BETTER TOGETHER
‘Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil … And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him - a threefold cord is not quickly broken.’ Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
An important part of attending school is the sense of belonging to the community it provides. Many of the memories that our students will cherish for a lifetime, are those created when they did something as part of a team.
Term 3 has been filled with opportunities for our students and staff to improve their wellbeing by being part of the SCC community.
In Week 6, we launched our inaugural Intercol with Thomas More College. An intercol is a friendly rivalry between two schools, and in our case, a series of competitions across sports, performing arts, clubs and activities. Week 6 was a glorious festival of competition and fun, and the Intercol was an unqualified success.
When I explained the Intercol to the students, I told them there were two ways in which they could ‘win’. The first, was to defeat their opponents in competition and get their hands on the trophy. The second, was to represent themselves and their College well – to win with grace and lose with dignity, to play hard but play fair, and to be inclusive and respectful.
In the first way, this year we didn’t prevail. Whilst we had excellent wins in Women’s AFL, STEM, Art, Choir, Debating, Theatre Sports and Cooking, on the sports field TMC were too strong for us and took out the competition 19 – 7. In this regard, we will come back stronger in 2025.
Yet, in the second way, we were absolute winners. Our students were exceptional ambassadors for the College, and I could not have been more proud of their effort and conduct.
Another shining example of the SCC Community spirit was our involvement in the 50th Anniversary of the City to Bay Fun Run. At the end of Week 8, we had over 120 staff, students and community members running or walking the 12, 6 or 3 km event. With a cooked BBQ breakfast at the end, we had such fun being together and engaging in something that was challenging and rewarding. Whilst there were some sore legs and some sun-kissed faces afterwards, by far the biggest take away was the sense of fun and comradery that was created by being together.
Week 9 saw the Junior School Performing Arts Showcase, and now in Week 10 the College Musical – Frozen Jr. Again, these two exceptional events are great examples of students and staff working together to achieve excellent outcomes and to forge memories.
What a great term.
If we return to my reflection on our Intercol earlier, there is, in fact, a third way that a person can ‘win’: by engaging in activities with others. The benefits to our own mental and physical wellbeing, the security of belonging to something bigger than ourselves, and the feeling of pride in one’s accomplishments are all ways we can experience success, and in this way, Term 3 has been a resounding victory.
As it is written in Ecclesiastes, things are better when we are together.
I wish all our students, families and staff members a safe and restful break, and I look forward to seeing everyone back in Term 4.
Mr Darren Pitt
Principal
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