Hey Frog

I love frogs. I do everything I can to encourage frogs (and other wildlife) to thrive in my garden. On rainy nights, I am the crazy person outside with an umbrella and torch in an attempt to locate and identify my amphibious friends. I even have an app on my phone to record their calls. One frog is particularly interesting to me. The Corroboree Frog isn’t found locally, but rather in the sub-alpine bogs of the Snowy Mountains. It is a small frog with vibrant yellow and black colouring. In recent years the survival of this species has been threatened by chytrid fungus. Breeding programs in zoos have helped saved the species, as frogs bred in captivity are released back into their natural habitats.

These tiny amphibians survive raging bush fires, harsh winter conditions and summer droughts. Scientists enter their habitats as the snow melts to track and count the frog population. They have a very unique method of locating the frogs. They call ‘Hey Frog’ in deep, slow, low tones. Surprisingly the frogs call back! This allows the scientists to support the survival of this fragile species. You can discover more here.

Being in lockdown and learning from home may feel a little like surviving a cold winter, a scorching bushfire or an insidious infection. The isolation and challenges associated with learning during COVID have impacted many of our students, parents and staff. Confidence, learning, mental health and wellbeing have all been impacted. As our students come back to learning on campus, some may be in survival mode. Others may struggle with falling back into the routines and rhythms of the school day and adjusting to changed social structures. 

Our team is here to help every student. Our teachers, pastors, counsellors, office staff – everyone – are here to call ‘Hey Frog', to our students to help find where they are at and how we can support them to feel confident, connected, calm and ready to learn. 

As we reconnect as a community, perhaps you can also take the time to call ‘Hey Frog', to people with whom you have lost contact. Find out where they are at and how you could support them. God calls us to be His hands and feet in our world. Our survival as a community relies on connection, kindness and compassion. 

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Mrs Deb Cooper

Principal