Welcome back to the start of Term 3.

Perseverance is our value of the term. Young men need resilience, grit and perseverance if they are to achieve the high expectations they have of themselves - and that we the school have of them.

In assembly this week I highlighted the 1910 race to the centre of the South Pole. Two explorers, Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen both wanted to be the first men to lead teams to 90 degrees South and both went about it in very different ways. This will not be a history lesson, as their stories, inspiring as they are; are too big to cover here. Instead, I choose to focus on four key lessons from Amundsen's successful expedition.

1. Pioneer your own path.

2. Focus on one goal at a time.

3. Work smarter not harder.

4. Successful men make their own luck.

Each of these lessons are as pertinent today as they were over a century ago.

Amundsen's successful expedition focused on those four lessons and the result was not only that he and his team were first, they were also the first to return alive. If young men want to have a positive schooling experience, putting in time, effort and persevering is vital.