From Br Steve Hogan fsc
Firstly, thank you to the parents and guardians who were able to attend the Year 7 Parent-Tutor meetings on Thursday night, 19th February. The College values the effort made in very busy lives. The Year 7 Parent-Tutor meeting is a very important part of induction and transition to Oakhill College for the 350 boys and their parents who come from over 89 different feeder schools. On Friday 20th March all parents will have an extended Parent-Tutor meeting ensuring all parents/guardians connect with their child’s Tutor Teacher for both an academic and pastoral conversation.
Term One has started with a rush of activities for staff and students. Saturday 7th February (Week 2) the College held ‘Pink Stumps Day’ raising over $7,000 for the McGrath Foundation for cancer treatment, where over 300 students from Year 7-12 volunteered their Saturday to assist. Each Wednesday afternoon a large number of Year 11 and Year 12 students attend the Anglican Retirement Village assisting in programs for the elderly. On Monday 16th February the College hosted the Lasallians Without Borders ‘Service India’ and ‘Service Philippines’ registration evening with record numbers hoping to be able to attend in the October holiday program.
Wednesday 18th February the College marked the beginning of Lent with the College Leaders and Lasallian Youth Leaders attending the Ash Wednesday service in the Chapel at 8:00am. Later in the day these leaders led Ash Wednesday paraliturgies in each Year Level. What keeps amazing me about Oakhill College is the depth and breadth of faith and service that comes so naturally to our young men and women. Families ought to be praised for the tradition of faith, whatever the faith, they have nurtured in their children and can be rightfully proud, including those who may not be of a particular faith tradition but have raised respectful individuals willing to participate and share. This year Ramadan coincides with Lent. Both traditions involve prayer and fasting, self-reflection and renewal.
Alongside aspiring to greatness in all we do, the pursuit of excellence, and achieving our personal best, Oakhill College has a long and profound tradition of the promotion of human values through its ethos of faith service and community. To see all things through the eyes of faith as part of a greater whole teaches empathy, compassion and our social responsibility for others.
Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum said that “there has never been a time of greater promise, or greater peril” in the context of the rise of AI and the fourth Industrial Revolution. He however concludes in a positive and hopeful tone suggesting that future inventions will “complement the best parts of human nature – creativity, empathy, stewardship – it (the fourth industrial revolution) can lift humanity into a new collective and moral consciousness based on a shared sense of destiny”.
Similarly, Google found in its ‘Project Oxygen’ that among the eight most important qualities of Google’s top employees, STEM expertise comes in last. The seven top characteristics of success at Google are all soft skills: being a good coach; communicating and listening well; possessing insights into others (including others different values and points of view); having empathy toward and being supportive of one’s colleagues; being a good critical thinker and problem solver; and being able to make connections across complex ideas. This is consistent with the findings of the employer-led Partnership for 21st Century Learning which describes the foundation skills for worker success as the 4C’s: collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. Becoming Brilliant adds content and confidence for the 6C’s.
Our purpose at Oakhill College, supported by, and in support of parents, is in addition to the pursuit of excellence, to provide a values based all-round human and Christian education inspiring young men and women to aspire to greatness, passionate and enthusiastic, grounded and ready to serve their communities and advocate for justice and the less advantaged.
This is expressed in the College Vision Statement -
To develop well-grounded life-long learners who aim for the stars, are faith-centred, service-oriented, resilient and innovative contributors to a sustainable society.
In this week’s Newsletter you will read of the great things being done at the College by staff and students as we conclude Week Four. In the classroom we are focusing on building and improving foundation knowledge and skills, stretching the critical and analytical, while enhancing academic writing skills across the curriculum. At the same time, we are also providing opportunities to develop those soft skills of collaboration, communication and confidence via a rich co-curricular program. The Year Level dramas and College Musical, Jersey Boys, are underway. Speech and debating competitions start next week. Summer ISA sports are coming to the Finals, and the ISA Inter-School Swimming Carnival is fast approaching on Saturdy 14th March.
The Parent & Friends Association is a great way in a secondary school to stay connected. In addition to the upcoming Welcome Event on Saturday 21st March the Parent & Friends Association is seeking your support with the Gala Day sub-committee. Information and registration can be found on the College website and/or Parent Portal.
To finish with, I will leave you with a quote from a great orator, Winston Churchill -
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Never, never, never, give up”.
These are words of encouragement and inspiration for our HSC students as we set a target of 390 Band 6's for the HSC, well within the capability. These are also words of encouragement and inspiration for our debaters and swimmers, basketballers, crickets and actors. To all students, whatever the task or challenge, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Never, never, never, give up.
Br Steve Hogan fsc
Principal



