The trencher hat philosophy of lifelong learning

Above all else, we strive to ensure that our students are reminded that their identity is not found in the reports or in their grades, but in their Heavenly Father. It is in His strength that we find the determination and tenacity to push on in our learning journeys.

Tenacity is defined as being determined, resolute, holding on tightly to something and persevering to achieve a goal. This is exactly what I hope to see being the learning attitude of every student in this school. No matter your results, we wish to see learners who have grit, who resolve to improve and who are committed to understanding their best ways of learning.

Our role as teachers is so much more than ensuring that you understand the content of the curriculum. As teachers, we want to invest into you holistically. We want you to know that we believe in you – that we believe in your capacity to become thinkers, creators and collaborators. I have been encouraging teachers to take notice – to take notice of the students who take risks with their learning, who are bold, who are resilient, who persevere and who show tenacity. It is those students who receive our Learning Leader award.

For our academic assembly yesterday, Mr Stonestreet wore his academic gown. When I knew Mr Stonestreet was going to wear this, I was reminded of a conversation I had with somebody at my uni.

I’m studying at The University of Sydney and I was speaking to a professor there and we started talking about academic dress. She told me something very interesting. Right back when universities first started, there was a deliberate decision for every one to wear these gowns whilst learning – all the students and the teachers wore them every day. So whether you were a teacher, or a student doing a divinity degree, or law degree, or arts degree, no matter what, everyone wore the same simple black gown. That was intentional. It was a bold statement saying that we are all here as learners, there is no distinction when it comes to learning. Whether it was someone from a rich noble family, from the church, or from a less affluent family, once they were in that uni, you weren’t meant to tell the difference. This was quite radical at the time, as class and social structures defined those societies. 

In fact The University of Sydney still follows in that tradition when it comes to their graduation ceremonies. It is one of only a few universities where all graduates wear the same cap – the mortarboard style trencher cap. Most universities get you to wear fancier hats (often called Tudor bonnets, made from velvet!) for higher ‘ranked’ degrees. Sydney deliberately chooses for all graduates to wear a trencher, no matter what degree you are graduating with, whether it’s a bachelor, a masters or a PhD. 

I love that philosophy and spirit of learning. And I’d love to see that modeled here at Shire. We won’t be shifting to all wearing academic gowns or wearing trencher hats when we graduate. But I’d love us all to be a community of learners, learning together as teachers and students. A community where we value all types of learning, no matter your subject, no matter the grade level. No matter your ability or background or past learning experience, we want to hold a belief that we all have the capacity and potential to learn, a belief that learning is learnable and it is our desire to not only teach you the content of our subjects, but also to teach you how to learn, how to learn about your capacities, how to amplify your strengths and continually improve.

Mrs Natalie Bluhdorn
Academic Head