Junior School

By Mr Gavin Webb, Director of the Junior School

“Patience is a virtue”

Upon our return to on-site learning, I have heard a number of staff saying to students in their care “patience is a virtue”, which was then met with a confused teenage face and a returning question, “what does that mean?”

A virtue is described as “a habitual disposition to do the good”. This perfectly summarises what we are trying to model and instil in the boys daily. Displaying self-control, tolerance, humility and generosity are key developmental pillars that take years to understand, appreciate and master. Not all people reach that destination, but it is our great hope that when the boys leave the College gates, they will habitually display these characteristics and then in turn, influences others around them. Patience is the ability to hold back and persevere through all forms of temptations and trials.

Many people today are in a rush and lack patience. We see boys on a daily basis display frustration and at times, lack perseverance. Yes, setbacks will happen, but I implore everyone to display patience, with each other and with yourselves. Any form of sustainable success begins with patience, trust me, I’m a Melbourne Demons supporter! Patience takes a conscious effort to master, being impatient can lead to your demise in many a situation. So, slow down, listen, reflect, wait and this will lead to greater wisdom and success. By learning to become patient is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. Having patience with each other is one of the main building blocks of developing healthy and respectful relationships.

Many of the student issues we deal with at school are a result of a lack of respect, patience with each other and not displaying empathy. In these recent, Covid, times we all have had to persevere and be patient. I believe patience is both a quality and a skill, it can be improved! So, we all need to practice patience, be a patient listener and take the long view when making decisions or reacting to a situation or comment. We understand teenagers can be impulsive and act out without thinking. The frontal lobes are among the last areas of the brain to mature, this is generally around the age of 24, this might explain why impulsiveness is so common in teenagers. As educators we have a duty of care to approach situations of anger, hostility and frustration as “teachable moments” and point out what each individual could have done better and provide strategies that can be called upon in the future to diffuse a situation, instead of inflaming it. So, I would ask each of you…how much patience have you shown recently, and can you practice it?

Activity Afternoons

Year 7 and 8 students have enjoyed the opportunity to be involved in two afternoons of sporting activities, these have taken place instead of normal session 7 and 8 timetabled classes. The boys have missed out on so much interaction over the past couple of years and these sessions have been very enjoyable for all. Some of the activities have included soccer, basketball, table tennis, bat tennis, ultimate frisbee, dodge ball and cricket. Thank you to Tina Benoit, Carly Twaits and Will Gilbert, in your organisation prior to and on the day to ensure all went smoothly. I would also like to thank the staff who umpired, managed and participated with the boys, lots of fun was had.

NAPLAN Readiness Test

On Thursday, October 28, all Year 7 and 8 students completed the NAPLAN Readiness test online. This was in preparation for next year, when all Victorian students will complete the NAPLAN testing online. Although there were the expected ICT glitches, generally all went smoothly. Thank you to all staff and the boys for showing patience when hiccups occurred. We will now be prepared for 2022.

Term 4 – Dates

As is the nature of the school year, we are forever looking ahead at the calendar. Covid has certainly blurred the lines and made any future planning very difficult, nothing can be booked in with any certainty. To look at Term 4 as “glass half full”, we do have plenty of exciting and meaningful events to look forward to. Many of these extra and co-curricular events are yet to have the date and format confirmed. As soon as we know, dates will be published, keeping in mind they are subject to change at any minute. We have all learnt to be more flexible and adaptive, this will need to continue.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your son’s Pastoral Tutor, Year Level Co-Ordinator or myself via phone or email.

Regards

Mr Gavin Webb

Director of Junior School