Dear parents and guardians,

Welcome to Term 1 2021

Administration Day and Meet the Mentor sessions went well. Boys spent valuable time with their mentors discussing their reflections and we were delighted to include you in those sessions via zoom or in person. Our Year 7 boys enjoyed a full-day orientation program, including sport.

At our welcome assembly this morning our special guest was Brendan “Japangardi” Kerin. Brendan is a proud Aboriginal man whose cultural connections and tribes are the Arrernte in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory and the Barkindji, which covers the area from Lake Mungo all the way along the Murray River to Wilcannia.

Brendan performed a smoking ceremony and spoke to the boys about his life, as well as playing the yidaki for the boys. Please ask your son about his experience.

New staff

Along with welcoming new boys to the campus, I would like to welcome our new colleagues. They are a talented, eclectic and enthusiastic group of teachers and operational staff. Some of your sons will have met them for the first time today. Photographed above from left to right are:

Edwina Davison, Maths; Andrew Costantino, PRS; Anneke Blom, English; Britta Jensen, PRS & Prep Schools; Jack Armstrong, English & PRS; Katie Bowers, English & PRS; Saahil Parekh (ON 2015), English; Soma Sanyal, Geography; Annie Cao, Maths; Kate Munro, English/Librarian; Mia Airth, School Counsellor/ Psychologist; Katie Treacy, Business & Economics; Christiana Tyrimou, Finance Manager; Ross Xenos (ON 2004), Director of Community, Development & Partnerships; Mitchell Clark (ON2002), Corporate Services Manager; Tracey Case, Performing Arts Administrator; Aimee Isbister, Design & Technology; Santanu Das, Design & Technology; Amy Graetz, Science; and Adele Ohki, Head of Strings.

New staff not photographed:

Paul Eastway, Head of Drama and Felecia Chen, Science/E&E.

Homework and study

As many boys sit down tonight to study for the first time this year (Year 12s have been working hard over the summer) I ask you to review their study environment and consider the points below. You know your son and what is best for him, but please reach out to the College and your son’s mentor or Head of House if you would like to discuss any of these matters and how they relate to your son.

• Is it a quiet area where they can focus their effort?
• Where is their phone? It should not be on, or next to, their desk. Their laptop and phone should be charged outside their bedrooms overnight.
• Does your son listen to music while studying – and if so, what type of music? There is a big difference (with negative and positive impacts) depending on the genre.
• Have gaming consoles been put away? Perhaps they can appear again for a short time on the weekends.
• Do they have iMessage or another chat forum on their laptops? Is it a distraction? Are you comfortable occasionally having a look at it?
• We want the distinction between ‘homework’ and ‘study’ to be clear. Teachers will continue to emphasise the difference and explain various study techniques that can been employed across different subjects. When boys finish their set homework, they will have study – particularly the older students.
• Reading before bed is critically important. There should be no screens for at least 30 minutes before lights out to establish a good sleep pattern.
• The value of regular sleep patterns and exercise cannot be overstated.

Thank you for the way your boys have returned to the College. Headmaster and I spoke to them in assembly today about haircuts, shaving, deodorant, vaping, mobile phones and always wearing masks on public transport. Please ask your son to share this message with you.

Our first weekend of sporting fixtures for Years 8–12 is this weekend.  Please make yourselves familiar with the COVID requirements at the venues you will be attending.

Enjoy the weekend.