The teacher simply wants the best for their student. By Year 12, we would expect that the student recognises their role in changing the narrative, to take responsibility, submit the work and of course the next lesson is a new beginning.
Big tech might look at our classrooms and see inefficiency; we see space and time for students to grapple with ideas at their own pace so that they might grow in independence.
We monitor girls’ behaviour at school but, as always, the strongest line of defence is education.
I remember listening to Ms Stone in Assembly in 2018 when she told us about a lifelong Republican and his desire to be heard. His name was David Weissman. Your “typical Twitter troll” who, like many others, felt isolated in the then political climate and was using social media as his platform to vent.
There is complexity and intensity in childhood friendships. The strength of social connection has a profound effect on happiness, and in turn a child’s capacity to learn. Sustaining a culture of kindness in a school provides the foundation for all to flourish.
Term 4 has started with Camp Week for the Senior School and, somewhat miraculously, we seem to have lucked out with five relatively dry days sandwiched between two La Niñas in Sydney’s wettest ever year.
The first guilds can be traced back to the 12th Century. Groups of like-minded individuals came together to maintain high standards in their area of interest, and to refine the skills of their craft through apprenticeships.
This morning, we celebrated the School’s 97th birthday. It is the only occasion in the year when the whole School gathers together and we began by taking a few moments to honour and give thanks for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her remarkable life of dignity, dedication and service.
This unexpectedly meaningful experience radically changed my perception of what volunteering means.
In a School with a smorgasbord of cocurricular, organised activities known to benefit cognitive, physical, cultural and social development, it may seem incongruous to suggest that it is beneficial for young people to be bored.
As the Director of Well-being, I wish I had a magic wand that would ensure happiness for all, but that is not the reality. The well-being of a child is never one-dimensional.