From the Headmaster

Mr Adam Heath

They didn’t even look like a rugby team. The fact that many of them had never played rugby before was clear. They had been shown the fundamentals of the game, and how to tackle, over the preceding few weeks, as some had never done that, not rugby tackling. Out on the field now, for their first game, they looked positively puny, standing toe to toe with their opposition players, some of whom were Maori mountain-of-a-man men and seasoned players, yet still, somehow under 14.

It is difficult to find words to describe that first game: overrun, pounded, humiliated, certainly beaten by such a number of tries and points that I have blocked this from my memory. And this theme continued for the first five games of the season, loss after loss, a sense of being physically overrun time and again.

The coach, Mahindra, was the dad of one of the boys. He had developed a love of the game playing for his School in Sri Lanka. Whilst he was a very, very good skills coach, he was also a gifted sports psychologist in his ability to build belonging to, and belief in, the team.

Each of the boys made a pledge to the others. In the sixth game they started playing with a deep commitment to one another.

Their skills and understanding of the game still sketchy, and with little confidence, they pieced together some passages of play that reflected their strengths in speed and agility. Unexpectedly, they won the eighth game of the season and then, somehow, went on winning most games to secure a place in the grand final. During three periods of Learning at Home, there have been challenges with technology, restructuring learning programs to manage screen related fatigue, and battling through the onerous content requirements for our VCE students. Largely, these challenges have been overcome by the extraordinary efforts and constant innovation of our teachers, and the indescribable commitment of our parents and students.

This remarkable partnership has enabled our students to become independent and self-managing learners.

The greater challenge has been making sure that every member of our community retains a feeling of connection. Our teachers have become gifted coaches of community connectedness. More specifically, they have prompted our students to remember the how, when and why of connection in our community; to remember how our community is looking out for them and cares deeply but, in turn, how care must be reciprocated. They helped our students to know that moments of jubilation are best shared, and tougher times are for reaching out for support. Our teachers coached an understanding, with more salience than perhaps ever before, of how our school community draws energy and purpose through a collective effort that enables our young people to be their constantly better selves and better human beings.

Desultory and disparaging commentary is often directed to generations of emerging young; I suspect that this cohort of ‘COVID legends’ may be spared. They have certainly emerged more grateful and I suspect none, or certainly very few, will be challenged by entitlement, such is their insight into managing without.

That rugby team that I watched with initial trepidation, won the grand final. Similarly, and against all odds, in our Village, this group of extraordinary young people will be shaped positively by this period of adversity because of the collective efforts of the adults in their lives, providing guidance, reassurance and wisdom; parents and teachers in synchronicity. I hope to never again see an event of this nature in my lifetime. But I will, forever, cherish being part of a community that acted so powerfully, together, for the protection and betterment of our young people.