Dear Parents, Staff, and Students,
As we embark on a new academic year of English and Languages, I want to address a crucial element for success in our great faculty: focus.
In my Year 11 Literature class, we are reading Homer’s Odyssey, a timeless epic that offers profound insights into the human condition. Homer mainly teaches us that hosting others is a blessing, that our great deeds will bring us fame, that we must have our wits about us, and that it is right and just to long for home. There is one smaller episode in the Odyssey, though, that my boys were quite drawn to. It is the encounter with the Lotus-Eaters, and I think they were drawn in because it provides a compelling allegory for the challenge we face in maintaining our concentration, particularly once the shine of the new academic year starts to mellow and fade.
Odysseus’s crew, weary and vulnerable, land on an island where the inhabitants offer them the lotus fruit. This “honey-sweet” fruit induces a state of blissful oblivion, dissolving all thoughts of home, duty, and the arduous journey ahead. Some of the men are seduced by the immediate pleasure, lose all sense of purpose. They lose their desire to return.
Our boys face to danger of the “lotus” in their daily lives. Indeed, we all do. At the start of a new school year, it’s easy to be distracted by the allure of instant gratification. Social media, endless entertainment, and the temptations to procrastinate all come to mind.
Just as Odysseus must forcibly drag his men back to the ships, we too must actively resist the pull of distraction. We must cultivate the discipline to prioritise our boys’ studies, to engage fully in our learning, and to remain focused on our students’ long-term goals.
In English and Languages, thankfully, we are already seeing the importance of focused learning in action this term. Our Year 9 English students have had the invaluable opportunity to hear from esteemed journalists Dennis Shanahan from The Australian and JP Maloney from The Canberra Times. These sessions provided real-world insights into the power of language and communication, and we’re excited to see some of their feature articles showcased in this year’s Vortex. These boys’ direct engagement with professionals highlights the tangible outcomes of diligent study and a focused approach to writing. Year 9 is such a crucial moment of a boy’s development, and I am hoping to organise more guest speakers for them, so reach out if you have some suggestions for our next topic of Australian Identity.
In other great news, our senior Japanese students recently participated in a stimulating workshop led by Associate Professor Chris Hobson from the Australian National University (ANU). Professor Hobson, Program Convenor of the Bachelor of Asia Pacific Affairs, provided a fascinating glimpse into the unique dual degree program between ANU and Ritsumeikan University in Japan. This incredible opportunity underscores the importance of focusing on our language studies and the exciting pathways it can open. Professor Hobson’s talk was a clear reminder that consistent effort, and a dedicated focus, leads to incredible opportunities.
And this is only a small taste of what’s on in English and Languages. Great works have been happening across all of the grades.
So, for now, I encourage all of us to help our students reflect on their own 2025 odyssey. Let us hope they strive to be resolute in their pursuit of knowledge and determined to avoid the seductive trap of distraction. Let us help them cultivate a mindset of focus, discipline, and purpose, ensuring they have a successful and fulfilling academic year. The wonderful opportunities our students have engaged in this term already are examples of the rewards that come from dedicated focus.
I wish everyone a productive and enriching term. May our boys focus, strive to be great, and reach a glorious destination.
Oliver Burke
Head of English and Languages