Blog

From the Principal

Decision making is something we do every minute of every day, most of the time without great thought or with very little consideration of the consequence. Most of us don’t give a second thought to most of the decisions we make, which is understandable given we generally get them right. Our knowledge and experiences lead to us getting most decisions correct. Let’s face it, very few decisions we make impact us immediately, even if they are poor in nature. Choosing to eat foods high in fat or sugar may make us feel good in the short term, but it is not until after we make this decision on a regular basis that the negative effects will occur. Decisions likely to cause us significant harm in the short term are generally avoided, but not always. Crossing the road in front of oncoming traffic or sticking our hand into a fire are not the type of choices we witness on a regular basis. Making poor decisions, however, is far more common than we think. Society is bombarded with images in the media of young people, and unfortunately, far too often, young men, doing things that most of us would have the good sense to avoid. Poor decision making is not the sole domain of the young, however.

People drinking too much and getting behind the wheel is far too common.
Getting involved in alcohol fuelled physical altercations is an example of adults of all ages making poor decisions.

I raise this issue because our boys make decisions each and every day that will have long term impacts on them, and I believe many of them don’t understand how much their decisions can either advantage or disadvantage themselves. Simple decisions to sleep too long and arrive late on a regular basis can have significant negative impacts on their education. Given the sequential nature of education, it can mean missing small pieces of information that may restrict the ability to learn new concepts. Choosing to waste class time, especially when done on a regular basis can have significant detrimental impacts both on themselves and on others. Even choices such as wearing the incorrect uniform or additional items such as jewellery can have a negative impact. It can lead to class time being wasted with teachers asking for the items to be removed, arguments over the right to wear the items, resulting in the loss of valuable teaching and learning time.

As adults, it is our responsibility to educate our kids to make decisions that will make their lives easier and better. We have to use our knowledge and experience to guide them in the right direction even when it will not lead to us being in their good books. We have to educate our kids to take responsibility for their decisions or behaviours regardless of the consequences. Defending them or excusing them can have the impact of delaying their growth and maturity, which can have long-term impacts. Raising the consciousness of our boys to the decisions they make sub-consciously is a great starting point because if the boys thought about things before acting, many times they would not make the choices they do.

A group of boys and their families, who we believe have made a great choice, joined us on Monday morning for Becchi Morning. The 2019 Year 7 boys made their first official visit to the College participating in a number of activities designed to make their transition to Salesian College that little bit easier. Whilst the boys were kept busy, their parents participated in two sessions informing them of College communications and techniques and what to expect as the boys transition to Secondary College and from boy to man. The activities are all designed to help their sons make a successful transition from primary school to secondary school. All parties had a great morning and we look forward to the next event in their transition.

On the weekend the College hosted 170 young men and women at the annual Oz Bosco weekend. I couldn’t help but be impressed by the decisions these young people are making about their faith. In a world where it would be far easier to sit back and keep this matter to themselves, they chose to make a public statement by attending this event. The joy I witnessed as they talked and reflected on matters of faith was truly uplifting. I thank all those staff involved in bringing this event to fruition, especially Ms Nadia Knight who oversaw the organisation of the weekend.

Rob Brennan
Principal