Over the past fortnight, our community has gathered in many different ways: in Memorial Hall to celebrate the gift of music, in Muster to recognise excellence and reflect on wisdom shared by generations of old scholars, and on the terrace of Old School House as we ‘blessed the boots’ of our Year 10 boys as they embarked on their 21 Day Journey.
Each occasion has been distinct, yet together they have reminded us what matters most.
As a community, we have experienced loss in recent weeks. We have mourned the passing of a member of our parent community and a young old scholar from the Class of 2020. Loss touches students, staff, parents, old scholars and extended families in different ways, and it has been heartening to witness the compassion and care shown across the School.
Against this backdrop, the recent Voices of St Peter’s concert was a gift.
More than an evening of beautiful music, it was an expression of connection and courage. There is something reassuring for parents in seeing their children embrace opportunities with passion and purpose. If that choral performance is a barometer of how the School is tracking, we can be confident that St Peter’s College is in good order.
At Muster, we celebrated another expression of commitment: excellence.
Excellence is not accidental. It is intentional.
The students recognised with symbols and colours across music have invested countless hours rehearsing, practising, refining and persevering. Their success reflects not only talent, but discipline, effort and a willingness to strive for a standard beyond what is required. We have much to celebrate in the performing arts, from national success at Generations in Jazz to the sold-out performances of Glengarry Glen Ross by our Years 11 and 12 SACE Drama students.
Importantly, excellence should never come at the expense of humility.
During recent visits with old scholars in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, there were consistent themes to their reflections. Many spoke of wishing they had been a little kinder during their school years, a little more patient and a little more forgiving of those around them. They reminded me that adolescence can be challenging, but that there is goodness within each of us waiting to be expressed.
Their message to our students was simple.
Be kind to one another.
Be grateful for the opportunities before you.
Take part wholeheartedly.
Many reflected that they did not fully appreciate, at the time, just how fortunate they were: the opportunities available to them, the teachers who invested in them and the breadth of experiences that shaped their lives. They encouraged today’s students to make the most of what is in front of them now.
They also offered one final piece of wisdom: be proud of your School, but wear that pride with humility. When you are outside the school gates, there’s really no need to advertise the fact that you attend St Peter’s College. Let your character speak more loudly than the crest on your blazer.
Blazers were switched for down jackets as we gathered with our Year 10 boys and their families at the Blessing of the Boots service before the commencement of their 21-day Journey.
As parents, it is easy to become consumed by the immediate concerns of adolescence. Yet it is worth pausing to remember the young man we imagined our son becoming when we first entrusted him to our care: confident yet grounded, compassionate and resilient, secure in who he is, grounded in community and understanding that he belongs to something larger than himself.
The Journey exists to help shape that young man.
It invites our students to discover that they are more capable than they realise. In a world that often encourages self-interest and passivity, the experience of challenge, responsibility and shared endeavour teaches a different lesson. It reminds our boys that they can persevere, contribute to others and rise to meet difficult circumstances.
Along the way, they will receive feedback from the environment around them. Sometimes that feedback may arrive at 10 o’clock at night, when the wind picks up and a hutchie that has not been pitched properly becomes a very effective teacher; sometimes it will come through the encouragement and accountability of their peers. In all its forms, feedback teaches an important truth: our choices matter, and we have the capacity to shape the people we become.
We know they will return having learnt more about themselves, their strengths and their responsibilities to others. We hope they return with a deeper understanding of two virtues central to our School Prayer: truth and righteousness. Truth in discovering what they are capable of achieving, both individually and together; righteousness in choosing to do what is right for those around them.
Across concerts, classrooms, rehearsal spaces, sporting fields, services and outdoor experiences, the work of education continues.
It is the work of forming young people of character.
Young people who pursue excellence with humility.
Who respond to others with kindness.
Who embrace opportunity with gratitude.
And who understand that their greatest achievements will always be measured not simply by what they accomplish, but by the kind of people they choose to become.
We congratulate Henry Dohnt (Year 3), Cody Korcek (Year 9), Anthony Masullo (Year 12) and Sebastian Masullo (HWD 2023) on their outstanding achievements in go-karting and wish them every success as they continue to represent themselves and the School exceptionally well at club, interstate and national levels.
Have a wonderful weekend.