MR MARK HOPPE
Dixon Housemaster
One of my most admired characteristics of The Southport School is the strong commitment to the holistic development of our young boys. In my opinion, schools that fail to provide the guidance, moral compass and sense of belonging that our House system cultivates do a huge disservice to their young people. It was because of this passion for the pastoral care of our boys that I was delighted to take over the reins of Dixon House for 2015. In my previous two years as a staff member of Dixon House I was energised by the spirit and comradery of the boys, the willingness to step outside their comfort zone in the name of the House and the creative (often sparkly) leadership of Mrs Megan Thomas. Squashing my naturally competitive urge, my goal for the year was a simple one – to understand each Dixon boy’s strengths and passions from Years 3 to 6 and make him feel acknowledged and respected as a member of the mighty Dixon Dragons. There was little time to ease into the role of Housemaster this year with Dixon nominated for fundraising for Term One. On the back of such a successful initiative in previous years, the aim was to continue to grow both the Dixon Dog Day and Easter Raffle into iconic Dixon fundraisers for the extremely worthy local charity, Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Foster Care program. I am always overwhelmed by the generosity of local businesses and individuals who, so willingly, support school fundraising drives, and this year was no different. On the Dixon Dog Day more than 500 orders were taken and an army of parent helpers – aided by a fantastic group of Year 6 delivery boys – met the challenge to make it such a success. Equally, the Easter Raffle generated over 800 ticket sales with students and families keen to share in a bounty of donated prizes. In total, $4,835 went to our very grateful charity, allowing them to brighten the lives of some deserving local kids. Interhouse carnivals and events are wonderful occasions in the school calendar. More important than providing opportunity for friendly rivalry and bragging rights for the following 12 months, these competitions give a
132
THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL SOUTHPORTONIAN 2015
whole host of boys the chance to shine or toil away, keen to give their best. Congratulations to all the Dixon boys who have committed so well to running, jumping, throwing, shooting, bowling, arguing, swimming, and checkmating – all in the name of the mighty Dragons. House leadership is often something many boys aspire to in the Preparatory School and I have been blessed with a whole team of Year 6 leaders keen to develop their leadership skills, whether through coordinating groups of boys at carnivals, fundraising, writing assembly scripts, representing our House and School at various events, welcoming guests to the school, the list goes on. At the helm of this team have been four fine young men, Tommy Condon, Tae Yoon, Victor Wu and Kyle Price, whose willingness to go that extra yard, often sacrificing recreational time of their own, has just been a delight to witness. Gentlemen, you have been exemplary leaders and I wholeheartedly thank you for your amazing contribution to Dixon in 2015. The House could not operate so smoothly without the support of the Dixon House staff either. Mr McLennan, Mr Newton, Mrs Poeszus and Mrs Hurd in the Upper Years of the Prep School have been a fantastic support to a novice Housemaster. In addition to Mrs Stevens, Mrs Thomas, Mrs Capper, Mrs Wilson and Mrs Bramwell have all assisted Dixon boys throughout the year. On behalf of the boys I truly appreciate your efforts and support. As we draw closer to the end of the year, success of a House can often be simplified as to whether the Howard Smith Cup is engraved with your House’s name or not. While striving for excellence is an important lesson for our boys and I would love to celebrate the boy’s efforts with a trophy for them, winning should never be a measure of one’s success. I thank all Dixon boys for the manners, good humour, enthusiasm, willingness to challenge themselves and respect for one another that make me the proudest Housemaster in the Preparatory School. So farewell to the departing Year 6 cohort of Dixon boys,
