Term 2 has kicked off with the same energy and enthusiasm we saw in Term 1.

The boys have settled nicely back into their school routines and have gotten straight into the winter sports season. It’s been a busy few weeks already, and there’s a real sense of excitement building as we look ahead to some of the major events on the calendar - most notably our Feast Day celebrations, which always bring the school community together in a special way.

Week 3’s focus is wellbeing and anti-bullying. To kick off our wellbeing focus for this week, I spoke to the school about the importance of standing up to bullying and the need to strengthen the way that each and every student lives out the school values. While pink shirt day brings attention to the issue, the message goes beyond just one week of recognition.

At St Bede’s, we often pride ourselves on being a brotherhood, but true brotherhood is shown through respect, acceptance, and the way we include others. It’s easy to dismiss hurtful words as “banter”, but when it leaves someone feeling small, isolated, or unsure of themselves , it becomes something more serious. If we want to live out the values of the school and be men of character, we need to hold ourselves and others to a higher standard.

As I reminded the boys at assembly, the only time we should look down on one another is when we are lifting them up. So let’s continue to build a culture where everyone knows they matter. Where they don’t have to change just to fit in, but are accepted, respected and valued exactly as they are.

Feast day will be happening on the Friday of week four. Feast Day is always a standout on the school calendar, as we come together to honour the legacy of St Bede and reflect on what it means to be part of this community.

We’ll kick things off with Feast Day Mass, followed by the Year 9 House Haka competition, which is always a loud and competitive highlight. The staff vs prefect basketball game is back again, along with the Year 13 Mad Dash—where our seniors dress up and tear around the school. There’ll also be zorb racing, bouncy castles, gumboot throwing, and food trucks running throughout the day for some extra fun. The prefect team has put in a lot of work to get everything organised, and we’re looking forward to seeing it all come together.

In Week 2, I had the opportunity to head up to Auckland twice for two different but valuable experiences. The first trip was with Cooper and Antonio for a Marist head students gathering. It was a chance to reconnect with students we met earlier in the year at the MYL leadership camp, check in on how everyone’s doing, and share ideas around what’s working in our schools. We stayed at Marist College and took time to reset before the term picked up pace.

Later that week, I travelled back to Auckland with Mr McDowall for the ABSNZ Head Prefect Leadership Conference, held at Dilworth’s rural campus. Head boys from across the country came together for outdoor leadership activities and discussions. A highlight for me was the ‘Tough Guy Challenge’, which involved running through bush tracks and swimming through neck-high mud. Both trips were a good reminder that leadership isn’t something you do on your own - it’s shaped by the people you meet, the ideas you share, and the moments where you’re pushed outside your comfort zone.