Acting Deputy Principal 

Student Leadership

I would like to commend the many young men who have put their hand up for leadership positions in 2022. The quality of applications and interviews has been pleasing to see, especially how our students see themselves contributing to our community.  

At the heart of our welfare structure is the relationships our young men have with their pastoral care teacher and through reading their recommendations of support, it shows the strong relationships which exist. I wish to congratulate all those who have taken the time and had the courage to apply for our various positions and wish them well in their leadership journey.

Assembly Message

At our assembly on Friday November 5 last week we had a particular focus around leadership, going against the bystander mentality and looking out for those around us from the learnings with the SPEAKUP! Stay ChatTY programme.

In what was the last official Prefect’s assembly, our Prefects were asked to lead the way in regards to their understanding of leadership and how we can all break the cycle of being a bystander. I outlined to students that Leadership to me is simply doing the right thing, however, sometimes this requires us to go the extra mile and is often not the easy option. Some argue that the true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching, which I can understand. However, as young men, I think the true test of your character is when everyone is watching - how you respond in the group, putting a mask on and trying to impress those around then. This led to our discussion around the bystander effect, with our Prefects discussing how we need to stand up and speak out when we know we are not living up to our values and what we stand for.

I would like to make special note of our College Captain, Caerwyn James with a short snippet from his address to our student body, “The act of leadership is not restricted to anyone, is not a genetic trait, and is something that is inside all of us. We know what positive leadership looks like; it is not something one must study to understand, but rather something that can be immediately noticed by its influence and impact. My challenge to you, boys, is to be the leader you strive to follow. It may be hard to challenge the beliefs of others around you, and separate yourself from a mob mentality, but by having a willingness to be a change, you already possess the qualities of positive leadership.”

Year 10s

Next week we begin exam week with our Year 10 group. We have collectively spent ample time on what preparation, what study looks like and how to set ourselves up for success. Students will complete one exam each day followed by an early finish to support further independent study. I would like to reiterate the College’s expectation that we expect all Year 10s to go directly home which we have facilitated through an additional bus service. The remaining days leading up to exams will provide extensive insight into what subject specific exam requirements will be. So please communicate with your teachers to best support this process.