Principal's Message Week 8 Term 3

We celebrated book week in style at ATC. I am thrilled that our library staff went to such trouble to provide boys with the opportunity to hear from not one, but multiple authors last week. Their workshops and presentations gave students wonderful insights into the craft of writing, ideas-generation and inspiration, storytelling, editing, coping with knock-backs and the discipline of writing.

I am extremely grateful to Bec Scott and Gwenda Burton and Brigid Hornsby, Anita Brink, and Ellen Bray for the initiative they have shown in celebrating book week. I have not been in a school where this has been done so well.

What delighted me most about last week was seeing the number of dads who came along to hear Carla Salmon on Tuesday evening in the Waterford library. Modeling an active interest in reading is so powerful for young people, especially boys! It is always great to see boys being engrossed by their reading and talking about what they like to read.

I regularly catch a plane. Even when I get a wi-fi enabled flight I refuse to connect while I am at the airport, or on the plane. It is my chance to disconnect and instead connect myself with the book I have in my bag. It is respite and sometimes escape. It is time for me, and the characters in my book. It is a chance for me to immerse myself and indulge in the story. Often, when I am on the plane, I am the only person I see with a book in their hand. This causes me concern! When I see someone else reading, it is like we have some kind of connection – because few others are doing what we are doing.

Last week as I was walking down the airbridge to board the plane, the lady behind me sidled up to me and inquired “is it good?” I realised after a beat that she was talking to me! We had a tremendous exchange about the book, and then more generally about reading and what our preferred genres were. It is so refreshing to meet a stranger and to talk quickly and easily about books!

I always have at least three books partly read. Two on my desk at work, and at least one at home. I read nonfiction and professional texts, I read fiction, and I particularly love dystopian science fiction. Truthfully, I read all sorts of things. A couple of years ago I decided I needed to read at least one classic every few months. I am still persevering with The Brothers Karamazov (Dostoevsky) but I confess it is a struggle. Right now, I am just finishing re-reading Patrick Ambrose Treacy (by Regis Hickey) for obvious reasons, and Range by David Espstein. I recently finished The Road (Cormac McCarthy), and I am looking forward to the holidays where the pile of books on my shelf can be packed into the suitcase for the time I am away.

Because we lead storied lives, and everyone loves a yarn – both listening to them and telling them, this is our gateway to reading. Inculcating in our boys a love of reading is not only a leisure and pleasure thing, but also a vital life skill of course. Good readers make better writers.

I am indebted to our staff for sharing their passion for books. The winners in all of this are our boys. Our school does many things well, but we do this exceptionally well.

Father's Day

To all dads, grandads, and those in fathering roles, happy Father's Day for this coming Sunday.

More than ever your role modelling, active presence, relationship building, and showing boys the myriad great ways to be a young man is vital. Showing up is the most fundamental and important step. Everything that happens after that in a boy's life is added goodness.

I hope you are spoilt by your family.

Dr Craig Wattam

College Principal