From the Head of Junior School

A Swimming Success

On Wednesday the Junior School hosted the annual Inter-House Swimming Carnival at HBF Stadium. The teams entered the stadium proudly marching and singing behind their house banners. As they assembled on the seats you could feel the anticipation in the air for a day of great sporting competition.

The day began with our 50m races which featured some truly remarkable times. Xavier Smith set three new school records including eclipsing one record by 5.8 seconds, a record that has stood since 1996.

The midway point of the day showcased the house pride of our boys. Each group of House Captains led their house in the best and loudest rendition of their house songs. A fitting break in the action that added to the house spirit of the day.

Our 25m races brought some wonderful performances, both individual and teams. Of note was the performance of Nicholas Zhao. In previous years, Nicholas had struggled in the event, but this year, he swam in four events and represented his house very well in the relay.

For our Year 3 friends, 2018 marked their first foray into our swimming carnival. They took to it like ducks to water, competing with enthusiasm and giving their very best effort.

While we acknowledge the winners on the day, it was by no means the focus. The effort, enjoyment and accomplishments of our boys is what it is all about. They did their best, supported and cheered on their class and house mates and seemed genuinely pleased for each other. Each and every one of our boys has made us very proud.

I want to thank the staff of the Junior School who worked to make the day run so very smoothly. They managed the boys in their houses, ensured they didn't miss their events, they started the races, MC'd the event using bad Valentine's Day jokes, oversaw the scoring and managed the start line. I also need to thank the boys from Year 8 and their teachers who provided wonderful assistance and managed the finish line for us. All of this was done with the brilliant organisation and leadership of Mr Whiston who once again provided our boys and families with a superb day of competition and fun.

Mr John Stewart
Head of Junior School