From Damien Thompson, Head of Lacey House
The strength of our House lies in our strong student led Mentor Groups and House meeting framework that thrives on the input of our senior boys and the enthusiasm of the younger students.
The Year Twelve Leadership group has set the bar high this year and they have produced House Meetings that have been engaging and informative. The aim of our group has been to get the Senior and Junior boys all talking to each other.
We strive to be at our best each day whilst reveling in the unique qualities us all. The challenge to produce a unique House chant that will be a legacy for the future is still to be met and the boys are resisting incorporating the St George Illawarra Dragons song into our repertoire even though quite a few of the Mentors believe this to be an ideal solution. We await the Athletics carnival that will set the scene for the Leaders to produce the goods.
International Women’s day was celebrated with a big turnout of Lacey mothers and Student Representative Council members representing our House. The theme of the morning was how the developed world can assist women in developing nations gain independence financially by starting up and supporting cottage industry activities.
Our House charity, RUOK day, will have its first fundraising event on the 3rd of May. Estee Lauder are supporting our cause by providing a fabulous opportunity, just prior to Mother’s Day, to purchase a range of products at great prices. Profits will go straight to RUOK. Our big fundraiser will occur in September and the Senior Leaders are already planning a path that will highlight the importance of supporting this event which is dear to the hearts of Waverley College.
The swimming carnival was held at the Sydney Olympic venue and though most boys only had one swim during the day the atmosphere was great and the Lacey boys really got behind the senior leaders to sing out all day. Nikita Strbac, Robbie Beal, Sacha Cohen, Reece Cohen and Lachlan Bell all made the CAS squad.
The Mentors have taken on the new Wellbeing direction with great enthusiasm and the building of solid connections between themselves and the boys continues with each morning meeting. A new emphasis this year has been on students leading our wellbeing meetings and continuing to develop their skills in presenting and leading discussions amongst their peers.
The high-profile role of our House Leadership team which consists of Ben Webster, Felix Valentine, Byron Howe and Jacob Gibson have continued to improve the model of student led meetings. I have been impressed with how the leaders have grown in their confidence in such a short period of time.
We are looking forward to stronger connections between House and Home, between Parents and Mentors, between Students and Mentors and between Students and their Peers. I am always delighted to hear from parents about the great things that are happening in your son’s life as well as the moments they need extra support from us.
