06 April 2018
Thank you for your support of both the wider School and your son in what has been a very busy and intense start to 2018. I want to draw attention this week to the many achievements, activities and events that have taken place recently, but first, let me highlight the many interactions that go unnamed in our School yet underpin the very culture we are seeking to amplify. When I commenced this year I spoke to the students about gentle strength, sensitivity, kindness and love. These words have historically been difficult to express in gatherings of boys and young men in our community yet they are the key attributes of the modern man. The ability to connect with one’s peers and see the world through the eyes of our neighbour are the skills required to lead and build community. Each day I am reassured by the small hidden interactions of boys throughout the School that demonstrate these qualities. These boys seek no accolades, they do not draw attention to themselves, they forever meet the expectations of staff and the School and go one step further in supporting their peers. These boys just get things done and display eternal care to others. This quiet persistence and pride in the underpinning values of Saints deserves greater attention. May I encourage you to name these actions as they occur. Our boys need to know we value such demonstrations above all others.
Sadly our community has suffered another loss with the passing of another parent. Thank you for your support of those members of our community who are struggling. Please do get in touch if you feel we might be able to provide further support to any individual. The messages of Holy Week and the celebration of the resurrection in Easter Sunday remind us of the promises made to us through our faith.
I greatly enjoyed the drama of the Junior School Easter service and the participation of many students. Is there an activity more effervescent than the exuberance displayed by our Junior School boys singing Lord of the Dance? The recent Senior School Muster focusing on the Arts highlighted the wide range of expression our boys engage through Music, Visual Arts and Drama. It was terrific to see these creative pursuits highlighted with such emphasis.
Last week saw Professor John Hattie visit as the 48th Rex J Lipman Fellow. John is a world-leading educational researcher who continues to have significant influence in teaching practice. His research challenges the status quo and reminds us of the need to forever seek to understand the impact of our teaching. He stressed that our quest should always be focused on growth, not achievement. It was terrific to see so many educators from across Adelaide attend the evening public lecture.
Please spare a thought for the families of our Year 7 students as they prepare for their week of outdoor education. Although it will be hard for many to imagine what the benefits might be, we all know they are capable of mastering the challenges ahead. Just expect all those spare clean clothes to come back neatly folded and of course … clean.
Finally, to round off Term 1 there are quite a few individual students that I would like to congratulate and acknowledge. Despite a torn calf muscle, Jonathan Harris in Year 7 won both the Under 13 1,500m and the 800m at the Australian Junior Track and Field Championships in Sydney. Jonathon has been chosen for the national team and will compete on the Gold Coast at the end of April. Josh White, Year 8 also competed in Sydney in the Under 13s and won the long jump and triple jump and came third in the 200m hurdles. Angus Ritossa in Year 11 achieved a perfect score in the Australian Informatics Invitation Olympiad. Angus has been invited to attend the Australian Informatics Invitation Olympiad Committee Selection School at Macquarie University later in the year. In the Junior School, we came first and third in the Mind Lab competition. The following students came first and will represent Australia in Turkey: Sze-Siong Koh-Buckland, David Taylor, Michael Lazarevich and Tim Silcock. Congratulations to the following students who came third: Emmanuel Lee, Zimu Fan, Hamish Porter and Haydn Kamencak. Finally, congratulations to Chisomo Banzi, Year 12, who has been awarded the Schubert Scholarship.
I hope you all have a restful break and I look forward to seeing you in Term 2.
Tim Browning, Headmaster