As part of the annual William Carey assembly last week, we were again reminded of the words of our School motto, ‘By Courage and Faith’. As a missionary who moved from England to India in the latter part of the 18th century, there was a degree of courage in William Carey’s travels as he remained committed to sharing his faith with others.
While our School motto continues to retain a relevance, it is the following words he said in pursuit of his ambitions that resonate: ‘I’m not afraid of failure but I’m afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.’
Many students across the School are currently in the process of making choices, whether that be their 2026 tertiary preferences, the decision between IB and VCE at Year 11, or their summer activity as part of their co-curricular commitment. All of these choices matter, but for each student, and to steal a line from George Orwell, some of these decisions will be more equal than others.
William Carey had many vocations: he chose to pursue languages, he delved into botany, and he helped set up educational institutions, but such choices are not for all. As our students contemplate their next steps, like William Carey, they are well advised to pursue things that matter to them.
Peter Robson
Deputy Principal – Wellbeing
