Principal's Report

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.”

― Mark Twain

In my mind, the biggest challenge our young people face today is whether they have the courage to do the right thing, at the right time, in the face of enormous social pressure to do otherwise.  ‘Character’, a great mentor once told me, is ‘doing the right thing when no one else is looking’.  Our children know what is right but it takes courage to follow through.  The good news is that courage can be contagious and when a student stands up for what is right, they often give permission to others to do the same.

At last week’s Year 12 Retreat, I emphasised a similar theme to the Class of 2019.  I suggested it takes real courage to be a person of integrity and compassion.  It takes real courage to be honest with oneself and be accountable for our own actions.

However the responsibility to demonstrate courage applies not only to our youth.  Staff, parents and Old Collegians alike must be prepared to participate in courageous conversations and, just as importantly, take courageous action that will enhance the learning and life experiences for all our students.

Finally, I wish all our Chinese international students a Happy New Year ( 新年快乐).  Family is at the heart of all we do at College and this week we stop to think of those boarders who are far away from their homes and loved ones at this important time.

Andrew Hirst