Today I brought a unicycle into class and asked every student to have a go at riding it.

Everyone failed first time – even Mr Pear our Principal.

That’s what I love about a unicycle. It is practically impossible to jump on and ride it successfully the first time.

To ride a unicycle takes commitment, practice, determination and patience – all skills vital for life and learning.

I wanted the students in 6L to know that there will be work this year that will be challenging and they will be pushed to achieve their very best each day. I won’t give them anything they can’t handle, but I will be expecting their best effort all the time. For some, that will be hard.

Some want it to come easy – so that they don’t have to try too hard. But life isn’t always like that. Life’s a bit like riding a unicycle sometimes…