From the Headmaster
In 1977, Mr Roderick West published the first of what has gone on to be well over 1500 issues of the Headmaster’s Bulletin. It has been published weekly since sometime in 1980, although I note that an official newsletter from the Master of the Preparatory School has been published on a weekly basis since 1966. The weekly newsletter from the Junior School has been published since the Junior School was opened in the year 2000.
As you can imagine, the nature of this publication has shifted over time. The earliest editions from Mr West were described as a ‘pastoral letter’ offering reflections on the nature of the Trinity educational offering. However, by the early 1980s there was a strong operational focus, providing information and direction about the activities of the School. These early editions were typed and duplicated with text only, although images and photographs were added gradually and colour was used on special occasions. The publication also began to recount the events of School life, including sporting results, noteworthy achievements, and insights into the classroom.
These documents were distributed to the boys to pass onto their parents, although Mr West wryly observed in a missive from 1977 that those parents who had not received a newsletter may do well to check the filtration system of the family washing machine. In 2010 the respective bulletins from each of the campuses began to be distributed digitally; the washing machines of Trinity families were no longer clogged with wads of newsletter!
Even in the decade since digital distribution took place, the Bulletin has evolved further in its form. Originally a simple digital version of the printed edition, as the School’s use of communications technology has developed, the content of the Bulletin has been integrated more and more into our website, accessed through the Trinity app, and customised for the various sub-groups within the community.
From the start of next year, the School will be utilising a new portal, known as InSite, to facilitate communication within the extended Trinity community. The content that has previously been communicated through the Bulletin will be published on the InSite platform. It will mix long form articles with notices and updates; our intent is to unclog email inboxes and make information and news easier and faster to find. You can read more and watch a quick video introduction to InSite here.
However, please be assured that I will continue to write weekly, offering my reflections and thinking in much the same way as I have done over the past five years. I had a conversation with one of our primary-years parents recently, who made the observation that he and other parents were still trying to ‘work me out’. It became apparent that they were trying to discern those things that matter to me and that are likely to characterise my leadership of the School. My suggestion was that, given that I have written to the School community every week for the past five years, reviewing my articles would be a reasonable way to ‘work me out’!
In this final article both of the 2022 calendar year, and of this particular iteration of the Headmaster’s Bulletin, I would like to express my appreciation of the support and encouragement that I receive from the members of the extended Trinity Grammar School community. By God’s grace we have enjoyed a good year in which much of what we love about School life has returned, in which we can see the learning and growth of the boys of the School, and in which we have ample grounds to be thankful. May God bless you and yours richly over the summer break.
Detur gloria soli Deo
Tim Bowden | Headmaster
