Principal's Report
We were hosts for the quarter finals of the ISSA cup last Thursday. The under 14 girls' team from Ormeau Woods State High School made their way up from the M1 and played the first thirty minutes in front of our Senior School.
Our own under 14 team actually only has a few Year 9 girls in it. The remainder are a smattering of students from Years 6 to 8 who are incredibly talented at soccer. On Thursday they won 7-0. On their way to the quarter finals, they won 3 games out of 3, scoring 16 goals and conceding none. On Monday of this week, they defeated Ripley Valley State Secondary College in the semi final 1-2. They will play the final against Kenmore State High School this Thursday at Annerley FC, and when you read this article we will know the result.
These girls are playing and defeating very big schools. Even their 6-0 victory against St Ursula's College in the pool games is against a school with a lot more girls to draw on. But to defeat schools like Ormeau and Ripley speaks to a huge effort against a team older and bigger than ours.
I am writing about these girls because, over the past few weeks, I have talked to sections of our College about the power of groups. Group behaviour is a really fascinating thing. How we function as an individual can change so much when we are surrounded by peers. As a teacher and then a Principal, I have been astounded by how a challenging student can become very hard working in the right group, or indeed how a diligent student can change to one less so in a group with others. No school is immune from the 'Mean Girls' phenomenon either, and any school with teenage boys is always conscious of encouraging a healthy and inclusive culture that doesn't tip into aggressive masculinity.
By the same token, we seek constantly and consciously to create the environments similar to what this soccer team has created. Any organisation strives to be greater than the sum of its parts and watching the game last week that was exactly what I felt about them. We see this also in our Drumline, Killing Time (the Senior Rock Band), our choirs and ensembles and even the students who have made the next round of the Maths team challenge. Bruce Springsteen, when asked to describe why the E Street Band added so much to his music, said, 'A great band... that's when 1 + 1 = 3'. It is the same for a great group or team - we are seeking the creation of a positive culture to help us be better.
My challenge to our whole College as we approach Term 4 is to think about how, in our interactions and our efforts, we can be the best we can be, creating the positive culture that we know schools need to thrive.
I am looking forward to seeing everyone when I return in Term 4.
Mr Chris Gabbett
College Principal
