Enews - 31 August 2022

I explained that he is generally regarded as one of the most revered Presidents in the history of the United States, whose life story reveals much about his character and his success in ending slavery in the United States. I also expounded the value of reading non-fiction. Apart from building general knowledge, expanding vocabulary and improving writing skills, the reading of non-fiction is a great workout for the brain, improving memory and analytical skills. 

Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and co-founder of Tesla Motors, did not pick up his knowledge about astrodynamics and rocket propulsion in an Ivy League classroom. Instead, the industry-shaking pioneer taught himself the finer points of space travel by reading everything he could about the subject. Interestingly, most of the boys indicated they were regular non-fiction readers.

Dashrath Jha, from Mrs Mangeruca’s class, visited me the following day to share Lincoln’s letter to his son’s teacher. It expresses, ever so eloquently, common desires of a parent for their child. In fact, much of our renewed College vision statement is expressed in the virtues Lincoln wants his son to foster while at school. The letter also reflects Lincoln’s confidence in his son’s teacher. He concludes with recognising the task ahead, but also ‘he is such a nice little boy and he is my son.’  

So, it’s with thanks to Dashrath’s research, that I share Lincoln’s hopes and dreams for his son who, incidentally, tragically died at the age of 11 after getting typhoid from contaminated water in the White House.   

Dear Teacher

My son starts school today. It is all going to be strange and new to him for a while and I wish you would treat him gently. It is an adventure that might take him across continents. All adventures that probably include wars, tragedy and sorrow. To live this life will require faith, love and courage.

So dear Teacher, will you please take him by his hand and teach him things he will have to know, teaching him – but gently, if you can. Teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend. He will have to know that all men are not just, that all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero, that for every crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader.

Teach him if you can that 10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar found. In school, Teacher, it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to learn how to gracefully lose, and enjoy winning when he does win.

Teach him to be gentle with gentle people, tough with tough people. Steer him away from envy if you can and teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Teach him if you can – how to laugh when he is sad, teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success. Teach him to scoff at cynics.

Teach him if you can the wonders of books, but also give time to ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hill. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they are wrong.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone else is doing it. Teach him to listen to everyone, but teach him also to filter all that he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him to sell his talents and brains to the highest bidder but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul. Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind, in God.

This is the tall order, Teacher, but see what best you can do. He is such a nice little boy and he is my son.

He appreciated there was an emerging wisdom as one grows older when he amusingly summed up his relationship with his own father: ‘When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.’ Twain was, of course, speaking of his own naivety, admitting his youthful self-referencing and once narrow perspective on life. 

Fatherhood is one of the most important relationships we humans can have, and sometimes it is the most challenging. There is the inevitable tension of a son stretching his wings and becoming his own man and the weight of this often falls on the father/son relationship. The most important condition for ensuring a strong relationship between a father and a son is that the lines of communication are kept open. When a boy has a genuine sense of being listened to, it expresses a practical expression of feeling loved. The real test of listening is not necessarily an examination of the events of the day, but rather the time given to them; it is the gift of ‘presence.’

A father’s presence reminds his son that they share their journey together, walking side by side, doing more than simply listening but accompanying each other on their way. A father’s presence shows they matter to one another and they make themselves available to one another. Marcellin, by example, encouraged the community of early Brothers to be at the attentive service to the other and this continues to be the hallmark of our Marist community in Canberra.

Our families and schools are generally busy entities and the enduring challenge is to find time. It is about finding a language in which to communicate interest, commitment and love. It is why we celebrate occasions such as Father’s Day in that it may cause us all to reflect on and celebrate this key relationship in the human story.

Matthew Hutchison
Headmaster
 

Over the first six weeks of Term 3, all students in the Junior School have read or listened to a selection of the CBCA Book of the Year award nominees. During Book Week, each grade created an artistic response to one of the books. Year 4 created lanterns to imitate the colours and lights of the Antarctic, written about in “Iceberg”. Year 5 learned about constellations and the Kamilaroi people’s story of the Dark Emu from “The First Scientists”. They then created the outlines of corresponding constellations to be displayed around the Library. Year 6 read “The Inheritance” and used charcoal to create illustrations similar to those in the book. 

Junior School students also participated in Library on the Lawn. Stretching out on picnic blankets, each class heard stories from guest readers from the Senior School. We were grateful that the sun shone most days and students enjoyed time reading outdoors.

Trivia challenges and “book in a jar” were also popular events, with the culmination of Book Week celebrations being a literary quiz showdown of Senior vs Junior students. The final scores were very close with Year 10 students only just making it across the line in front of a team from Year 5.

Karen Collins
Head of Library 

Darlinghurst House has had quite the week! On Friday 19 August, we held our annual parent fundraiser for Marymead ACT/NSW. It was a sell-out event, with 70 parents and staff attending for a Spanish themed dinner and some competitive trivia. Support for the evening’s silent auction was also outstanding, with generous Darlinghurst parents both donating items, and bidding profusely. In total, the event raised in excess of $4,500 for Marymead - a really wonderful achievement. We’re so grateful to all those who helped, attended and supported the event, and made it such a success.

Along with fundraising, the 2022 Darlinghurst House Captains have also been working to raise the profile of service and volunteer initiatives. On Wednesday 24 August, four Darlinghurst boys attended Pegasus Riding for the Disabled to assist with a variety of jobs. The ability to immerse ourselves in the varied good works of Pegasus was a real eye-opener for the boys, and the staff greatly appreciated the efforts in the horse poo pick up! Darlinghurst will continue to support Pegasus throughout the rest of the term. 

On Friday 26 August, Year 7 Darlinghurst boys had a visit from Tullow House (Merici College). This was the first event with our aligned Sister House and a great time was had by all. Small group activities allowed the students to mix and spend time together. The afternoon was supported by Year 12 Leaders from both schools, who arranged a scavenger hunt, fashion parade and BBQ. Tullow House and Darlinghurst House will now look to have a similar games afternoon with Year 8 in the future. There are also other ideas on the table to bring the two Houses together, including possible charity work.

Luke Croker
Darlinghurst House Dean