This week I attended the first King David School Parents’ Association (KDSPA) planning meeting of the year. I left the meeting feeling greatly uplifted. Here was a large group of representatives who had given of their time to work collectively on ways to enhance the experience of our students, staff and families. Their friendship, support of one another, humour and cheer seemed a microcosm of what they are trying to create for our broader community.

I have often expressed that the KDSPA is the heartbeat of our school. For me this is so for a number of reasons. As I stated in our Parent Information Evenings at the commencement of the school year, we firmly believe that the best way that we can achieve the outstanding holistic educational outcomes that we strive for, is in close partnership with our families. The KDSPA acts as a spokesperson for our families and serves a vital function in serving their interests at School Council and in providing greatly valued feedback to our management teams.

When we meet new KDS families we often state that they are not merely enrolling a child in our school, they are joining a community. This sounds like a cliche, but we work hard to provide the infrastructure that facilitates the fruition of this goal. The KDSPA firmly understands the vital role that it plays in providing the time, space and opportunity for community bonds to form.

Of course the KDSPA also plays a vital fundraising role and through its large range of initiatives has managed to generously donate to projects that make a significant positive impact for our students. Some examples include the sponsoring of the building and fit out of the KDSPA Cafes at both campuses, the shade cloths that provide a safe play space for our students, the furniture and coffee machine in the Year 12 Common room and the regular lice checks that occur at the Junior School.

I encourage all parents to find ways to show their appreciation and offer their support to the KDSPA. Ideally families will find ways to contribute and will reap the many benefits that come from being part of something so valuable with such a shared purpose. Come along to the array of events that are planned as these are the building blocks to form our unique sense of belonging and the strong connections and warm relationships with the families that will share in our children’s school journeys.

I cannot express my gratitude to the KDSPA without also mentioning how deeply appreciative we are of the work of the Parent Safety Group. The PSG offers a friendly face to families arriving at school and a visible deterrent that has been shown to meaningfully enhance our safety and security. The volunteers are the school community’s eyes and ears that augment the work of our contracted security guards.

Since the tragedy of October 7, the PSG has received an abundance of support from many families who have signed up for training and made themselves available to ensure that most morning and afternoon shifts are covered at both campuses. That said, our coordinators are always appreciative of new volunteers, as it allows for greater coverage with a lesser load for those who have generously committed themselves.

Collectively the work of the KDSPA and PSG can be characterised as our community members standing up, giving of their goodwill, their time and their energies to help build the community that they wish to be a part of and for their children to grow up in. I am proud to work closely in partnership with our parent volunteers and know that through our shared endeavours we continue to nurture our precious school and our beautiful community.

Shabbat Shalom,

Marc Light
Principal