An exciting time ahead…
The beginning of Term 3 has not failed to uphold its reputation as one of the busiest times of the school year. This year, especially in the 175th year of the school, many unique and historical events have taken place. The next month has a diverse range of activities in-store, and every boy will find themselves involved in one or more of these exciting events.
Week 1 concluded with the grand opening of the Big Quad redevelopment, which saw many members of our community invited to attend from all around the world. It was truly humbling to meet some of the people who have generously donated their skills, time, and finances, to see this school continue to be an exceptional community of learning. The event also coincided with our 175th annual Founder’s Day Service, another monumental milestone that we feel very lucky to be a part of. It was also lovely to hear from Mr Joe Thrope, former Chair of the Council of Governors, in his final address to the school as Chairperson. His last lessons to the boys in this role were important for us all to hear, and we thank him for his service to our school and his tireless effort over the last 6 years in particular. As for the new precinct, it is a truly stunning facility, and we hope everyone can find an opportunity throughout the year to view it for themselves.
On Thursday night, in Week 2, we were honoured to be able to attend the 175th Anniversary School Captains and Vice-Captains Dinner. This event saw around 60 Captains and Vice Captains from over the years attend, with the oldest School Captain in attendance, Mr Douglas Stott, who was Captain in 1954. In addition to putting faces to names, it was lovely to see recent Captains, Sam Jackson (‘21), Rushan Khurram (‘21), Tim Prince (‘20), Oliver Cobain (‘20) and Seb Cardone (‘18). This was a humbling experience and allowed us to further connect with our wider community.
Leading on from this, we look forward to this weekend’s SPSC 175 Gala Ball. Our events team have worked exceptionally hard for many months to put on what we are sure will be a night to remember. For those of you who will be in attendance, please do not hesitate to chat with us during the night; we hope to see many of you there.
Our College’s annual Blue Week for men’s mental health continues again this year in Week 4 (15 to 19 August). All proceeds from this week go to Beyond Blue, an organisation of strong affiliation with our college, that provides a necessary platform for mental health support in Australia, and that offers coaching for a positive wellbeing approach to mental wellness. For the boys in the Junior Years, we are planning to work with the Year 6 student leaders to bake blue-iced cupcakes for distribution during the week, and the Senior boys can look forward to many events such as the beloved “Muffins with your Mentor”, Tuesday’s Senior School BBQ, Staff vs. Student Family Feud, Casual Clothes day, and Battle of the Bands. This week will raise awareness around the stigma around men’s mental health, and will importantly raise awareness around positive well-being practices that we can all engage with to protect our mental health.
We look forward to this eventful term as it is the final official term of our roles this year; again, thank you all for your continued support.
Have a look at the newest instalment of Saints Radio here.
Chirath Lekamge and Aidan Hughes
School Captains