The final week of the term has arrived and it sees our Year 7 boys currently out on camp at a place called Merricks. The camp is a great way for them to end their first term of Secondary School and has them doing activities such as tree climbing (19 metres high), bike riding, stand-up paddle boarding, snorkelling around Pope’s Eye and with the seals, hiking and camping out overnight (and cooking their meals on a trangia – portable stove). I look forward to hearing how it is all going from the boys when I join them on Thursday afternoon.
Back at school our Year 8 and 9 boys have been continuing on with their classwork. With the end of term approaching a number of assessment pieces are now due and the boys are having to show good organisation and commitment to ensure they are keeping up with deadlines. The parent teacher interviews have begun and are providing not just the parents with an update to the progress of their son, but also an opportunity for the boys to self-assess how they are going and look at setting some personal goals for Term 2 based on their progress in Term 1.
At our recent school assembly we were fortunate to have a guest presenter by the name of Jason Ball talk to our Year 7 – 12 boys and girls. Jason is a pioneering advocate for LGBTI and mental health, who in 2012 became the first male Aussie Rules footballer at any level to publicly come out as being gay in the national media. He used the platform to launch a campaign to challenge homophobia in sport and drive cultural change within the AFL. He spoke to the students about the challenges he faced personally when at school, the differences he felt when he was honest, the difficulty telling his parents and finally about supporting each other regardless of our beliefs. It was a really powerful presentation.
Our Year 8 and 9 Summer Season of sport has come to a close with none of our teams managing to make the grand finals (although some very close) this time around. Next term our Winter season trials begin. Last week the boys had a House 5 on 5 Soccer competition at Knox Regional Sports Park. It was a fun and competitive day with Sumner Stewart House coming out eventual winners. Our Year 7s had their House Basketball competition last week at ‘Rings’ stadium on Canterbury Road. This was a fantastic event showcasing some really talented basketballers that we have in Year 7. In the end it was Gordon Grant House running out winners on the day.
On Friday a number of our students and staff took part in the World’s Greatest Shave at lunchtime to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation. This was held during the equestrian demonstration on the oval at lunch time which is another wonderful spectacle for our students to see the amazing talents of our students.
It was great to meet/catch up with a large number of parents at our recent Middle School Parents’ Drinks with the Principal event, as well as during parent teacher interviews. The connection between the school and your family needs to be very strong for the sake of all parties, especially your son’s, and these events are a great opportunity to help foster these relationships.
A quick reminder that our School Fair is fast approaching (Saturday 22 April) and this is always a wonderful event for all ages. Please check out the Fair Facebook page for more details.
I would like to wish everyone a very happy and safe upcoming holiday and Easter period. Please enjoy time with family and friends when you can, and I look forward to seeing all the boys returning safely to school for Term 2.
