A very big welcome back to all and I must admit there was a palpable feeling of excitement when the boys returned after their Term 3 holidays; maybe it was just their refreshed outlook after a holiday, or potentially that there were some warmer days with a bit of sunshine, or even that they were entering the last term, either way it was great to see them all and to hear about any adventures that they went on during their two weeks.
Although I’m a massive sports fan, I know that many boys are not and try not to overemphasise sporting achievements, sportsmen or women, etc. unless it is worthwhile and can be used to highlight something valuable. Over the holidays we saw a number of events that I believe are worth sharing with our boys as a way of helping them to understand and learn some key values. Firstly, was the fact that the Western Bulldogs managed to win the AFL premiership after waiting 62 years since their last. It was an amazing result considering they finished 7th on the ladder but highlight to the boys that persistence, determination and belief are huge factors and so important to have in whatever journey of life we are on. Secondly was the act by Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge who handed his Coach’s medal to Robert Murphy, the almost 300 game Bulldog captain who is out injured and missed the premiership. This demonstrated an amazing amount of compassion, respect and integrity on behalf of Beveridge.
Other key things that our boys can learn from our sports men and women are:
- Hard work pays off: Talent is great, be it on the sports field or in the classroom, but what really sets the ‘stars’ apart is hard work, consistency and practice.
- Accountability: Understanding their own role in the greater community. An old saying is that a good team is greater than the sum of its parts. Meaning that no matter how good the individual players are, a team of average players that works together well will outperform a team of individual champions. As an individual, understanding this and being accountable to this is so important.
- Learning from mistakes (failure): AFL footballers are under greater scrutiny now than ever with the explosion of the internet, statistics, video replays, etc. What this does provide them with is a fantastic opportunity to learn however, from their mistakes. If they are coached (guided) right then they can turn any mistake into a great learning opportunity and this can also be said of school. It is so important that boys understand that failing (not achieving a desired outcome) is ok! That this is how we best learn and improve. It is crucial that they develop the attitude to wanting to succeed and being able to take on constructive feedback when offered.
Celebration Evening
On Monday 10th we had our annual Celebration Evening at Robert Blackwood Hall at Monash University. It was a wonderful evening that highlighted many of the achievements and successes of our students throughout the year. In particular we were able to show our appreciation and best wishes to our Year 12 students who are about to embark on their exam period.
Sport
It was fantastic to see the effort of our boys in sport during the first two weeks of term. The results were fantastic with many of our teams having victories against traditionally strong schools. Year 8/9 indoor soccer won 3 nil, touch rugby 13 – 1 and indoor cricket 188 to -45 (negative 45). With our Year 7s our A volleyball team had a straight sets win whilst our indoor cricket team had a massive win 157 – 18. A really pleasing fortnight of scores. For more information please head to our Sport page on the Portal.
Maths Talent Quest success
It was fantastic for our school to recently have two students entered into the National Maths Talent Quest for 2016 after being adjudged best in Victoria in their respective categories. These students were Ashleigh Dowling (Year 8 girl) and Eddie Yu (Year 9 boy). Ashleigh was recognised with a participation award at the National level whilst Eddie was recognised with a Highly Commended for his project on Mathematical Thinking and it’s Limits. A wonderful result and highlight of the very strong ability of some of our students.
Indigenous Trek
