From Assistant Principal Pastoral Care
.... Something that you do to shirts ..
Busy time of year. Over the last few weeks, for example, we have had the Year 10 Sydney trip, the Stand Tall event and our Year 12 Graduation. No complaints here, good news followed by good news. I am very confident that we have great staff and great kids and never expected anything less. Nevertheless, some of the subtle eternal ironies are not lost on me and reflect aspects of growing and learning and teaching.
The Year 12 Graduation was a really enjoyable evening (and let me thank again Mrs Gough as driving force behind its organization). And you always wish you had more awards.
Irony 1 – When this group was in Year 8, they were very challenging as a whole. But they finished so well, happy and united. Parents keep at it, school keeps at it, they mature. Or at least someone has done something right.
Irony 2 – Who were the first and last young people to have a chat with staff? You know it; the kids who you would tag as having been in the most conflict with school expectations over the years. Call this what you will – burying the hatchet or more likely the maturity of realizing that the expectations were always for their, and wider good.
Irony 3 – Is the most obvious one. Kids who never shaved / polished their shoes / wore too much jewelry / skirts too short / ties never on / blazers in the wash / the dog ate my shoes / thought it was PE day…were immaculate and immaculate in understated classic style.
The Year 10 Sydney trip (and Year 9 shortly) is attributable to the efforts of Mrs Hibbert and her great team, most prominently Mrs Rawlins-Cook and Mrs Heffernan.
Irony – Reports of unqualified wonderful co-operation, conduct, responsibility. Good news; but something that is not always in evidence in every class and the playground. Says something about the maturity to appreciate context and the power of non-classroom learning. As you would expect and demand, immaculate in the Holocaust Museum and the Mosque. I hope the transfer is made to how they universally speak to each other. It will (eventually, mostly).
PS A camp story which amuses me – when parents drop off their first child the first time at 6:00am, both parents shed a tear and wait for the busses to leave. Second child – one parent drops them off. Third child – comes with someone else. Fourth child walks (with pack).
Stand Tall was a wonderful event. Every credit to the organisers and the driving forces behind it such as Angela Farr-Jones. Big NSW gov. money. Incredible logistics for them and a bit to do for us. Wonderful speakers (have a Google) and engaging music (in a doof doof sort of way). Kids tremendous, supervising staff tremendous.
Irony – Year 8 and 9 (boys usually) with concentration spans varying from five seconds to five minutes (I blame technology remember), sit entranced for five fours, bladders and thirst magically not at issue. Now, AGAIN, it’s about transfer. For example two of the speakers spoke about their great good works post being diagnosed with prospective terminal illness. Gives some perspective to our own “problems” I hope. You control stuff rather than let stuff control you, cannot be heard often enough. Also true was the rider “start today.”
Never a dull moment.
(Is irony something you do with shirts or what? Is my signature opening to any lesson on language. Usually followed by I’m here/hear all week on the blackboard/whiteboard and They’re / their / there; little lunch is only 40 mins away). The closest to immortality I’ll ever get.
