Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Families and Friends,

Our Round Square captains, Lilly Bloomer and Naomi VanDenBerghe, organised an entertaining assembly last week that showcased the six pillars of our College – Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service.

It’s wonderful to have the international exchange program running again and we welcomed two students from Gordonstoun School in Scotland, Jack and Daniella. Gordonstoun was founded by Kurt Hahn and is the birthplace of the Round Square International organisation and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. The theory “Plus Est En Vous – There Is More In You” was developed by Hahn and his belief that the role of a school is not only to prepare students for exams, but also to prepare students for life. He believed broader experiences led to broader minds and both Prince Philip and King Charles attended Gordonstoun.

St Philip’s very much endorses this belief and offers a range of educational and extra-curricular activities to give our students the opportunity to grow and develop into global citizens. Some of our outdoor expeditions are very challenging which is vital to helping students develop resilience and improve their ability to work collaboratively. We also offer a comprehensive performing arts program, sporting academies in Basketball, Volleyball and Mountain Biking, and a variety of different activities to suit a range of interests. It’s important for students to engage in new and different activities, as it not only improves their skill level, it also widens their friendship circle. Please encourage your child/children to be well-rounded individuals with a wealth of interests and experiences.

Next week is going to be HUGE. On Friday, the students will be participating in the Performing Arts Festival. We will also be running our biggest fundraising event ever, Giving Day, where we are aiming to raise $200,000 for the building of our new Discovery Centre. 

The Performing Arts Festival is a highlight for many students and each house has the opportunity to perform on stage for 20 minutes.  There’s singing, dancing, instrumental performances and some of the funniest drama you will ever see. We will be live streaming this event for the first time ever. 

As the festival is underway, volunteers will be ringing alumni, parents and potential donors to donate towards the new multi-function space for our middle school students. We are so lucky to have very generous supporters who are matching donations dollar for dollar - so if you donate $100, it automatically becomes a $200 donation. 

We also have VET activities, Year 7 immunisations, and Outdoor Education information sessions on the Year 7 Discovery, Year 8 Adventure, Year 9 Endeavour and Year 11 Aspire camps. Please check Schoolbox for the relevant details.

Finally, just a reminder about COVID: if your child is feeling unwell or showing any cold or flu symptoms, please keep them at home. If they test positive for COVID, please report this to https://health.nt.gov.au/covid-19/testing/register-positive-test. As soon as they are symptom free, they are allowed to return to school – a negative COVID test is NOT required. Let’s continue to do what we can to contain this illness and look after the more vulnerable members of our community.

I leave you with my thought for the week – “To be kind is more important that to be right. Many times what people need is not a brilliant mind that speaks but a special heart that listens.” Let’s be good listeners this week!

~ Leslie Tilbrook

  Acting Principal