Assistant Principal (Secondary)
Aitken College
My Bluetooth wont connect - have you tried turning it off, then on again?!
Recently I can across a historical figure that has a modern day honour: King Harald of Denmark.
King Harald ruled in Denmark from 958 to 986 AD. During his reign, he was credited with investing and building civic infrastructure (bridges, economic trade, schools and military). He was also one of the early Scandinavian converts to Christianity. It was through this Christian moral lens that King Harald saw his kingdom, seeing opportunities for societal improvements, including justice for the poor and peace. King Harald was credited for bringing together Norway and Denmark, who had previously been inhospitable to one another (the worst of enemies). Through his rule, he intended to bring about a safe community with social connections for all. Interestingly, he was often called by a nickname, one that made fun of his physical appearance. King Harald had a dead tooth that was clearly visible and was a blue/black colour. To his peers, he was called ‘bluetooth’.
In 1999 when a Danish company was patenting their latest tech device, they wanted to honour someone who set up a safe community. They choose the name ‘bluetooth’ in honour of King Harald. They used the ancient Nordic symbols for H (Harald) and B (Bluetooth) and merged them, as can be seen below. It’s often interesting to understand the narrative behind names.
At Aitken College, we are still very young in terms of a school’s age. We, too, were established in 1999 and have built a similar culture of acceptance and a safe community that strives to bring about the best opportunities for all students to achieve their best. As a school we are still very much creating our story. I personally have been at the college for a little over six months now and feel honoured to have been accepted into this school. I’m excited for what the future holds for our school as I believe there are huge opportunities coming. I am still to meet and chat with a number of families; please feel free to say "hi" when you see me or book in a time for a more formal chat.
Mr Chris Graham
Assistant Principal (Secondary)