From the Headmaster
As we welcome all back to the final term it is important to remind our boys that the next eight weeks is the last opportunity for them to make this year as good as it can be. As we come down the final straight each boy has the responsibility to give of his very best in the academic and other areas of school life. Term Four is not a time to glide contentedly towards the summer holidays; rather it is a time to finish the academic year with a sense of satisfaction and reward.
People with a thinking heart
There is one party of philosophers who say we are born with some of our ideas ready-made - wired-in, as it were. There is another who say we ourselves do all the work from scratch. It does not matter which of these parties are right. What matters is the kind of welcome that we give to ideas and how we go about cherishing some ideas and rejecting others. Of course, not all ideas are important, yet there are some convictions to which we must give a home in our minds. These convictions will determine all sorts of personal decisions and many public policies and hence it is our responsibility to be informed.
In conversations over the past few weeks, I have been surprised with the indifferent approach to being informed regarding a First Nations Voice to Parliament. The former Dean of Westminster Cathedral, Michael Mayne, once wrote ‘The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference; the failure to care.’ He was suggesting how easy it is, in our busy lives, to overlook ideas that should have a claim on our hearts. A more humble sage, my mother, often said beware of half-truths, you may have the wrong half.
The link below is a letter to you and me, from over 70 public and constitutional law teachers from universities all over Australia. It is well worth a read. Importantly, the letter is not advocating a particular position, but aims to clarify some of the issues causing confusion about the proposed constitutional change. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-06/open-letter-constitutional-law-university-voice-to-parliament/102937352
At Marist Canberra we always endeavour to educate our boys for truth, for depth and ultimately for choice; not to choose indifference. We hope their Marist education will expand their mind’s horizons, makes them restless while stirring their heart’s emotion to help shape our humanity. The world is desperately in need of people with a thinking heart, guiding both the large and small choices that we make each day and working towards constructing a more just world.
Blessings in Disguise: World Teacher’s Day
The actor Alex Guinness wrote an autobiography called ‘Blessings in Disguise.’ The title referred in part to the whole affair of being an actor; an occupation in which one is always, by definition, ‘disguised’ as someone else. But more importantly it referred to Guinness’ view that many blessings in his life had come in guise, in the costume, of something else; of something neutral, or something distressing. Time was to tell, he implied, that these events, or encounters, or challenges, were really blessings.
I mention this because last week was World Teacher’s Day and in many ways teachers are blessings in disguise. The best teachers ask a great deal from their students. They tell them when work does not meet the commitment required, or if their students are too placid with their learning. The level of my success in any subject during my 13 years at school, was often directly related to the relationship I shared with teacher. I usually performed best in my favourite subjects, and they were usually taught by my favourite teachers. It is intriguing that my favourite teachers were not necessarily the ones who frequently let us watch movies, or let us out 10 minutes early. The best teachers were those who made learning fun and manageable and filled me with confidence that they generally cared.
St John Chrysostom once said: ‘What is a greater work than to direct the minds and form the character of the young? I hold with certainty, that no painter, no sculpture, nor any artist of such an excellent work as the one who moulds the minds of youth.’
Such comment has inspired my own love of teaching and my respect for those who practice the craft with passion, commitment and expertise. I believe the most important people in schools are the students and their welfare is paramount and underpins all that we do as educators. I do however, believe the most influential people, are the staff whose care for the boys’ needs in the many facets of school life creates a community of caring people.
International Tours
Welcome home to over 70 students and 11 staff who participated in overseas tours during the recent holiday break. These tours involved a Japanese language experience, an Italian Food and Language encounter and a USA Science tour. A further 45 students will participate in a US basketball tour over the summer break.
Matthew Hutchison
Headmaster
