Dear Stardust was presented live, at the 2025 Australian Council for Educational Leaders National Conference.

To launch Dear Stardust, I read my letter to the audience in Sydney, Australia, and have stitched together the amazing threads that I have received so far.

Do you ever feel judged by your tribe?

Adam Kuss, an exceptional leader in a variety of contexts, takes us inside his view on the tribes that have shaped him, and looks towards a future in 2040 with a new tribe that brings out the very best in all young people.

Adam works in leadership development as a special advisor and a pedagogical leadership consultant. He is currently completing his PhD at the University of Queensland.

We start with Adam's letter, which is particularly relevant in grand final week, before moving onto a song titled "Sudanese" by The Bedroom Philosopher. We then talk tribes, learning, and tensional analysis before wrapping up with some paraphrasing of Homer Simpson.

In what ways is our future shaped by the hands of our past?

In this letter to Stardust, Anita Zocchi, an exceptional Principal, educator, and learner, shares how the hands of her parents and their experiences in Australia, have shaped how she guides the development of generations of young people.

Anita is the Principal of University Senior College, and she shares her belief that everyone has the capacity to learn, and to do great things, and maintains a gaze both on what is in front of her, and also at the world that is emerging.