21 June 2024
As we come to the end of Semester 1 it is timely to reflect and examine how we are travelling as individuals and as a whole school.
For individuals, the act of reflecting is assisted by the information we can gather from the Semester 1 reports, effort grades, and performance in the myriad of co-curricular activities students are involved. It is through this reflective practice that individuals can examine performance and set goals for the second half of the year.
As an exceptional community of learning, students are challenged and expected to constantly set high expectations and keep striving to push themselves to be the best version they can be each day.
This semester there have been so many examples of our boys being exceptional, from the classroom to the performances in co-curricular through to the action that has been taken through service learning programs. There are too many highlights to write about, and I am thankful for all the staff, students, and families for helping to support the opportunities and experiences which allow our boys to demonstrate their exceptional talents.
Recently I attended a workshop about school culture where we were challenged to consider our role and influence on the culture of our community. The participants were asked to reflect on the statement ‘Are you an architect and builder, or do you simple reside within?’ This workshop has allowed me to reflect on my first full semester at St Peter’s College and think about the goals and aspirations I have for our Senior School in the next six months.
We are fortunate to have our Anglican Framework and school values to help guide our actions. It is through knowing what it means to be an Anglican School and understanding what our values mean that our boys, and indeed the wider community, can make informed decisions and from these decisions our actions or behaviours stem.
The reason for understanding where our behaviours stem is that our School culture should be measure by the idea of Key Behaviour Indicators (KBI) rather than Key Performance Indicator (KPI). This makes it even more important for our students, staff, and wider community to deeply understand our Anglican Framework and values so that our behaviours match what we want our culture to be.
As I reflect on Semester 1, I see many strengths in the Key Behaviours Indicators of our Senior School. I also acknowledge that there is always opportunity to further develop our School culture and my hope and goal for Semester 2 is to look at ways to further enhance and build on the strong foundations already in place.
With the term break, I wish our boys and families a safe and refreshing break. That this time will be an opportunity to relax, reconnect and enjoy a different pace of life.
David Nolan
Deputy Headmaster/Head of Senior School