The Ripple Effect of Purpose: A Message from Our Chair

Spoken by Peter Seldon, Chair of the Board at Language Disorder Australia

Good morning all,

I want to welcome you all to Day Three of our staff conference. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Peter Seldon, Chair of the Board of Language Disorder Australia, and I am also a parent of Nathan, who is in Year 7 here at Mancel College.

The past few days have been a journey filled with learning, skill development, collaboration, and teamwork. We do not often have the chance to gather like this as a whole team, so embrace the opportunity and make the most of it. Also, take time to define your own role and position in the organisation, and how you can not only foster the growth and development of yourself, but also of those around you, and most importantly our students.

I want to use the time I have with you today to share my parallel journey at Language Disorder Australia. One journey is as the Chair of the Board, and the other as a parent of a child at Mancel College. These roles coexist and are deeply intertwined, shaping how I have contributed to the organisation’s growth and success.

Nathan started at the then Glenleighden School eight years ago in Reception. Our two goals on his Learning Plan for that year were to get him fully toilet trained and out of nappies, and to help him say twenty words. That was where we were: asking ourselves, “What is going on? How do we fix it?” We made a conscious decision to do everything we could to improve his situation and support him. The first key was acceptance of where we were, acknowledging the issues, and then planning for the future and enacting that plan. This mirrors the journey of the organisation and your individual roles as well. They may differ, but the process is the same. Acknowledge where you are, decide what you want to improve and achieve, then plan and take action to get there.

My involvement in the school began only a few days after his first day. After a stretch of forty-degree-plus days, I asked where the children stored their lunches, and I was told they were left in their bags. I asked about a fridge and was told it would take six months to raise the money for that. I recognised that the organisation needed help to improve. Donating a simple fridge to Early Childhood gave me my first interaction with Greg S., who was the contact for the delivery. That was the beginning of my journey of change for the organisation, a ripple that I will expand on shortly.

This institution that I trusted to help my son grow for his future also needed help to grow itself, and it was something I felt I could contribute to. A few months later, a Board position became available, and I joined in 2018 to help bring change. Then in March 2019, I became Chair, and the journey was well underway.

On both sides we wanted more. We wanted more for our students than just basic care or supervision; we wanted to create a pathway to a fulfilling future for our son. From an organisational perspective, we needed a management approach with a long-term strategic plan that encouraged growth and investment in capital works and in the staff. The goal I had for my son became a shared goal for the organisation. It was essential to move beyond the short-term, year-to-year planning of the past that limited our actions or kept us stuck in the status quo, which is not healthy for anyone in the long term. When I became Chair, we had eighty students. As of today, we will have around two hundred and eighteen students starting next term. That is an incredible journey in itself.

From that point forward, my goal was to make Mancel College great, and to ensure that we never again heard the phrase, “This is the best he will ever be.” Nathan was only seven and a half years old at the time. That statement was devastating for my wife and me, and it reflected the state of the organisation at the time. Imagine being told that this is all you will ever be, and nothing more. Written off and deemed unworthy. That experience hardened my resolve and strengthened my commitment to improving outcomes not only for Nathan, but for every other child and family. We all know these children have skills and abilities. They simply need the right environment for those strengths to emerge. This is where our values of excellence and best practice come into play.

We can see these changes unfolding throughout the organisation with the ongoing Capital Works Program and additional buildings planned. Equally important is the structural transformation you have all helped lead in how we support young people. Whether in the classroom through Maths and English, building skills in Design and Technology or the kitchen; developing physical capability through sport, swimming, and the touch football team, or seeing students succeed outside the College, these shifts are real. You have also supported the development of communication and relationships with peers, teachers, and the wider community.

Remember, it is not just about what each of us does for each child, but about the ripple effect of those actions. When we help a student communicate, the impact flows through the family, transforms their life, and continues to influence the broader community. These are the ripples we are helping to create and nurture. When a stone is dropped into one edge of a lake, it creates ripples that travel all the way to the other side. You may not always see them, but they happen.

We sometimes forget this, which is why we must aim for excellence in our work every single day. Each of us plays a vital role in shaping these ripples in our students’ lives. One of the most meaningful moments for me was when Nathan came home from school at age seven and said, “I love you daddy,” for the first time. A simple phrase, but one filled with extraordinary power. It took several staff members months of dedicated work to help him learn those words and how to say them.

This drive for progress never stops. We are always evolving as new challenges and opportunities arise. We must stay focused on our quality-first approach and let it guide all we do. This focus will drive demand for our services, whether through College enrolments or other offerings, and it underpins our ability to grow and to invest in our people and infrastructure.

Transparency is also critical. It builds trust among all stakeholders, both within the College and in the wider community. It is essential to long-term success.

The Board is committed to fulfilling our Master Plan as it evolves alongside the needs of the organisation. This growth allows us to enhance both the quality of our services and our student experience. While the building program may appear to be the primary focus, and in many ways it is, the ultimate aim is to create greater career growth, opportunity, and advancement for you. Excellence is contagious. People want to be part of success. So let us commit to striving for the best together. Our students’ success and the lives we help shape through Mancel College and Language Disorder Australia are our greatest achievements. So is the professional growth and fulfilment of our staff.

We will continue to lead and innovate across all areas of the organisation, whether through School Support Services, the Language Disorder Academy, or the College, which will always remain a central part of our work. These units are interconnected and support each other. For example, the School Support Services Team and the College Allied Health Team share experiences and collaborate. The path to excellence is paved with teamwork, shared ideas, and unified goals. That is what makes us strong.

From the front desk to the teacher, from the principal to the occupational therapist to the Board, we must all be disciplined, focused, and professional. There is only one standard. Only as a unified team can we reach our potential.

That is our success and our reward. The effort we put in will prepare our students for their futures and generate ripples across society, all while building a strong and dynamic organisation. Knowing that we have this kind of impact should inspire and energise all of us in the pursuit of excellence.

Please remember that we are behind you and here to support you on this journey. I know it is challenging, but we must continue. We will deliver. We will thrive, together as a team.

For those who know me well, you know my drive and tenacity are high, as is the commitment of your Board. We are here for you and we must achieve this for our students.

Thank you for your hard work so far and for being part of this journey. Enjoy the rest of the conference and your weekend, and come back refreshed for the start of next term. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me or any of the Board members here today.