House Notes The first two weeks of Term 4 have gone by at lightning speed. The Year 12s of 2007 are currently immersed in their HSC examinations and they are coming to the realisation that the end is drawing near and many are having conversations with boarding staff about how they feel about it all -their hopes and aspirations for their future. It is wonderful to see them as young men entering a new stage of their life. It seems that the celebrations ahead will consist of a great deal of reflection, sadness and joy.

Awards 2007
One of the highest awards a young man can receive is the Canberra Grammar School Medal. This award is given for an outstanding contribution to the School. We were delighted that in 2007 five Year 12 Boarders were honoured. Congratulations to James Hall, Shanan Kan, Charlie Fairfield-Smith, Andrew Hindmarsh and Sam Rolfe. Wally Noonan received a Headmaster's Prize for outstanding contribution. A great achievement.

Canteen Fundraiser
On Friday of last week the boys of Blaxland and Jones Houses enjoyed taking part in Bandana Day in support of CanTeen -the Australian Organisation for Young people living with Cancer. Together the whole school community raised in excess of $1,300.00 for this very worthwhile cause.

Year 10 Semi Formal
Last Friday evening was also a highlight as many of the Boarders attended the Year 10 Semi Formal at Rydges Lakeside. There was much grooming and preening but I must say they all looked very dapper in their suits and ties.

Healthy Body Healthy Mind
Sister Jill from the Health Clinic is conducting introductory Yoga lessons on Wednesday mornings. It is excellent to see some boys taking the opportunity to experience the benefits of this class. A particular goal of the Health Clinic is teaching boys how to be responsible for their own health. To that end, boys are encouraged to include regular exercise and a healthy approach to eating. A healthy body is necessary for good mind development.

Some Recommended Reading
He'll Be Ok: Growing Gorgeous Boys Into Good Men by Celia Lashlie 2007 edition Harper Collins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd, 2007

Book Description
Do you think you'll ever have a life plan? No. So how will your life sort itself out? Oh, that's easy. I'll be about 25 and some gorgeous-looking chick will walk past. She'll have a great plan, so I'll just hook onto her. In this funny, honest, no-nonsense book, researcher and social commentator Celia Lashlie reveals what goes on inside the world of boys, and that it is an entirely different world from that of girls. With clarity and insight she offers parents practical and reassuring advice on raising their boys to become positive and articulate men - certainly worth a read.

Some Excerpts
'The answer to the things that worry us the most about boys lies in recognising who they are rather than in trying to make them who they are not'. (p. 17)

'Men (by inference, boys), on the other hand, think, then talk and there's often a gap, between the two processes. In terms of effective inter-gender communication, this is often where the problem starts. We women sense the existence of the gap and immediately move to fill it in by talking to the man and interrupting his thinking processes.' (p. 25)

'Many of the discussions held in the course of the Good Man Project focused on what boys need most as they make their way across the bridge of adolescence. On the basis of what I have observed, whatever else we might include in there, the essential element is time. They need time to think, time to process newfound emotions and time to make decisions about their future. They need time to just be, to move freely between boyhood and manhood, returning several times, in the initial flush of adolescence, to a state of boyhood where they will spend time playing while reflecting at a deeper (and often completely invisible) level on the fact they they're in the process of leaving that boyhood behind. This it seems to me, is what boys' schools do best of all. They give their students the time they need, time to come fully into the adolescent experience at their own pace, time to adjust to the fact that life is moving on and taking them with it. And while this process is under way, the schools continue to put positive images of manhood before the boys which tell them and build a sense of anticipation about the world of men.' (p. 51)

About the Author Celia worked in the prison system in New Zealand from 1985 to 1999. She was the first woman in New Zealand to work in a custodial role in a male prison. Celia recently completed the 'Good Man' project; a project commissioned to facilitate discussion within and between 25 boys' schools in New Zealand with the aim of creating a working definition of what makes a good man in the 21st century. Celia visited CGS for two days in 2006.