As we conclude Term 3, I reflect on our School’s vision to be an exceptional community of learning. This vision is realised through the wonderful collaboration between our dedicated staff, students, families and the wider community. Throughout the term, we have witnessed inspiring examples of how this vision is realised across five key dimensions:
1. Fellowship and community – I have said many times that we live in a world that seeks to draw us inward, to focus on ourselves. Therefore, building community remains one of the great challenges of our time. We must intentionally create opportunities to bring people together, ensuring our students grow within a culture of connection and support. Events such as our High Tea, Music Festival, Athletics Carnival and the Years 3 to 6 Sports Day exemplify this spirit of community. Our Mission Guild, Friends of Music and Junior and Senior School Friends of Saints Committees play a pivotal role in creating vibrant, cross-generational experiences. I sincerely thank those involved in these groups for strengthening the bonds within our community.
2. Pursuit of excellence – Each and every day we should be asking our students to jump higher knowing they are capable of more than they imagine. They are too young to know how capable they are. By setting high expectations, we create an environment where students rise to the challenge. While our Junior School boys may find it difficult to imagine the achievements of their Senior School peers, excellence is within their reach if they consistently show up, be present, rehearse, practice and persist. This past fortnight alone has been rich with examples of this commitment; our Debating team’s triumph in the State Debating Championships at Parliament House; our Years 1 and 2 students’ performance in their music and dance spectacular, and our Athletics Team extraordinary 51st Achilles Cup win out of 52 competitions.
3. Embracing breadth – At St Peter’s College it is possible to be an artist, an athlete and an academic concurrently. The recent House Dinners highlighted the remarkable breadth of our students’ accomplishments. And we saw our musicians back up their Music Festival performance the very next day to compete in our Senior School Athletics Day. These stories demonstrate that with dedication and passion, it is possible to excel in multiple arenas. Not much is gained by failing to participate so I encourage all students to step up, take advantage of the diverse opportunities on offer, and give it their all.
4. Presentation of authenticity – Witnessing so many of our boys stand with confidence and share their personal journeys during the Music Festival presentations was a beautiful thing to see. The openness and sincerity with which they spoke about their St Peter’s College experience, was inspiring. This ability to express themselves so authentically is a testament to the strength of our single-sex environment where we have the opportunity to cast away community stereotypes. In our community we are aiming to normalise all the right behaviours, allowing the ‘strong and lovely’ to shine through in all endeavours.
5. The journey – A St Peter’s College education is not a transaction, but a shared journey we embark upon in partnership with each other. I encourage parents, guardians and students alike to be present, to fully participate in all aspects of school life, and to embrace the journey together. Tonight, our Years 11 and 12 students, along with their guests, will celebrate the Blue & White, an event steeped in tradition since 1907. Attending a school formal is a rite of passage, marking an important milestone in the journey of adolescence and symbolising the transition into adulthood. Every event, every moment is part of a larger curated journey that prepares our boys and young men for life beyond these walls and fields. Education is, after all, a lifelong pursuit, and what we experience here is only just the beginning.
I wish you a wonderful break with your family. If you are heading away, travel safely and I look forward to welcoming students back to campus on Tuesday 15 October.
Tim Browning
Headmaster