From Br Steve Hogan fsc
Greetings,
We are halfway through the year, with mid-year holidays only one week away. I hope all families are able to take a break at some time over the holidays, and if not, I hope you are still able to catch some good family time, even if it means getting your son or daughter on to some of the family chores, giving you some small respite.
I have always been a promoter of the arts. Laozi, a contemporary of Confucius, once said, “music is the nectar of the soul’. This coming week, the last week for the school term, is the Junior Musical, Footloose. If you have not yet purchased your ticket, then I encourage you to do so. It is uplifting to experience the talent but also to see the faces of those involved, full of pride, and joy, and enthusiasm. Musicals often require us to do something beyond our comfort zone, but on stage, behind lights, with mates, it is a safe experience and an experience of teamwork that results in success. It is an experience of hard work, and of overcoming doubt and fear. I believe musicals ought to be core curriculum in any school based on what they achieve in every domain in the formation of the individual. Thank you to Mr Domars, Ms Gauci, Mr Flanagan, Mr Thoroughgood and the team of teachers, alumni and supporters who have been working evenings and weekends these past six months.
On Friday 16th June was the College Sports Lunch. Some 400 alumni and friends gathered at Doltone House in Darling Harbour on a glorious sunny winter day to celebrate sport and its contribution to Oakhill College. Sport is not just that which takes part on the field or court, but today neuroscience and psychology tell us that sport is an essential aspect of mental health and wellbeing. I do not need to include the importance sport has in developing virtues such as honour, courage, loyalty, velour, teamwork, commitment and hard work, or its importance in the development of grit and rigour. In the past many aspects of life taught us these things as families were not so busy and values more easily transmitted from one generation to the next. A life much simpler and maybe physically tougher taught grit and resilience. Today sport can complement and or fill the gap. Thank you to the Sports Lunch Committee for the hugely successful Sports Lunch 2023, and thank you to those sponsors who generously supported us.
The first Saturday on our return is the College Gala Day, Saturday 22nd July. Please put this date in your calendars and come with a friend. It is always a big day, a great day, and a day celebrated with staff, students and parents but also alumni and friends of Oakhill College, some 87 years old this year.
The third week back is the start of the Year 12 Trial HSC Exams, Monday 31st July. For Year 12, the mid-year holiday ought to be essentially a study break preparing for the Trials. This is the time to go over the Year 11 and Year 12 work, set up study/swat note books for each subject, and practice past HSC papers. This starts the beginning of the lead-up to the HSC. Social life ought to be peered down toward the end of the holiday, and the focus on the books peered up. Over the holiday period, teachers have prepared study/review lectures and tutorials at the College. We encourage students to take up this very generous offer by our teachers as these sessions will provide valuable skills and help kick start that study routine. I take this opportunity to publicly thank the teachers who have been so generous across all Faculties.
Year 12 have only 30 more days of lessons for 2023, and Year 11 have only 40 days of lessons. A reminder to our senior students and families there is time and the later end of the holidays and Term three is an investment in doing one’s best, honing the talents God has given, to the best of my ability, and feeling that sense at the end of having done one’s best, a sense of fulfillment, accomplishment (whatever the result) – no regrets. Winston Churchill said “success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”.
Teaching and learning is a partnership between home and school, and successful achievement is influenced by the quality of this partnership. A quality partnership between teachers and parents is part of the custom and traditions at Oakhill College. I will share with you a resource from ‘education world’ (www.educationworld.com ) that may be helpful for parents as the suggestions are very practical and are ideas that enhance learning at school. The ideas follow the alphabet, and I will share E, F, G, and H in this Newsletter.
E-Empathy is a person’s ability to identify and feel others’ concerns. Parents can help to develop this important virtue in many ways: Let your child know how pleased you feel when he or she behaves in a kind way; point out positive differences when children do kind acts no matter how small; when reading with your child, ask how people in the book feel in their situation; help you child identify how someone feels and then identify a way to help.
F-Failure. Did you know that Abraham Lincoln weathered many failures before he became President? When a child experiences failure – on a test, the field or court, or anywhere – acknowledge those feelings of frustration and disappointment. These are natural feelings. Do not try to minimize the situation because it does matter to your child. Help your child evaluate the cause for the failure and use whatever he or she has learned to create a new strategy and try and try again.
G-Grace means giving children what they need, not what they deserve. It means accepting kids as they are and understanding their feelings and obstacles. It also means that we provide the unconditional support our children need to make positive changes. Grace, however, must be balanced with accountability or we risk enabling children to excuse unacceptable behaviour or failure to achieve reasonable goals. If we balance grace with accountability, we let children know we expect them to grow and learn.
H-Homework provides practice, and it enables parents to know when a child is having difficulty with schoolwork. Parents can support a school’s homework policy by providing a ‘homework area’ that is well lit and free of distractions; setting a daily homework routine (some parents call it schoolwork); offering a snack or break time, or using this as an incentive.
Don’t forget as Celia Lashlie in her work on education once said, “boys (and many girls) overestimate their ability and underestimate the effort required to achieve it”.
Br Steve Hogan fsc
Principal
