A significant part of becoming a CBC Gentleman is the opportunity for our young men to grow in independence, responsibility, and community-mindedness. These qualities form a core part of the "CBC Point of Difference," a phrase that has become part of our everyday language and is regularly referenced at parent events, assemblies, and in College publications. To quote the 'philosopher' Gary Cherone; lead singer of 80s rock band Extreme (and briefly, Van Halen) this point of difference must be "more than words." 
Whenever you visit our campus, I hope you feel what I do: a genuine sense of community and care for others that makes CBC unique. From a Teaching and Learning perspective, this ethos is evident in many ways:
- Graduated use of personal devices: Rather than blanket bans, we adopt nuanced guidelines that recognise stages of independence. While phones are unnecessary in junior years, with teacher supervision they can support work experience arrangements, mobile file access and inter-school collaboration in senior years, as well as preparing students with the appropriate discipline required in their future tertiary studies or workplaces, where these devices will be ubiquitous inclusions to their everyday toolkit.
- Balanced academic integrity measures: We treat academic breaches such as plagiarism or collusion with individual context and care. Like in the real world, we accept that there are different circumstances surrounding each breach, and include the student in the discussion of what an appropriate rectification strategy may be. Additionally, students who own their mistakes (both intentional and unintentional) may receive more lenient penalties, which provides an incentive for the boys to be truthful, allows students to take ownership of their mistakes and most importantly, learn from them and move forward.
- Student-led learning pathways: Wherever possible it is the student who is encouraged to take initiative, whether requesting assessment extensions due to extenuating circumstances, arranging overseas access to SEQTA while away from the College on an extracurricular trip or selecting their own elective subjects. In addition, it is pleasing to see an increase in the number of students taking on Independent Learning Projects as an elective. Engaging in self-directed inquiry, and showcasing their ability to manage and pursue learning autonomously.
Helping students grow in responsibility sometimes means allowing them to fail . The balance between growing this responsibility and simply leaving students to fend for themselves is ensuring the boys have appropriate supports and there is always with a safety net to ensure setbacks are temporary and recoverable.
Examples of these 'safety nets' include:
- Accountability for class time: Students who misuse significant parts of class time are expected to complete work with me during breaks. A clear and fair consequence as well as an opportunity to discuss any concerns or questions they may have.
- Elective selection ownership: Students who miss deadlines may not get their preferred subjects. However, we ensure no elective is a prerequisite for future years (for example you do not need to do Philosophy in Year 9 to try it in Year 10). Futhermore, we keep records of students who are unable to enrol in their preferred electives in order to prioritise them next time.
If anything, I felt compelled to write about these examples today because, I am rarely asked by the community at large to justify the 'why?'. This is an inherent positive, and speaks volumes about the trust and support parents and guardians have in enabling our teachers and admin staff, experts in both subject matter and student engagement, to fully commit to our pursuit of the CBC Gentleman. I want to thank you all for your trust and support. Simply put, your confidence in our team allows us to spend more time crafting targeted lessons and meaningful opportunities for your sons, and less time justifying and explaining why we adopt the approach we do. It feels like we are all rowing the boat in the same direction, which is surely a good thing for the boys. While I can only speak from my own experience, adding the stories shared with me from colleagues in similar roles at other schools. I truly believe that the level of trust and support afforded by the CBC parent community is exceptional.
You may have seen recent media coverage on Teaching and Learning issues, such as the upcoming changes to WACE requirements, the soon to be implemented social media ban for Australians under 16, and the evolving role of AI in schools. In these areas, I ask you to continue extending this trust.
Specifically:
WACE changes, including the acceptance of a 'D' grade toward unit completion, are applied at year's end and do not affect CBC's teaching, learning, or grading practices. The most appropriate way for us to accommodate this change is to continue our Senior School teaching and course counselling without change.
School-issued devices allow us to monitor and manage all tools and software students use in class including YouTube and Google services including limited AI integration. Recent regulatory changes now require schools to provide consent for students to access services like YouTube, Google Earth, Translate, and Maps. CBC has provided this consent for all students to maintain the quality and continuity of our curriculum.
Please don't misread this message. I absolutely encourage you to reach out with any concerns or questions. In fact, I would go further and say you must. Should you wish to catch up and discus the finer points of curriculum, pedagogy, and educational reform over a coffee, I'm always happy to discuss (you might not be able to get away!). But today, I simply want to thank you for the trust you place in us. When we surround our boys with people who genuinely care about them and create environments where they will succeed (or fail in ways that allow for growth and recovery) we truly are preparing CBC Gentlemen who will thrive in the community, long after these supports are taken away.
Warm regards,
Jean-Paul Papineau
Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning