From Br Steve Hogan fsc
Welcome to you all once again as we start the new school year, especially to our new staff, students and parents. I would like to begin by commending all students from Year 7 to Year 12 for their very fine start. I commend the students on their uniform and manners; how they present themselves; on their engagement and cooperation with whatever is asked of them; their pursuit of excellence – our theme for 2023 – evidenced by all I see around the campus; and in particular their participation and behavior at our large formal gatherings, the Dedication Mass and High Achievers Assembly. Mums and Dads can be very pleased and proud as we are here at the College at such a fine start to the year.
In the opening assemblies in the first week, I took the opportunity to explain our theme for 2023, ‘Strive for Excellence’, by reminding students of John F. Kennedy’s (JFK) famous Rice-Moon Speech given at Rice University in September 1962.
“We stand today on the edge of a new frontier … but the new frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises – it is a set of challenges”.
JFK believed that in an enlightened world, driven by science and technology, it was possible to increase capacity in every way and that there was no limit to potential. As we know the USA landed on the moon in 1969 with less technology than in our modern-day smartphone. JFK’s speech is about attitude, self-belief, and aspiration – striving for excellence.
I also introduced the students to a new orator, Theodore Roosevelt, and his famous speech, ‘The Man in the Arena’, which was given at the Sorbonne in Paris in 1910. It is not the critic on the side who makes judgement about how things ought to be done, the poor-me cynic, but the one actually in the arena of life, doing the stuff that makes life better, failing often but getting straight back up and continuing on – striving for excellence.
To strive for excellence is to be consistent in good character, attitude, quality and standards, not afraid to make mistakes but humble enough to correct them and strive to make a difference to self and others. Excellence is one of our five key principles at Oakhill College – Eyes of Faith; Respect, Inclusivity, Excellence, and Advocacy for Justice.
Each year I become more and more impressed by the respect, courtesy and mindfulness of our students and their families and marvel and am hopeful of the potential before me.
Marianne Williamson writes:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, talented? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not deserve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking or hiding behind excuses so that others may not feel insecure. We are all meant to shine. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others". (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles", Ch. 7, Section 3 (1992), p. 190).
Often our deepest fear is our talent and ability, and we learn and are encouraged and motivated by JFK, Theodore Roosevelt, Marianne Williamson and Master Shifu, to be confident, to aspire, do the hard work, fail, and get up again, and that is the secret of success and fulfillment. It is not always easy and there are no shortcuts.
It is our hope that we at Oakhill College provide this learning context for each and every student, but it is up to each student to take up the opportunity, even if it is just little steps at a time. The famous Chinese philosopher Laozi at the time of Confucius explains it is like finding the stepping stones in crossing a river.
Our mission is to inspire students to aspire. This year our focus is to strive for excellence. We have set targets for NAPLAN and HSC whilst retaining our core values in forming good men and women for others. We at Oakhill College, as a Catholic and Lasallian school, have the responsibility to grow every gram of leadership, inspire every act of human flourishing, for the world of tomorrow needs men and women more caring, more compassionate, more collaborative, more creative and innovative, more global, more ready to resolve. As Lasallians here at Oakhill College we have the foundation from home, and opportunities from schooling, to achieve this.
Wishing you good health and wellbeing.
Br Steve Hogan fsc
Principal
