Welcome Father Gift
ST GEORGE’S SUPERSTARS
With the completion of Rev Sarah Stapleton’s Curacy at the end of this year and her decision to take her next steps as an ordained priest into a parish in 2022, it is with much excitement that I announce the appointment of Father Gift Makwasha as our first full time Chaplain Father Gift as he prefers to be known!
Emily Shoebridge The winner of the 2021 Anglican School’s Commission (ASC) Christmas Card Design Competition was Year 9 student Emily Shoebridge. Emily’s design was selected from a range of submissions. Her digital artwork The Joy of Christmas is a symbol of connection and giving.
Father Gift Makwasha is currently the priest at Grace Anglican Church in Joondalup, a position he has loved since 2017. His name inspires him to be a ‘gift’ to the community which he serves, and this is precisely what he is looking forward to bringing to us at St George’s. Originally from Zimbabwe, Father Gift is the father of four children. He was ordained a deacon in Harare in December 1995 and then a year later became a priest. He left Harare for the United States where he pursued further study and gained a Doctorate in Theology at Boston University. He has been a School Chaplain before at an Anglican School in Harare and tells me that at 49 years of age he still only feels 25 because of his work with young people. Father Gift has not only been a parish priest but has also lectured at several colleges as Dean of Studies and been the Acting Principal of the Anglican seminary. As a father himself, he is thrilled to be returning to a school environment as our School Chaplain. In joining St George’s, he intends to share the importance of the three P’s with students and staff – PRAYER, PLAY and PLAN. Father Gift has already spent a little time at the school meeting with both students and staff. He has a diverse background and lots of genuinely interesting stories to inspire all members of our School Community to be the best version of themselves in this life. He firmly believes that your high school years are the very best days of your lives and hopes to support all to enjoy their time within the St George’s School Community.
Sadie Tibbitts Sadie, Year 9, is a St George’s music superstar! Sadie is in the Swing Band, Flute Ensemble, Vocal Ensemble, Year 9 Rock Band, and she successfully auditioned for Select Choir. She was also recently in the Massed Choir and Concert Band for the ASC Concert. Sadie takes full advantage of all the amazing musical opportunities here at St George’s.
Family is pivotal to Father Gift and his various experiences and thinking have led him to see school as an integral part of what he sees as his family life. He is excited about the ‘sense of family and community’ that already exists here within the School and hopes to build on the many firm foundations that Rev Sarah has established.
Katherine Mullaney Congratulations to Katherine, Year 10, who has been selected as a student ambassador for the 2022 Premier’s Anzac Student Tour. Katherine’s interest in Australian History and understanding of the Anzac legacy is to be commended. She is one of only ten students selected from Western Australia to attend the Tour. In 2022, the Tour will travel from Albany to Darwin between 16 and 26 April to commemorate the Anzac legacy in the context of nation building between the wars, and defence of the home front during World War II.
He will begin as our full time Chaplain in March 2022.
We look forward to following Katherine on her journey next year.
4 St. George's Anglican Grammar School – THE DRAGON