What I leave behind

Dr Peter Miller, Principal

“Everyone should leave something behind when he dies, my grandpa said. A child or book or painting or house or wall built or pair of shoes made...It doesn’t matter what a person does, he said, as long as you change something about the way it was before you made it into something that’s like you after you take your hands away.” - Ray Bradbury

These words of the celebrated 20th-century American author and screenwriter Ray Bradbury are particularly relevant to me in these final months as Principal of The Geelong College.

Although Bradbury focuses on legacy, there is also an element of stewardship that sits among his thoughts. Both are important to me because they are about influence and relevance.

While doing one’s best in the moment, one would hope that a Principal might be relevant and influential in their time in the role and into the future lives of students. At the same time, the experience as Principal has shaped me.

Central to my sense of what is important is not only those things in the moment, such as the celebration of a new building, a new educational program and student achievements. They are all important, but so is the positive culture and long-lasting impact of these moments. It is this positive culture that I have looked to nurture.

Over the last decade, it has been my intention to respectfully steward our school towards the future, always mindful of our foundation and history while balancing this with the needs of today, ahead of anticipated needs of our students and school into the future.

The common element across the past, present and future is our shared values, aspirations and the relevance of The Geelong College to our community. I have learned a great deal at College about the importance of clarity of values, ensuring espoused values are reflected in actions, while adopting a positive and constructive approach to problems. I have also learned a great deal about the importance of the College experience in the lives of our students, many years after moving beyond our gates.

In terms of student experiences, we strongly value practices that demonstrate excellence and rigour in teaching and learning at the College. These are relevant to every experience in each student’s academic endeavours: their cocurricular activities, engagement in community service and their social, emotional and spiritual development. Each student needs to be challenged while immersed in an environment that provides opportunities to excel. I believe this is a feature of College life.

The experiences we have in our lives shape our development, who we are and how we respond to challenges, as well as how we define success. This culture needs to be nurtured, respected and honoured in a school environment, attending to four main areas: the physical spaces of the school; the operational systems and programs of the school; and, the people occupying the spaces and implementing the systems and programs.

The fourth consideration is the values which are not only espoused but ‘lived’ through actions. They determine the decisions made about the College, how it functions and the sense of place experienced by each student on a day-to-day basis. An awareness of this underpins each decision and action here at College and has shaped our evolution as a contemporary educational organisation.

The progress of College over the last decade has come about through hard work by students and by staff, as well as by excellent governance to set the scene. It is critical that we provide an environment for our young people to take risks, do what is difficult, succeed or even fail from time to time. Above all we seek to enable our young people to grow in stature enabling to engage with the world beyond the school gates with a confident humility and a sense of responsibility to others.

College is a relevant and purposeful educational institution. It has always

been like this and it has been my intention to work with everyone here to guide the evolution of College over the last decade, so it might be well positioned to engage with the challenges of the next 50 years as we move towards the 22nd century. The success of this effort will be judged in time but it is my wish for College to thrive for at least another 165 years.

College is a great place, and I trust it will always be a place where we look to provide a culture where our young people thrive as they live, learn and grow together.

My final comment is to say: to be the Principal of a remarkable school like ours is a privilege, and to have been in the role for a decade is something for which I am very grateful. I will always follow its journey with great interest and affection.