EMPOWERING STUDENT WELLNESS
ACT JUSTLY
By Matt Edwards (Secondary Chaplain)
Here at BHCS, our ethos is to: 1. Act justly 2. Love mercy 3. To walk humbly with the God who created us. So, when you think of the word ‘justice’, what comes to mind?
We will consider the other two in upcoming articles. But what does it mean to act justly, and why is it important for student wellbeing?
Being involved in a community is an investment. Part of this investment is to uphold, or ‘buy into’, what the community as a whole defines themselves by. Considering this, what does acting justly look like? There are a few different ways that people see justice, I’m sure you’ll have heard of them. We can’t help but see all the superhero movies where justice is sought, in many cases, by punching and kicking the bad guys into oblivion!
This vigilante type justice desires for things to be right, by making them right (according to an ideal.) There is also the sense in which unfair societal structures can be attacked, in an attempt to bring justice to those who are disempowered or negatively affected by them.
But I think the greatest way for justice to be done, is when a community of people band together, and commit to acting justly as individuals. Where individual action considers the impact that it has on others. Not only, that it would not harm another, but that it would be of benefit to others. We as people, including our students, can take part in the school identity by acting justly, which works towards blessing each other. This is why it is important for our students. Because they take part in making this school what it desires to be. Just. Have you heard about the scout troop that never went outside, and only sat down to watch movies? Neither have I.
I recall hearing a story of a school where there was minimal bullying. An official visitor came into the school to investigate how this was done, as there was no anti-bullying program in place. When they asked a student, the student simply said, “We don’t do that around here.”
All of us, being part of the BHCS community, are invited to act justly. Not using others as a stepping stone to get to where you want to go, either socially, educationally or financially. By being honest and considerate towards people, treating them as having equal dignity with ourselves. When people act justly, there is no injustice to be undone. What a thought!
For more information that explores this topic please follow the below links:
https://bhcs.vic.schooltv.me/content/blog/teaching-kids-be-brave-explaining-what-courage
https://bhcs.vic.schooltv.me/newsletter-external-resource/whoever-you-are-mem-fox-0
https://au.reachout.com/bullying/ive-witnessed-bullying/how-to-be-an-upstander
WELLBEING RESOURCES
We know that it can sometimes be hard to find the necessary resources in relation to mental health, bullying and family violence, especially when things are tough. For this reason, the School has a small webpage with links related to health and wellbeing resources. This can be found on the School's website under Other Resources or can be found here.