From the Principal

This has been a big week.

Commissioning services, Junior School Athletics Carnival, Careers Expo, Year 8 Exploration Day at Bungawarra, our Drama students performing at The Joan and so many other things that make our school such a rich experience for all of us. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so much this week. I am humbled and thankful to the team who made such an effort to welcome so many into the school on Wednesday for my commissioning service. Many visitors made comments to me about how beautiful our environment is, and I also acknowledged that our young people are the heart of that environment. Our students clearly understand what it is to have a sense of occasion. I was so proud of their behaviour, the way they wore their uniforms and the manner in which they made our guests feel welcome. Thank you to everyone. 

I have been asked by a number of people for a copy of my speech, and so, below is the complete transcript for those who are interested. It is heartfelt – and I am grateful for the good spirit that our community has generated. 

Commissioning Speech – Steven Coote 

Bishop Koo, friends, distinguished guests, faculty, and students of Blue Mountains Grammar School thank you for causing such a commotion to commission me into the role of Principal at our School. 

I am honoured to be on the ancestral lands of the the Dharug and Gundungurra people. I acknowledge these First Nations people as the traditional custodians of this place, whose cultures are among the oldest living cultures in human history. I pay respect to the Elders of these communities and extend my recognition to their descendants present here today. And like Mrs Smith, acknowledge the future leaders of these people.

I have been humbled by the well wishes and congratulations of many of you here, including our students not only on my appointment, but also on today’s commissioning. 

And I have enjoyed the banter - most of us here have joked about this being a coronation instead of a commissioning, and I have even heard some students referring to today as the Coote-a-nation. And of course this is all in time with the recent coronation of King Charles III who appears to have gotten the jump on this event.  And among all of the good humour, I do take the intention and symbolic nature of this commissioning seriously. 

And there are some differences between myself and the King, in case you didn’t notice. Essentially coronation is a birth rite. King Charles was born into it. He has been prepared for it his whole life. A coronation is a sacred and revered ceremony, marking the ascension of a monarch to the throne, often symbolising the continuity and strength of a nation.

And that is different to commissioning. 

Being appointed and commissioned as a Principal is in no way a birth rite. I am not naive or proud enough to believe that no one else could do this job - there is no doubt there would be many other highly capable candidates. I am humbled that the Board trusted me with this opportunity. For those of faith, it is a calling. For the who do not choose faith, it is a vocation. Whether you know it as a calling or vocation, schools allow us to be active participants, co-creators of a world imbued with purpose, compassion, beauty and influence.

Being commissioned into this role at BMGS, represents an opportunity to use the gifts God has given to me, to lead our community in a convergence of the past, present, and future and build a bridge between the heritage of our school and the future aspirations of our people. I am fully aware that stepping into this role can be a moment of profound significance, where I assume the weight of our school’s history and the schools present and future. 

I understand that by the nature of the role. I am seen to be the custodian of our School, entrusted with the welfare and well-being of this community. I take that responsibility to you all seriously. I take even more seriously the lesson that Jesus gives his disciples in Matthew 20:25-28, where we read “Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

So I hope to serve this community humbly but decisively. I want to assure you I will get some things wrong occasionally, but most of the time I believe I will get it right. I may sometimes to offend you, but do hope that the intent of my heart endeavours you. And of course the Swans may occasionally beat your team. But my motivation will always be driven by seeking to bro g glory to God by creating the best learning community we can. That will never change because our young people deserve that from us.

And of course, we don’t live in a continuous present. At this point that we should pause to peruse the faces of the man and women whose photographs are found in the many frames and books around our school, and whose names are on Honour Boards which, after 105 years, are almost too many to hang on our walls - for they deserve our attention and respect. They deserve our respect as path finders, pioneers, innovators and educators all, they steered the School through the giddy, uncertain and good times in which they lived. We each now have the responsibility to honour their hope for our school and do our bit for its future.

The book of Deuteronomy reminds us that their legacy allows us to sit by fires we did not build, drink from wells we did not dig and we sit in the shade of trees we did not plant.  

I stand here today as a proud principal, commissioned to guide our bright minds into a future filled with endless possibilities. And let me assure you, the future is looking incredibly promising, particularly if we approach it with a touch of humour, a lot of hope, and the guidance of cutting-edge research.

As we embrace this exciting future, let us not forget the values that have made our Mountains Grammar School such a special place. Kindness, compassion, and empathy will always be in fashion. And in a world where algorithms decide what we see, who we interact with, and even what we should wear, it is these human qualities that will set us apart.

And now, if you would excuse me adults, I would like to address the children and the men and women who make up our student body here at Blue Mountains Grammar School. The purpose of this community is in the most part is about you. As we gather here in the sports centre, I would like you to reflect on the privilege you hold in your hands — the privilege of education. Each one of you, as a member of this community, is blessed with opportunities that too many can only imagine.  

However, as we stand here, in the comfort of our learning environment and this community, it is important that we do not forget those whose path to education is marred by obstacles and limitations. There are countless individuals across the world, young women in particular, who would do anything for the chance to embrace the transformative power of a Blue Mountains Grammar School education - still, in the 21st century, they are denied this privilege because of circumstances beyond their control.

You are not!

You have heard me say it before and I will say it over and over again - I believe we show respect to those who struggle for any sort of privilege by by taking advantage of the inherent privilege we possess to do good. Let me encourage you to harness this privilege not just for our own personal gain but also to uplift those who do not have what you have either locally or globally. 

You know a third of the world's poorest girls between 10 and 18 have never attended school. Honour those girls by taking the opportunities you have at our school. 

Also, the literacy rates among transgender students are 25% lower than non transgender students - honour those students by taking the opportunities you have at our school. 

Globally, 132 million boys are out of school. Poverty and the need to work are among the most important drivers of why boys dropout. Honour those boys by taking the opportunities you have at our school. 

Indigenous school-aged children are almost 2.5 times more likely to be developmentally vulnerable or at risk, compared to non- indigenous children. Honour these students by taking the opportunities you have at our school.

Men and women of Blue Mountains Grammar School - together we are still determining what the future will look like - it is already less structured, sequential, and predictable than ever before. 

Remember, our future is not an abstract concept; it is a reality waiting to be shaped by our choices, our actions, and the transformative power of the education you will get here at Blue Mountains Grammar School. 

As Principal, that is what I will get out bed for every day for. To build an exceptional team of educators who will create the environment for you to learn deeply and learn well. 

As a team here the staff want to create an environment where individually and collectively we value 

Getting Better

Growing Something Growing Someone 

Taking this place personally

Investing AND Stepping Forward

As long as I am Principal we will do that for you - and your part of the deal - jump in! It might not be easy, it will require effort, it will require sacrifice, and it will require grit - but that is exactly what Per Ardour Ad Altiora means - Through Effort to Higher Achievement. We have definitely got this. 

When the coronation of of King Charles was shown on TV, around 800 million people tuned in to watch - about half as many as the who tuned in to the Football World Cup. But the life for the King beyond the coronation will be pretty much the same. He was born into a system, a model, a life. And it is likely he will do that until he passes away and we experience the next coronation. 

It is my hope that after this commissioning that we, together, each one taking our place, that we will grow the story of Blue Mountains Grammar School, carving new models of learning, realising something that is uniquely better and stepping bravely towards the next, new look, 105 years in our story. 

Per Ardua Ad Alitora

Thank you all. 

Mr Steven Coote 

Principal