From the Principal

Almost everyone considers themselves an “expert” in schooling in some way, as almost everyone went to one. Each person’s experience was different, of course, and undoubtedly varied. Hearing from very many Old Trinity Grammarians in my now more than five years at Trinity, I have heard lots of stories of success, challenge, triumph, disaster and the occasional story that would have challenged those in charge of student discipline at the time! Lots of things are different in schooling now from a generation, or generations, ago, and some are consistent.

For Trinity, we seek a progressive education that is in concert with our tradition of leaning forward into the emerging world, yet we do so grounded in the many elements that have helped define us for over 120 years. There are things about Trinity in 2025 that are vividly new to visiting OTGs, and things that are vividly similar. The Trinity I knew from a distance growing up, and the one chronicled so comprehensively by our former archivist Jane Carolan, can be seen in our current state, but we do not seek to be an echo of the past; rather we are keen to be respectful of ‘then’, invested in the ‘now’ and eyeing a rich future.

In the contemporary version of us, we continue to put a significant emphasis on leadership, both for students and staff, that has long been a feature of Trinity. Not the cavalier leadership that is so highly visible in this part of our global history, but the type that everyone can exercise; the one which asks individuals to consider deeply their decisions that impact others. We look intentionally to build leadership values and leadership opportunities into daily life. We see it in the sport system, in our Outdoor Education program and threaded throughout the school community in myriad structures. Many former students will recognise these features from their time.

So says The Lorax, so ably featured in HPAF this year. While his original commentary as authored by Dr Seuss is directly related to the plight of the global physical environment, the sentiment reflects a worthy version of our motto, Viriliter Agite, which has attended Trinity faithfully since adopted by early Trinitarians in 1904.

Caring for those beyond ourselves is leadership, and The Lorax’s call for each individual to care reflects our motto’s imperative for us to Act Courageously. Our students certainly do that when they step out onto a stage in front of 2,000 people to sing, dance and act, whatever their inclination to do so. More importantly, we ask them to do so in their interactions with each other and the broader world. The mild challenge of conquering striding onto a stage can help enable a readiness to tackle the bigger issues of the world to come.

HPAF is “just” a House competition, but fundamentally it lets us know that we can demonstrate and apply our values when they matter. That’s why we do it, of course. Our school has survived and thrived over many years. Trinity has lived one life, and many. Generations of families have had their experience of us, each with their core similarities and evolving differences. One person’s “Act Courageously” is another’s “Act Manfully”. One’s “School on the Hill” is another’s 40 Charles Street. All are valid.

Everyone is an expert in schooling, but it is usually in their own understanding which is often fashioned by their own student experience. That’s okay. That ensures a rich and varied history. The unshakable parts, as I have experienced, include a student’s ability to make a decision to directly benefit others, a teacher’s inclination to “go above and beyond” and a school family’s faith in a school’s direction.

It seems to me that they “care a whole awful lot” and that is what we are grateful for in supporting our efforts to ensure we are a Trinity with the rich future we seek.