In a world where you can be anything, BE KIND

In a world where you can be anything, BE KIND

The topic of bullying in schools hits the headlines regularly. It’s heartbreaking to think about children being treated unkindly, victimised, traumatised. What allows a child to treat another child this way? An inability to show empathy and compassion are major contributing factors to the reported bullying epidemic. 

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. When children have the capacity to understand how another child might feel, predict the consequences of their words and actions, they have information to inform their decisions about what they say and do to others. Compassion is a sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. It’s the ability to understand how another person might feel together with a desire to do something positive to support that person. Compassion requires action.
 
Children learn compassion initially through relationships with parents and family. When they feel loved, nurtured and secure the foundations of compassion are firmly in place. Children continue to learn compassion through example, reinforcement and experience. Compassion is considered to be like a muscle; developed when used.
 
Our belief as teachers is that we have a powerful opportunity to model compassion to students. We seek to help them belong and feel heard and supported. We also believe that compassion can be taught. We are intentional about challenging students to consider issues from the perspectives of others and in encouraging them to be creative and courageous in showing kindness and compassion. Through a myriad of service activities we encourage our students to experience the impact of compassion in action. Our desire is to empower our students to be world-changers who boldly show compassion to their families, in their community and in their spheres of influence. Consider what the world would be like if compassion was our first impulse, our driving force. That’s who God calls us to be. 

"So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it." Colossians 3:12-14 MSG

Mrs Deb Cooper
Principal