Senior School

The Power of Small Things

Article by Nathan Cutajar, Year 10 Level Leader

It’s easy to overlook how powerful small things can be — a smile in the hallway, a kind comment in class, or just making space at your table for someone who looks unsure. These moments might not seem like much at the time, but to someone else, they could mean everything.

One time in Year 8, someone I didn’t really know invited me to sit with them at lunch when I was by myself. We’re actually still friends now - Year 10 student

At school or at work, we’re surrounded by people every day. And yet, some still feel invisible. Not because they’ve done anything wrong - but because others haven’t taken the time to notice them.

Sometimes it’s not the loud actions that do the most damage. It can be the little things: being left out, being laughed at quietly, or the way someone rolls their eyes when you speak. These are moments we don’t always talk about, but they add up.

I think people don’t always realise when they’re being hurtful - especially in group chats. Screens make it easier to forget there’s a real person reading those messages - Year 10 student

For students, these daily social interactions shape their confidence, their identity, and their sense of belonging. For parents and caregivers, it can be hard to know exactly what’s going on, because the hardest moments often aren’t loud or visible.

Overnewton is built on values like kindness, courage, and inclusion. Living those values isn’t always about grand gestures, more often, it’s in the everyday decisions: not joining in when someone’s being talked about, making room for someone new, or being the one to say, “Hey, that’s not okay.”

A Shared Responsibility

Whether you're a student, a parent, or part of the wider school community, we all have a role in shaping the culture around us. Kindness doesn’t stop at the classroom door. It carries into our homes, our conversations, and our screens.

• For students, the challenge is to notice, and act. Be the person who includes. Who encourages. Who doesn’t stay silent.

• For parents, it’s about keeping the conversation open. Ask how things are going, not just academically, but socially. Listen carefully to the in-betweens. And don’t underestimate the importance of checking in, even if it’s brief.

A Year 12 student once called out someone being rude to me. They didn’t even know me, but it meant a lot.— Year 10 student

A Small Challenge for the Week

Let’s all, students, staff, and families, commit to doing one small thing this week that builds someone up. That makes space for someone else. That challenges a moment of unkindness or exclusion.

Because when we think about the people who made a difference in our lives, it’s rarely because of something huge. It’s usually because of how they made us feel; respected, safe, and seen.

The small things? They're not so small after all.

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