V. V is for Victory... ...a need to pick my battles.

V.

I have had some victories at school as a practice teacher. I have been placed at Cambridge Park High School (CPHS) near Penrith and only 23 kilometres from home. In communication with other teachers, I have been asked whether Cambridge Park is somewhere near Cambridge in the UK and if there is a connection somehow. The association is immense and it will be an important accolade to be connected to such a great location in the world of education. On their website, it says:

The mission of the University of Cambridge is to contribute to society through education, learning and research at the highest international level.

What an excellent example of resilience, considering it has been a place of knowledge since 1209:

The University of Cambridge is a collegiate research university in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's fourth-oldest surviving university.

My experience here at Cambridge Park has been incredibly amazing - as I have been part of an environment that also contributes to "society through education and learning" at the highest level - albeit, at high school level and with teenagers from an incredibly broad international community. More significant to this community and these people in the northwestern part of Sydney, Australia (and not in the United Kingdom) are the teachers whose mission is to share their knowledge with children who are ready to learn.

Notably, Cambridge is home to Charles Darwin, Issac Newton as well as Stephen Hawking and David Attenborough. Wouldn't it be great if somehow, this school formed an alliance with one of the most important educational facilities in the world? 

"He, who stops being better, stops being good" 
Oliver Cromwell, Cambridge, 1644

Sometimes, one needs to look beyond the basic, as it's important to dig deeper into the background of things. The motto of CPHS is: "Together we achieve". A powerful message that motivates students to do better and achieve more. 

CPHS was built in 1976 and the building structure, the layout, the format and settings are all similar to Ashcroft High School which I went to for my HSC. It is heavy and solid and conveys the message of authority and respect. 



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