Prep School

The joys of sport

There are many facets of my job that I love. Attending sport on a Saturday morning is one of them. The smell of freshly cut grass in the morning, seeing a brand-new Kookaburra ball leave its plastic sleeve and find its way into the hands of an excited opening bowler, watching volleyballers practise their serving before a game, batters having throw downs in readiness for their innings and our swimmers completing lap after lap of the training session are part of the rich tapestry of Term 1 sport.

We aspire for boys to have a well-rounded education, and sport plays, for some, a large role in their life at school. Beyond the obvious physical benefits, sport is important in schools to increase confidence and mental alertness and build self-esteem. It also teaches valuable skills for our boys like leadership, patience, team efforts and social skills. The one that stands above all else for me is the notion of respect. Respect for the opposition, respect for their fellow team members, respect for their parents and respect for the officials.

At the end of each cricket match (and tennis next term), as a sign of respect to the opposition, we ask our boys to remove their hats and sunglasses before shaking hands with their opponents. A simple gesture to show our respect, whether we win, lose or draw, to reinforce the values that we as a school espouse. It has been gratifying to see that this simple gesture is embraced by the boys and equally led by the boys. I am extremely proud of the level of sportsmanship and spirit displayed by the boys each week but more so by the respect that is shown by all our sporting teams.

I look forward to another weekend on the sidelines watching our boys in another round of friendly competition.

Prep value of the week: tact

Tact is telling the truth kindly and being considerate of how your words affect others’ feelings. Think before you speak, as some things are better left unsaid. When you are tactful, others find it easier to hear what you have to say. Tact builds bridges.

Attribute of the week: reflective

When you are reflective, you give thoughtful consideration to your own learning and experience. You are able to assess and understand your strengths and limitations in order to support your learning and personal development.

A Message from the School Counsellor

SchoolTV: Toxic achievement culture

Toxic achievement culture is characterised by the entanglement of self-worth, achievement and the relentless pursuit of academic or extracurricular success—at any cost. This phenomenon goes beyond the mere quest for success. It embeds a belief in students that their merit is exclusively tied to their achievements, often propelled by intense external pressures from families, schools and society.

Some students are overfilling their schedules with activities aimed at ‘getting ahead’. However, the consequences are proving to be detrimental to students’ mental and physical health resulting in burnout and heightened levels of stress.

There is nothing wrong with having ambition, but it’s crucial to ensure that this desire doesn’t push our young people into a toxic cycle of achievement and make them feel that they must achieve in order to matter. The relentless drive to excel is leading many students to prioritise accolades over genuine learning and personal growth, often at the expense of their own wellbeing and interpersonal relationships. As adult carers, we need to advocate for a more balanced and holistic approach to achievement, emphasising the importance of resilience, wellbeing, and the pursuit of diverse interests.

This special report will help you understand the signs of toxic achievement, and how to address them to teach students how to adopt a better work/life balance.

Here is the link to your special report on School TV:

Susie Hill
Prep School Guidance Counsellor

Year 5 search for gold

Last week, Year 5 visited the goldfields to have a hands-on experience of life during the Gold Rush. Liam and Charlie in 5C wrote the following recount of their day:

After what seemed like hours, we finally arrived at the gold field. As we stepped out of the bus, we were greeted by a trooper on a horse carrying a rifle who led us to a Cob & Co station. Suddenly, a bushranger jumped out and threatened us with a gun. He shouted at Harry in 5A and told him to stand up and hand over his belongings. The bushranger took Harry’s delicious lunch and found he had some hidden gold.

Luckily, the trooper heard our screams and quickly returned. The trooper then questioned us about the bushranger. After we explained our story, the trooper told the bushranger to drop his deadly weapons and give back the items he had stolen from Harry. Instead of giving Harry his lunch back he fed his apple to the trooper’s horse and ate the rest himself! Mr K the bushranger was taken to court and sentenced to a hard day of labour. While Mr K got to work, we were given some time to explore the township, where we found tents and stores ‘owned’ by boys within Year 5.

After, our morning tea we were split into house groups to start the activities. One of the activities was gold panning! We were given cradles and pans to try to find gold. If we didn’t say ‘Eureka’ when we found gold, we were not allowed to keep it. After a few minutes, we started to get tired as it was scorching hot. ‘Eureka’ shouted one of the boys, someone had struck gold. ‘Eureka’ yelled another, and suddenly everyone had found some riches. As our time came to an end, we quickly searched for the last bit of gold before moving on.

Our next activity allowed us to experience what it was like to buy supplies in the 1800s. In pairs, we pretended to be the shopkeepers and buyers. The buyer was given money to buy items within the store. We learnt that because there is only one store on the goldfields, the shopkeeper could up the price of all the items for sale. Generally, the price was very unfair and expensive for the customer so we learnt how to haggle. Haggling is when the customer barters with the shopkeeper by exaggerating their stories of need. The shopkeeper would normally disagree with the customer’s price, before settling on an agreed amount.

Our third activity was damper making, damper is like bread but without any flavour. Four boys were selected to help make the damper and cook it on the coals of the fire. Once the damper was put in the camp oven, we walked down the hill to a green paddock. All of us were wondering what was happening next. Finally, the instructor explained to us that we were going to have a tent making competition. Within groups of five to seven, we were given the supplies to make a tent. We were tested on how fast we built the tent, the quality of the structure and how we worked as a team. Once the tents were built, to everyone’s excitement, the damper was ready! Sprinkled with some golden syrup, it was a treat after a hard day working on the goldfield.

Our final activity for the day was the gold rush hunt! Before you could search for gold, you had to purchase a miner’s licence. Just like earlier in the day, when we found gold, we shouted eureka. There were a lot of lucky boys on these goldfields because everyone was shouting it and running to the Assayer’s office and exchanging it for money. Ultimately, we were allowed to swap our money for chocolate and lollies, we doubt this is what happened on the real goldfields, but we were happy that was the case today!

Overall, this was a great and fun excursion! It allowed us to learn many things about the Australian Gold Rush and experience what it was like to be a miner during this time.

Year 2 school history tour

Last week, Year 2 participated in a building history tour of the Churchie grounds with School Archivist Peter Collin. As part of our inquiry into the history of a significant building, person and site, we visited many important locations around Churchie, whilst learning about their fascinating history. These included School House, Goodwin House and the original office of Canon Morris. We thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the history of our school.

Library News

On Monday this week, Mark Greenwood, author of 24 captivating books, visited Year 5 boys and gave 5C a writing workshop. He will return on Friday to give the other four classes their workshop sessions.

Parent sign in and out

To enhance security in the Prep School precinct, the Prep School Office uses a visitor sign-in and out system. If you visit the Prep School at a time other than pick up and drop off times within the school day, it is necessary for you to sign in and out at the Prep School Office. Thank you for your compliance with this matter.

Smartwatches

Smartwatches are not permitted at school. These items have proven to be problematic and distracting for boys during class. Please ensure these watches remain at home or in your son’s bag during the school day.

Easter service

The Prep School’s Easter Service at St John’s Cathedral will be on Monday 25 March from 6 to 7 pm. The service is compulsory for all Years 4 to 6 boys. A roll will be taken in the evening. The formal uniform of a white shirt and tie is to be worn by all students attending. Boys with special tasks at this service will travel to the cathedral during the day of the service to rehearse. All families are welcome to attend.

Traffic and parking

The safety and wellbeing of our boys are paramount. Please ensure when accessing the drop-off and pick-up zones around the school, you observe the local road rules and conditions. We are happy to provide staff in these areas to facilitate an efficient, orderly and safe environment for our boys.

To reduce blockages and queues in surrounding streets, parents are asked to follow the rules below for the drop-off and pick-up zone in Mowbray Terrace:

• Do not park or leave your car in the zone.
• If your son is not ready for pick up, please drive around the Gresham Street block and re-enter the zone to maintain the flow of traffic.
• Consider using Barker Street or Heath Street as an alternative.

Your courtesy and consideration of others will help the zone work more smoothly.

Mark Wyer
Head of Preparatory School