The seasons change - and so do we

During a walk over the term break, I found myself pausing to notice the shift in the air. Here in Melbourne, autumn has certainly arrived bringing with it crisp mornings, golden sunlight, warmish days and leaves turning rich shades of auburn, red, and brown.

As I took in the beautiful colours and transformation around me, I reflected on how the changing seasons serve as a powerful metaphor for the school calendar year.

In education, our work moves in cycles - structured by a curriculum mapped out over four terms, each spanning roughly eight to ten weeks. Much like the seasons, each term carries its own energy, its own demands, and its own atmosphere.

And just as no two seasons ever unfold the same way, each school year and each term brings a different texture, shaped by the person you support, the culture of your school, and the ever-evolving dynamics of your role.

Term 1 - Summer: The Big Launch

The year begins with the energy of summer and with a bang - vibrant, bright, and fast. No matter how restful the break or how carefully we’ve planned our return. Calendars fill before we’ve even remembered our passwords. Inboxes overflow. Meetings stack up. Within days, we’re knee-deep in planning, wondering how the pace picked up so quickly. Then we remember oh yeah this is what it was like last year...the familiar feeling coming back: here we go again...Term 1 could be described as a reset, restart, and relaunch all at once - fast-paced, purposeful, and foundational to everything that follows for the year.

For EAs in Education, Term 1 is all about setting the tone and tempo for the year ahead. We are the steady force propelling the school forward, creating momentum, bringing clarity. From navigating early curveballs to warmly welcoming current and new staff and students and re-establishing school culture, we are the grounding presence amid the bustle. We reset operations, align calendars, support strategic planning, reconnect with community, and lay the foundation for the events and milestones to come.

It’s a term that demands both agility and emotional intelligence - and Executive Assistants rise to the challenge with strength, precision, and purposeful intent.

Term 2 - Autumn: The Stretch

After the energetic pace of Term 1, Term 2 calls for focus, structure, and stamina. The momentum shifts from launching to sustaining. It’s a term of building on the foundations laid in Term 1, a time of year to operate with strategic precision, anchoring the moving parts while quietly steering progress forward.

EAs in Education play a central role in holding everything together. At this stage of the year, we are focused on strategic follow up, tracking timelines, supporting implementation of key initiatives, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. From preparing for semester changeovers, streamlining systems, pre-planning for events, students interviews, collating data for reports - our influence is everywhere.

As pressure builds, EAs are the glue, responding with calm and competence, keeping leadership grounded, projects on track, and the school community supported.

Term 3 - Winter: The Deep Work

Winter settles in Term 3, often being the toughest and most demanding stretch of the school year. Illness spikes and the energy launched at the beginning of the year feels like a distant memory, and the celebratory spirit of Term 4 hasn’t yet arrived. It’s a season that calls for resilience and stamina. The work is deep, often invisible but essential - marked by reflection, strategic focus, and sustained effort. We dig in, support those around us, and keep moving forward. We hold space for others while navigating the steady demands of our own roles. In many ways, Term 3 is the backbone of the school year. It is a true test of endurance, presence, and professionalism. Fatigue can creep in.

EAs in Education step into their strength helping leadership teams maintain direction, finalise preparations for Term 4 end of year activities, manage transitions, coordinate staffing movements, and assist in forecasting key priorities for the months ahead. Amid the cold, EAs are often the warmth in winter and the anchor for their leadership teams. Whether it’s ensuring the heater works in a meeting room or creating quiet moments of care and encouragement.

Term 4 - Spring: The Final Flourish

Spring bursts in Term 4 - vibrant, emotional, and rich with significance. Though it’s the final term on the school calendar, it carries the energy of a beginning. Everything converges here: the people, the plans, the progress. Term 4 is a masterclass in multi-tasking, maintaining perspective, and staying grounded amid constant motion and change. It’s the season where all the threads come together and the EA is often the one holding the needle.

This is the term of the ultimate juggle: coordinating end-of-year events, graduations, valedictories, awards ceremonies, and farewells for staff and students. Behind the scenes, EAs are managing reporting cycles, reflections, and strategic reviews - while also preparing for staff movements, planning days, and leadership retreats. Calendars for the new year are mapped and onboarding begins to ensure a smoother start to next year. You’re the person who remembers what others forget, who brings the warmth in the pressure, and who knows what’s needed before it’s even asked.

Term 4 demands clarity under pressure, but it also offers rare beauty - the satisfaction of seeing things bloom. From the relationships nurtured, the processes built, the countless pieces you’ve held together throughout the year - now come to life. You are quietly orchestrating the complexity, creating clarity through chaos, and supporting your leaders to finish well and start strong.

And when the final bell rings and the school settles into stillness, there’s a pause - a moment to breathe, reflect, and be proud. That moment belongs to you. Because this work matters and so do you.

The seasons turn…

As we journey through each term, we travel not just through time, but through evolving seasons of growth, challenge, reflection, and renewal. Each phase brings its own purpose, and within each one there is beauty.

And at the heart of it all? YOU. Because in every season, every school term - your presence matters.  And just like that, the cyclical nature of schools begin again.