Deputy Principal

During the holidays I was fortunate enough to spend two days in the Hunter Valley with my family for my mother’s 80th birthday. It reminded me of how important family is as I got to witness my mother’s genuine delight as she was surrounded by my dad, her two sons and our wives, and her seven grandchildren. A highlight was seeing my mum in the spa with all her grandchildren. A special achievement for an 80-year-old. I have been blessed with an amazing family and I certainly do not take it for granted. We need to cherish these special times with our families and be invested in these special occasions.

Last Saturday, I witnessed another very special occasion. The First XV game against Trinity Grammar School was an amazing community event. This is where I got to see my SPC family at its finest. To have the whole Junior School supporting the First and Second XV was something that I will never forget. The First XV were simply exceptional in the way they played. I am sure they were lifted by the war cries of their younger brothers. When they were down to 13 players, their defence on their line just in front of Years 5 and 6 was the best defensive effort I have seen by a schoolboy team in my 30 years of being involved in schools. 

A lasting memory for me will always be watching the students sing the College anthem. I was standing very close to the students and to see one of our senior students in particular who played in the team in tears as he was overtaken by the emotion from what it means to him to be a part of this family and the support he received from his younger brothers, is something that I will never forget.

Families come in different shapes and sizes. Sometimes our families can frustrate us, however, we need to remember how special our families are to us, and we should never take them for granted.

On that note, I wish all the mothers in our SPC family a Happy Mother’s Day for this weekend.

Adrian Byrne

Deputy Principal