“What’s my name! What’s my name?”
Over the past 4 weeks, this is what the Year 7s greeted me with on entering the Pentreath building. Why? You may ask.
The reason is because I promised the boys, that if I did not remember their names after a few genuine conversations, then, I would buy them chocolates of their choice.
As Captains, Hugo and I are passionate believers that the importance of remembering someone’s name cannot be underestimated. It is easy for us to forget how it was when we first arrived. How intimidating it was to be thrown into such a large campus, how difficult it was to adjust to the structure of the new School, and how challenging it was to truly settle into the new environment. We are trying our best to place ourselves in their shoes, hoping that by attempting to remember their names, can ease their transition into the Middle Years and make them feel valued and appreciated. In all honesty, it is not easy to connect names to more than 150 new faces, but it is a fun challenge. At this stage, only five students have warranted being given the chocolates – secretly, I’m hoping that it stops there before I need to get a paid-job in the evening!
The younger boys in the Junior School have also been exceptionally welcoming and friendly. We appreciate the enthusiastic greetings during Recess and Lunch, as well as when we pop into their regular classes. A big thank you to the Junior School Captains, Charlie Bruce and Joey Fitzgerald, for their guidance on how we can be good role models for the Junior School boys.
On a personal note, a very powerful moment occurred on Wednesday in the Academic Muster, where eight of my high-achieving peers returned to school to celebrate their achievements. It felt like it was only yesterday when we were studying and grinding through question after question in the Miller Library. What struck me was all the vivid memories that we have forged together throughout our academic journey, and our common appreciation for the help and support provided by all the teachers and staff. We owe them a heap of gratitude for our academic success.
As my peers walked out of Memorial Hall for the final time, I was grateful and excited for the opportunity that lay ahead this year. Many boys have already approached me for academic support, so it is definitely a service I wish to continue. I hope the boys can continue to utilise it and ask as many questions as they can. I’m looking forward to be able to help more and more boys as the academic year progresses.
David Quan
School Vice Captain
Class of 2018: Nine of our highest achieving students with Young Exhibition for the Dux of the School, Domenico Perrotta