25 June 2021
I am proud of the way students have embraced Semester 2 packed with learning and activity. It has been a busy semester across both the Junior and Senior schools and I thank students, staff and parents for making Term 2 such a great success.
We were fortunate to witness a Radiant and Riveting R U Ready performance from our Years 5 and 6 students across two concerts this week. In what was an exceptional display of talent, passion and professionalism, audiences were treated to an array of much-loved compositions featuring the letter ‘R’. Congratulations to our Junior School Music Coordinator, Mr Simon Varga and his talented team for delivering a stunning performance that so perfectly showcased our outstanding Junior School Music program.
This musical talent extends across our Senior School with Charlie Wells (Year 11) to be congratulated on being selected as a finalist to participate in the National Artology Fanfare competition. You can read about Charlie’s musical journey and listen to one of his Fanfare compositions here.
Last week I had the pleasure of welcoming Reception students to my study for story time on Pyjama Day. In what was a culmination of their learning across literacy, maths and science, the students and I enjoyed the book ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ before they returned to the Junior School to make bear masks, cook salt dough biscuits and hunt for bears around the School.
Our inaugural St Peter’s College Giving Day was a wonderful success. Thanks to the collective support of our community, record funds were raised to establish a 175-Year Anniversary Scholarship to provide talented and promising students, regardless of circumstance or background, the opportunity to access a SPSC education. It was inspiring to hear stories from members of our community about the life changing impact a SPSC scholarship had on their lives. We were fortunate to welcome The Hon Bruce Debelle AO, QC (SHT 1956) as a guest of our Senior School Muster. Justice Debelle shared with students how a scholarship provided him opportunities that would not otherwise have been attainable. He also shared some important teachings and challenges with students; to love your neighbour as yourself, which leads to a duty to serve others, to take the road less travelled and to dare to be different in the knowledge that the education received at SPSC will well equip them to take up this challenge.
In a similar vein I frequently challenge students to choose to be themselves. To be their own person, to be themselves… because everyone else is taken. It has been most pleasing to watch students develop over the course of the semester and to witness this developing sense of identity in increasingly younger boys.
My final challenge, and one that I issue to all students across the School, is to repair the reputation of the School by visiting the Barber before returning for Term 3. The next three weeks should be a hairdressers’ bliss!
Congratulations to the following boys who have been selected in the South Australian XV-a-side Rugby representative teams: Under 18 Tom Mocatta, Luke Sikalu, Tobey Ledger, Weston Rata and Harry Raff (squad), Under 16 Lachie Bell and Noah Robertson and Under 14 Jack Bell. Best of luck to the boys will participate in a national tour at Duntroon (ACT) in July.
Thank you for your support of the School in what has been an extremely busy Semester. I wish you and your family a restful break.
Tim Browning
Headmaster