From the Principal

At the time of writing, we are moving through the selection cycle for our next senior student leaders. They will be the 94th group of leaders in the history of the school, and will build upon, and in doing so become part of, an ever-growing legacy of St Aidan’s student leaders.

Student leadership selection heralds the nearing of the end of the school year, and preparing for the beginning of the next, and I am always compelled to reflect on many aspects of our school, at this time. Reflecting on what our current leaders have achieved so far in 2021 and anticipating how the leaders of 2022 will carry on that mission is like flipping between two sides of the same coin - that is legacy.

It might seem strange at first to consider the concept of legacy in future tense, but I think broadening our understanding of legacy, especially with regards to time, actually makes it much more tangible. Thinking of your legacy, or our legacy as a school, as purely what has been done by those before us, not only excludes our current actions from the picture, but also discourages us from taking such action when it is most important: right now.

Legacy is not finite: it is not something that happened back then and is now finished. The clearest example of this is in the compounding, cumulative efforts that make up what we might normally consider to be defining moments in history.

For example, the moment women were first granted the right to vote in elections in the United States is commonly viewed as the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920; however, as historian Leslie Hume highlights, you only reach tipping point when there has been enough force behind it, for long enough:

“The women’s contribution to the war effort challenged the notion of women’s physical and mental inferiority and made it more difficult to maintain that women were, both by constitution and temperament, unfit to vote. If women could work in munitions factories, it seemed both ungrateful and illogical to deny them a place in the voting booth.”

This explanation alone covers the roughly four years over which World War I took place, and the entire movement had a legacy much longer than those four years.

The point is that legacy, any legacy, is not finite, nor finished.

Instead, it is alive, and we have a responsibility to make our legacy every day. Not the opportunity, but the responsibility, because everything we do, everything we say, every decision we make or action we take, impacts our legacy. So it is critical that we keep this in mind, that we dismiss the notion that legacy is done, and instead remember always that legacy is doing; and in that spirit, recognise that what we do every day is what makes up what we do with our lives.

I draw on the wisdom of the Ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

So, all who are connected to St Aidan’s are challenged to develop our legacy.

We are challenged to build a habit of developing our legacy. Whether we like it or not, everything we do will impact our legacy, so the only meaningful way to act is with our legacy always in mind.

For our student leaders, you inspire respect and admiration from your younger peers every time you treat them as equals, or behave with dignity, or honour, or service; that is your legacy, and you build upon it day-by-day.

For our leaders of 2022, and the years beyond - the selection cycle is called just that because it does not end with the announcement assembly. The responsibilities of a leader are not momentary. A great leader is expected to live the values of the community she represents. Just as the St Aidan’s community expects those without a badge to also be leaders, we expect and encourage those who are in official positions to earn that badge over and over again.

Legacy is not finished, it is not in the past. Instead, it is alive, and it is everything we do. As the author Annie Dillard writes, “How we spend our days, is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

Ms Toni Riordan Principal