Message from the

Head of Senior School

Term 2 Week 1

Firstly, welcome back to Term 2! The warm autumn weather continues despite our desperate need for rain. I wish those of you battling drought, hand-feeding animals, moving stock and downsizing herds all the very best. It is a worrying time for all of you and I understand how you and your children are affected by these conditions.

Term 1 finished with a week of camps and other activities. I was at Cadet Camp myself, cooking up a storm with spaghetti bolognese at base camp each night! It is such a wonderful opportunity to see students in another environment and to appreciate their resilience and good humour in what can be challenging conditions. It is also heart-warming to see good leadership being shown by older rank as they support and encourage their younger ‘troops’. Year 7 camp, work experience, volunteer service programs and the Year 12 Retreat were also a big success, as was the music camp which preceded the final camps week program. A huge thank-you to all the staff who gave of their time so generously to make these events happen.

Anzac Day was well marked by the school here in Orange. Thank you to those cadets and other students who represented us all in such a dignified way. I know many students also attended the march in their home communities.

An incident during the final night at cadet camp has caused me to speak with several parents and to reflect on what it means to be in a situation where direct staff supervision is ‘looser’ than it is while here at the school campus. This less structured environment usually brings out the best in young people – they show resilience, determination and an ability to face challenges with good humour and comradeship. Occasionally, however, it can lead to behaviour that is immature at best and very unkind, even harassing, at worst. It disappoints me to say that this seems to affect boys more than girls so I’d like to make a special call to the dads out there. Please think carefully before you brag about the pranks you used to play on others in your own glory days at school, especially if you went to a boys’ boarding school. Firstly, you put potentially dangerous ideas into your sons’ heads. Secondly, what seemed funny to you at the time was, with the benefit of hindsight, not a very good idea and had the potential to go horribly wrong. Thirdly, the world has changed. What is deemed acceptable behaviour sits at a much higher bar than twenty years ago: other parents, the school and potentially the courts, have much stricter views on what constitutes harassment or assault. I appeal to your good sense and influence on your boys, and ask you to help us develop them into fine young men. ‘Boys will be boys’ has no place as justification for boorish behaviour, especially once students are in the senior school.

Finally, if you are a family with a surplus of Lego that your children no longer play with, could you please consider passing it on to Year 3 in the Preparatory School. Mr Ryan and Mrs Seedsman are doing a STEM Built Environment unit of work this term and would be grateful for any donations of Lego.

 I wish you all a great week.

Bev West

Head of Senior School