DEPUTY PRINCIPAL'S REPORT 

We respect ourselves, each other and the learning environment.

This is one of our five College Community Expectations and it articulates the way members of our school community should treat each other. Our school theme this year is Respect and while I am sure everyone would have the automatic response of affirming the importance of the theme, respect is a word that is at times bandied about without the consciousness it deserves. A simple definition search will bring forward at least two ways of explaining the meaning of respect:

• a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
• due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others.

If we think then of the way we treat each other in light of either of these definitions our behavior and actions should be very clearly framed in a way that holds others up rather than diminishes others. Certainly in a Catholic faith community, where we respect the unique dignity, faith and gifts of each person, we are compelled to treat everyone we encounter each day with ‘due regard’. We should speak well of each other, we should encourage each other and acknowledge when someone has done something well or achieved success. We shouldn’t gossip about other people or begin to make up stories about others. We shouldn’t join in when others are being negative or bringing someone down. Society seems to be heading in the direction where to be negative and put others down, to complain and criticise is becoming a default position. Back handed comments about others are often explained as ‘just jokes’ and ‘we all do it’. Optimism seems to be outweighed by pessimism but shifting our behaviour and words to a positive focus has benefits for everyone in our community. There is a lot to be learned from the very old saying that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Better still we can all consider the THINK model - Before you speak, or respond, or get involved, THINK is it True, is it Helpful, is it Inspiring, is it Necessary, is it Kind.

Organisation

This week we have had an unusually high number of students who are coming to school in the wrong uniform for the day, with items missing. As our students grow to be young adults we recognise that they need to take responsibility for things like their uniform, belongings and their daily organisation. All students have a MacBook where they can access their timetable for the day. We should not be having students coming to school saying that they ‘did not know what classes they had’. We have a uniform and we expect students to wear the uniform well. Wearing a uniform and attending to standards helps young people develop habits around organisation, standards and presentation. These are life skills that help us live and work in a community beyond school.