Dean of Students | Mr Damien Fall

This has been our last full week of classes before we move into exams, commencing on Wednesday next week.  This means we are well and truly at the business end of the term and the application and work ethic of all of our students should reflect a determination to perform to their capacity.  This fits with our call for each student to ‘be the best I can be’.  Holidays are approaching, but now is the time for hard work; holidays are best enjoyed when we know we have earned them.  I wish all of our young men the very best in the lead up to exams.

I am a huge fan of State of Origin football, so I very much enjoy this time of year and all of the excitement that surrounds the three games.  It is fascinating to watch the enthusiasm of the fans as they support their team in an almost tribal fashion.  The passion of the fans is a reminder to me of the fine line between being enthusiastic and being inappropriate.  I am sure most of us have sat at sporting fixtures and been annoyed or offended by the behaviour of someone nearby and wishing they would stop.  In these moments, the person in question is usually far more focused on seeking attention for themselves than on actually supporting their team.  

Unfortunately, human nature means that sometimes we can get carried away by the moment and behave in a  fashion that is different from how we would normally act.  No humans are better at getting carried away at times than adolescent boys.  One of our roles as a school is to support parents in teaching our young men about not crossing the line by behaving in a manner that is inappropriate.  This could be in the classroom, schoolyard, on the field, or when supporting.  I always say that our students are great, but not perfect, and that they will lower their standards if we allow them to do so.  As we approach the end of term, it can be tempting for students to lower their standards or to move into holiday mode before the hard work is over.  They regularly hear our words of encouragement about finishing as strongly as possible.