Dean of Students | Mr Damien Cuddihy

Last Friday, we gathered as a College community to give thanks to a legacy born in Ireland more than 200 years ago that lives today, here and around the world. You would be aware it was the Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice and a celebration of the great work the Christian Brothers have done at Terrace. We were fortunate to have Br Barry Buckley, Br Tony White and Br Damien Price join our assembly in the Campbell Centre. 

Seeing Br Damien Price last week reminded me of the “Universal man” podcasts that he broadcasts each week. One particular podcast, named “Setbacks” found here, talks about the need to rebound from the challenges we experience in life. The podcast commences by referring to Roosevelt’s famous quote that “it’s not the critic who counts…credit belongs to the man in the arena…his place will never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat”. Boys face many setbacks daily, and it is important that they understand that first of all, it is normal and second, that they need to see it as an opportunity for their character to grow. The negative needs to transition into a positive. It can be difficult but very important that boys invest time in reflecting on why things happened in the first place, in order to find answers on how they might modify their character to thrive and grow as a person. 

Uniform

Thank you for your support with ensuring the boys' blazers were ready to go this week. We did a spot check today during PC group, and House Deans will be in contact if there are any issues with your son’s uniform. A particular focus of today’s check was the standard of the Akubras. We will ask that Akubras with holes are refurbished before they become too large and the hat needs to be replaced. 

Mother's Day Breakfast

Tomorrow we have the Year 10 Mother’s Day Breakfast at Waterford. It is always a great event and wonderful to see the boys talking with their mothers in small social groups throughout the foyer at Waterford. I wish all our mothers an enjoyable day on Sunday with your families. Year 7 families will be receiving some information soon about the upcoming Year 7 Mother and Son evening on 27 May (Week 6). I encourage as many of you as possible to find the time to attend as it is an excellent evening.