The Mind and The Heart
“You’d better train every part of your body.” The other day this stood out for me from a search page. When you look for inspirational quotes you can find all manner of stunning wisdom, but this statement stood out for its simplicity.
The picture next to the quote was of an extremely muscled man. Not your body builder type muscle, this man was lean, he was tense, he was ready for action. He was Bruce Lee (no relation to our own Mr Lee), a TV and film star of the 1960s and 70s. He was a martial artist and as well a bit of a philosopher, a deep thinker. I know because I was a bit of a fanboy, back when I was a boy, many, many, many years ago.
What this whole picture seemed to miss, though, were two crucial, but not obvious parts, of the body that need training. The mind and the heart. The ideal Eddies man is the whole package, physically and creatively, as we acknowledged on Tuesday, but also academically and spiritually.
The mind and the heart. This is our core business here at Eddies, developing the mind and the heart. So, on any one day we have classes. English, Maths, Science, Religion, Social Science, PE, Music, Art, Drama, IT, ITD, Film and TV and the list goes on.
In classrooms, in workshops, in labs, these are the arenas where we train their minds. They sharpen their mental abilities. They become innovative and flexible, problem solve and think critically. They develop their skills. Training the mind is nothing if you don’t train your heart.
Bruce —I feel I can call him Bruce as I’ve known him for a long, long, long time — once said, “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.” Training your heart is about action…doing. Brother or sister to another. We call it service but it’s also contribution…what you give, whether as a tour guide at Twilight Tours, a rider or support crew for Skool2Skoolies or selling soft drink by the tuckshop on Fridays. It’s about service, contribution, giving.
I’m not sure we will forget 2020 easily. In a year where so much has been different finely trained hearts and minds have been crucial. In a year where there has been so much “can’t” or what we “haven’t”, our hearts and minds take us to what we can and have. What we, as a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice Tradition have seen, what we have learned, what we have done.
For our minds -
Online learning; internal assessments; preparation for external exams; tracking, mentoring and supporting senior students; coaching middle school students; online feedback and Library Learning Hub; staff generated professional development; online pastoral care; the Rite Journey Program.
For our hearts -
Head 2 Heart Camp; DanDaLion Inclusive Cricket; Green Team (environment group); Social Justice Group; Winter Sleepout; Christmas Appeal; Write-a-Book-in-a-Day (for kids with Cancer); support packages for community members impacted by COVID; Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group; celebrations for NAIDOC; remote ANZAC services; Rookies afternoons.
Hearts and minds, we have seen, we have learned, we have done all things.
The Eddies Team creates this place. Eddies, where creatively, physically, academically and spiritually our young men have the chance to be all they can be.
This week we acknowledged and celebrated those young men who have achieved academically and in service; in mind and heart, as well as in sport and culture.
Congratulations to all the prize winners. They received recognition for their commitment to studies, sport, culture and selfless service of others.
When Bruce Lee said, “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do”, he may have been channelling St Francis of Assisi who is attributed with saying something like
“Preach the Gospel, and if you must, use words.”
Again, congratulations to all our award winners.
Year 12 Farewell Assembly
Today we farewelled our Year 12 cohort as they take their final steps in graduating to the world beyond Eddies.
I would like to particularly thank the College Captains Max Banditt, Liam Kember, Tom Parker and Luc Van Meurs for their unfailing leadership and commitment to the College. They have indeed shown their tikka.
I wish all our Year 12 men well for the next few weeks as some sit external exams and others settle into workplaces. They remain for ever Eddies men and I wish them all the very best for the future.
Congratulations to our 2021 Senior Leaders
College Captains: Ekachai Adams, Harry Hunter, Hayden Molkentien, Patrick Schmidt
House Captains:
Ambrose - Samuel Callaghan, Lachlan Norton
Callan - Hayden Bacon, Kobie Low
Elliott - Isaac McKew, Riley Stoddart
Finn - Johnathan Donnelly, Kobe Rae
Ignatius - Samuel Bothwell, Daniel Fordham
Morgan - Byron Ruhl, Mitchell Vesper
Rice - Shaun Costello, Byron Williams
Treacy - Christopher Christensen, Rory Jackson
St Edmund’s Family – Vale Mr Eric Edeling
It is with sadness that we have heard of the recent death of a former staff member, Mr Eric Edeling.
Eric was a quiet and gentle, well liked staff member and teacher of Graphics and Manual Arts, who commenced at the College in 2002 and retired in 2017.
We keep Eric’s family in our thoughts and prayers.
Ray Celegato, Principal
