Head of Middle School
Book Week is a timely reminder to us about the joy of reading, of discovering new worlds, immersing yourself into the lives of aspirational characters and the excitement of living in a different place. Reading is a lot like exercising: the benefits go well beyond the moment. I've never yet met anyone who put a book down and said "I wish I hadn't read that". If you talk with teachers, one of the hardest things they have to do upon seeing a boy so engrossed in a book, so rapt in reading, so immersed into the plot and the unfolding story, is to ask him to stop reading and join their lesson.
For many boys reading is a delight and a library full of books is a fantastic place to explore. However in an increasingly competitive world, where competition for a boy's attention and participation is constant and down time is narrowly scheduled between practice sessions, training and competing, the opportunities of stopping the rush and immersing into the silent but exciting world of a book is being squeezed out of the day. One of the best gifts we can give to our boys is to provide a regular time in each day when they can stop, drop and read. We are hoping that guest authors Steve Coulter and Tim Baker who visited us last week will help inspire a love of reading and encourage our boys to journey into a new world.
Middle School Athletics Carnival
This Thursday 28 August is the Middle School Inter-House Athletics carnival. The Junior School carnival is on Wednesday 27 August and the Senior School carnival will be on the Friday and Saturday following ours. Our carnival commences at 8:40am when boys assemble into their Houses and are piped down to the oval for a day of events. The programme for most of the day will run according to year group, with the Year 6s running their track events first whilst the Year 7s complete their field events, then they swap. We all come together at approximately 2:45pm for relays and presentations. Andrew House are the current holders of the Middle School Athletics Shield.
We would be excited to have parents come down to encourage and cheer on the boys particularly in the track events, where on a fine day the effort, the colour and the excitement make it a spectacular day. Boys will need to be prepared with sufficient food and drink and sun protection for the day as they manage themselves against their schedule.
Richard Ledger
Head of Middle School
