April-May Welcome to Term 2, 2026: Letter from Head of the School, Gerard Houlihan

A Warm Welcome to Term 2, 2026 From the Head of the School Over the holiday break I set myself a simple intention: read a couple of books and catch up on a few recommended shows. Like many of us, I didn’t quite manage it. And perhaps that is telling. In recent readings, I have been struck by the idea of the decline of ‘monoculture’—the fading of those shared cultural moments that once gave us a natural common ground. When I was growing up in country Victoria, our media choices were few. Today, the opposite is true: endless platforms, endless options, endless content—each designed to capture our attention, often in highly personalised ways. In that environment, it takes real discipline to decide what deserves our focus—what is truly important, not simply what is loud, urgent, or emotionally magnetic. My reading revisited Stephen Covey’s ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ and returned to a framework many will recognise: separating the urgent from the important. When the world feels noisy, our choices and habits become a kind of compass. It is one reason I have felt reassured by the careful work behind our revised daily structure: it delivers increased learning time with teachers for Senior School students and longer lesson sessions for Junior School students, while also providing our teachers and wellbeing experts with additional time to deliver outstanding instruction and personalised pastoral care. At St Michael’s Grammar School, our compass begins with our founding values: Dignity, Respect, Care and Compassion. Compassion, in particular, is more than noticing another person’s needs; it is the willingness to act with kindness. It also aligns with a principle I return to often: seeking first to understand. In a complex world, the ability to listen carefully, to hold perspective, and to respond with integrity is not just “good character”—it is a leadership skill. This week gives us three powerful reminders of what it means to be grounded in shared purpose. Today, 23 April, is our School’s 131st birthday, an occasion to reflect with gratitude on the legacy we inherit and the one we are shaping together. And as part of our term’s rhythm, our community will come together next week through our School Easter Services. These services matter because they pull us back from the rush of the everyday and remind us that education is not only about achievement—it is also about meaning, belonging, and the kind of people our