Term 1, Week 1

Ordinary Magic: the Start of the School Year

As our boys step through the gates on Stephens Road in 2026 – new timetables, new faces, new haircuts – there’s a quiet, powerful transition underway. Beyond the lockers and classrooms, each young person is asking themselves the same three questions Dr Gregory Walton highlights in Ordinary Magic:

Do I belong? 

Can I do it? 

Who am I becoming?

These questions aren’t just academic; they are the heart of every transition. Our 2025 LionHearted students offered extraordinary examples of what it looks like when a young man discovers belonging, capability, and identity through everyday courage and contribution. 

Take Oscar Dean, who immersed himself in the cultural life of the College, becoming Music Captain and representing Lauries across ensembles and orchestras. Oscar’s journey was about more than performance; it was about finding his place and confidence through creative expression and community. 

For Luca Ellero, College Captain in 2025, leadership was both a calling and a challenge. Leading peers on the field and in formal roles, he balanced expectations with integrity and earned the prestigious Facere et Docere award; a testament to what happens when a student embraces responsibility, supported by his community. 

Then there’s College Dux, Finn Totterman. As an Academic Prefect and Peer Mentor, Finn showed us what ‘can I do it?’ looks like in practice: striving academically and being willing to ask for help – then offering that same support to others. His story is a beautiful reminder that courage includes reaching out. 

Others carried these questions through sport, vocation and service. Patrick Roehrig used the College’s vocational pathways to build practical skills and independence and make a confident start in his career as an electrician; Mackinnon Moffat found purpose in community engagement; and Anlin Tso lived his learning across music, sport and leadership, embodying a balanced, courageous approach to school life. 

These LionHearted stories are not just celebrations of success. They are proof of ordinary magic in action. Through daily effort, support from others, and the willingness to step forward, Lauries students discovered belonging, grew in confidence and took steps toward becoming men of character defined courage and determination.

As we begin 2026, may every student know they are seen and supported on this journey. May they hear both “you belong here” and “I believe you can do this.” And may each boy continue to explore who he is becoming, not by chance, but through courage, curiosity and community.

Welcome back to school, to new beginnings, and to plenty of ordinary magic.