratitude
Paying attention to the things we have right now, and not worrying about what we don’t have. We practise gratitude by noticing the positives around us.
Empathy
Putting ourselves in the shoes of others so we feel what they are feeling. We practise empathy by being kind and compassionate towards other people.
Mindfulness
Our ability to be calm and in the present moment. We practise mindfulness by slowing down and concentrating on one thing at a time.
Emotional literacy
Our ability to label our emotions helps us soften negative emotions and find positive emotions. We practise emotional literacy by labelling our emotions as we experience them.
Outdoor learning at Mountain Creek State School.
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