At a recent Middle School Boys’ assembly I talked about a particular word that plays a big part in helping many people achieve success in their careers, their sport, their passions. It wasn’t ‘good looks’, it wasn’t IQ – it was ‘grit’. It was the ability of someone to persevere in order to achieve desired outcomes or goals, even against adversity. It was highlighted as being a skill that will be extremely valuable for their future and how it was important to develop this now at their age. Watch the full Ted Talk on Grit by Angela-Lee Duckworth.
At the same assembly, Mr Kenny (Head of Boys’ Junior School and Boys’ Education P – 12) spoke to our boys along the same lines. He talked about the American College Football team from TC Williams College, and how they overcame adversity to win the 1971 Virginia State football championships. His message of never giving up is such an important one for our boys to develop.
The last few weeks have seen our boys highly engaged in many activities across the school. From academic challenges and music concerts, to sporting competitions and poetry performances. It has certainly kept our boys very busy, along with their regular classwork and homework.
Our Year 7s have been competing very well in their first season of EISM Sport. Our two table tennis teams have lost only one game between them so far with our A team losing to Luther by only a couple of games. Our soccer team have very competitive against strong opposition, losing 1 – 0 in the first round, then 7 – 4 in a high scoring game 2. The skill level of our soccer team is very good and with a few more games together, they are showing the signs of becoming a very good team. Our basketball team is currently undefeated; winning against both Luther and Emmaus College. They are playing very well together and certainly enjoying the tough competition.
Our Year 7s recently celebrated 100 days in Year 7 and this included a number of fun activities organised by Mr O’Brien and the pastoral staff such as “minute to win it” activities and a BBQ lunch.
Poetry in Action was a performance held on Thursday 3 August for both the Year 7 & 8 boys and girls and introduced our students to the art of poetry. The performers used imagery, onomatopoeia and other techniques to engage and entertain our students, whilst also educating them on how to put an effective story together using poetry.
Our Year 8s are working through a unit on study skills with their pastoral mentors, helping to build up their ability to cope with increasing workloads and demands, especially as they head towards Year 9.
Four of our Year 8 Extension Mathematics students (Joshua Choong, Matthew Cobb, Oliver Huang and Marlin Ma) competed at the Year 8 Mathematics Games Day at Penleigh Essendon Grammar in Keilor on Wednesday 2 August and represented our school in a wonderful way.
In Year 9 our boys have been preparing for their Winter Camp (August 14th – 18th). They have been in and out of the pool practising flipping white water rafts and getting back into them, riding bikes around our mountain bike track near the farm and being briefed on the other activities they will be doing on the camp such as skiing, hiking and a commando course. In the next Aspectus you will see and read stories from their adventures on Winter Camp.
