Principal's Report

Either we have hope in us or we don’t.  It is a dimension of the soul, and it’s not essentially dependent on some particular observation of the world or estimate of the situation…… It is an orientation of the Spirit, and orientation of the heart…

Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed.

Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism.  It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out…it is also hope, above all, which gives us the strength to live and continually try new things, even in conditions that seem hopeless.  (1986)

I recently came across this passage by Vaclav Havel about hope.  In the current world climate, it really spoke to me and reminded me why in our school we strive to cultivate hope as a foundational ‘heart force’. 

One of the ways we do this is by offering the children fairy tales and old traditional tales. Fairy tales are nourishment for the inner life of the child. One of the most powerful ways they build hope is through imagery that speaks directly to the developing imagination.  Fairy tales never shy away from difficulty…they portray challenge and transformation.  Children meet images of hardship, danger, and loss….and these challenges are always met with courage, kindness, or perseverance.  On a ‘safe’ and imaginative level, the children experience that difficulties can be worked through.  Support often arises in unexpected ways through animals, wise old women, or magical helpers, helping the children develop an inner sense that they are not alone in life and fostering the early roots of hope.

The structure of fairy tales is predictable: a challenge arises, the hero or heroine meets helpers, and harmony is restored. This rhythmic pattern meets the child’s need for security, and the repetition of this world order builds an inner trust that life has meaning.  In many tales, the hero succeeds not because they are the strongest, but because they are honest, kind, or true, reinforcing the hopeful idea that simple, human virtues have real power and that even small acts of goodness can change destiny. By picturing trials and resolutions inwardly, children develop imaginative flexibility, an essential foundation for creative problem solving and emotional resilience later in life.

Warmly,

Pep