As we reach the end of a busy term, I have been reflecting on the many ways our boys have grown in confidence and contributed to the lives of others.
There have been many such moments in the past fortnight. Our Senior School Athletics Carnival and Years 3 to 6 Sports Day brought boys together in effort and encouragement. Our Years 3 to 6 House Singing competition filled the Junior School with song, while 120 boys performed with confidence and joy in the Years 1 and 2 concert. And our Year 3 boys headed to Finniss for camp, taking another step in an outdoor education journey that will eventually lead to the Flinders Ranges.
I was also delighted to see our Year 6 boys bring their ideas to life on Mission Day. After a term spent developing business ideas, pitching them and considering budgets and sustainability, they ran 37 stalls and raised over $7,000 for AnglicareSA programs. Their achievement shows what young people can do when they put their creativity to work for others.
That willingness to try was echoed by our Rex J Lipman Fellow, Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph. Speaking with our boys and to more than 800 people at the free public lecture, Marc encouraged us to test ideas, learn quickly when something does not work and keep going. His energy and optimism were infectious.
If you have passed the Art, Drama and Technology precinct recently, you will have seen Jasmine Crisp’s striking new mural, Keys to the Kingdom. At its heart is an image from one of the Chapel’s stained-glass windows, tucked away where few of us normally see it. The window shows the disciples in a boat in troubled waters, with Jesus approaching them and saying, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter, our School’s namesake, is in that boat. I have encouraged students to seek out the window in the Chapel sanctuary, look closely at the mural and consider what Peter’s story might mean in their own lives. Ms Crisp has woven symbols and details from across the School into the artwork. My hope is that boys will keep finding new connections each time they pass it. I thank Ms Crisp for creating a work that invites us to look more closely at the place we share and the history and values that shape it.
During Blue Week, we welcomed back former School Captain, state cricketer and former Redbacks captain Nathan Adcock (HWD 1995). Nathan spoke with great honesty about his experience of mental health and reminded our boys that they need not carry their worries alone. He asked them to think, too, about the friend they can be to someone else. Would their friends feel able to lean on them? Nathan gave us a powerful example of what it means to be strong and lovely: to have the courage to speak openly and the care to listen when someone else does. School Captain Archie Braithwaite reflects beautifully on Nathan’s visit in his Blue Week article, which I encourage you to read.
At Sunday’s High Tea, we relaunched St Peter’s College Mission, bringing our charitable activities together under one shared identity. It gives clearer expression to a spirit of service that has long been part of this School. We see it in the generosity of those who support those in need beyond our walls and fields, and in the gifts of time and resources that enrich the experience of our students within them.
That same spirit was evident at the blessing of our new Junior School playground. Students, families and the Junior School Friends of Saints helped bring this project to life through their fundraising, including the remarkable effort of collecting 10,000 cans. I thank every person who contributed. So much of what we enjoy at St Peter’s College was made possible by those who came before us. It is a joy to see today’s community continuing that tradition for the boys who follow.
On Monday, the Archbishop Dr Bradly Billings joined us for a service of Confirmation and Admission to Holy Communion. I congratulate the boys who made that commitment and thank their families for sharing in this meaningful occasion.
One of the highlights of this term has been seeing our community come together through the work of our volunteer groups. From Sports Days and concerts to the High Tea and countless other occasions, parents, families and friends have given their time to create opportunities for connection. My thanks to the Junior and Senior School Friends of Saints, Friends of Music, those involved in St Peter’s College Mission and all our volunteers. Your generosity helps make this School a place where people feel they belong.
As the holidays begin, I ask our boys to thank their families and teachers for all they have given this term. To our Year 12 students preparing for their final weeks at School, keep giving your best. I wish all our families a restful break and look forward to welcoming you back for Term 4.
Pro Deo et Patria.
Tim Browning
Headmaster