On Monday, it was a delight to welcome the High Achievers of 2020 back to College to recognize their achievements.
As we consider the concept of excellence, it is important to explore two questions- what does it mean to think about excellence and what is the purpose of excellence?
In considering what it means to think about excellence, Philippians 4:8 is instructive. The start of the verse expands the idea of excellence to include things that are true, noble, pure, lovely, and admirable. The point that Paul appears to be making is that the category of excellent things is broad. It is certainly great to focus on classically religious things like prayer but you can also see excellence in science labs, on the sporting field and in our places of employment.
Some excellence is easy to observe. It’s not hard to watch excellence in sport or the performing arts. At other times, it is not so easy to see things that are lovely and admirable. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to have occasions to celebrate academic achievement. We may not be able to read the exams written by the Year 12 students but we can acknowledge that excellence has been achieved in the HSC.
It is probably even harder to see those examples of excellence that occur in the homes of our students. We don’t see the excellent ways that older brothers and sisters care for their siblings or the excellent way that a child works hard to include a disabled family member.
So as we seek to follow Paul’s command to think about excellence, it is important to remember that not all excellence is easy to see or measure.
This brings us to the second point about excellence, what is the purpose of excellence? On our College crest you see the phrase ‘a more excellent way’. The College’s motto is drawn from 1 Cor 12:31. Paul's text to the people of Corinth reminds us that excellence has a purpose. It is to love. Our world is facing a number of challenges. The planet is under great stress and we are entering a time of political and economic change that is unprecedented. The world is going to need some outstanding people to help find the solutions we need. At the High Achievers assembly, we celebrated a group of students who have been able to develop their capacity to make a difference. They can think. They can communicate. They can create. They can be excellent.
The challenge for these students, and for us, is to use the gifts we have been given here to live the excellent way- the loving way of service for God and His creation.
Mr Douglas Broadbent
Director of Senior School Teaching & Learning