From the Principal

In 1930s Detroit, a group of young men boarded a bus. Another young man was sitting by himself at the back of the bus. The group began insulting the individual. When he did not respond, they intensified their harassment. The young man stood up. He was much taller and obviously stronger than the small group had anticipated. He handed them a business card and hopped off the bus. The card read, ‘Joe Louis – Professional Boxer’. Louis was the Heavyweight World Champion from 1937-1949, defending his title a record 25 times.

Joe Louis could have easily responded differently. Even without laying a hand on them, he could have used his size and power to reinforce the mistake they had made but he chose not to. I draw this example from the book, Humilitas by John Dickson. Throughout his book, Dickson explains how humility is not characteristic of weakness but of strength. It is about intentionally putting the needs and interests of others before one’s own, of choosing to act with compassion and empathy rather than exerting your own status and power. Christ is the ultimate example of humility. Philippians 2:6-8 describes Christ:

Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to His own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking on the nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross.’

Last year, the College launched our new Secondary learning framework, the Thrive Framework. Over the course of Semester 1, our teaching staff focused on unpacking the curriculum component of the Framework as part of their staff development program. This semester, we are concentrating on the Character dimension. We are exploring how we can support the development of the dispositions within the Framework through all aspects of school life but especially through what and how we teach.

Humility is one of the characteristics we have identified as part of the framework. We want to continue to foster intellectual humility, a willingness to learn from others, and be open to feedback. We also want to foster a sense of respect and care for others.

Returning to the example of Joe Louis, the harassment of Joe Louis was at least partly racially motivated. It was at a time of racial segregation in the US and where racist attitudes ran deep. The young men were at least in part a product of their time.

As parents and as teachers, we need to be aware of the forces that have the potential to shape the attitudes of our young people. Even when our children don’t have direct exposure, their friends can share things or make comments that unsettle them. One of the things we try to encourage in students is for them to speak up if they encounter situations that they find upsetting or about which they are unsure. Working together as families and a school community, we want to work with students to recognise where the boundaries are in terms of what is beneficial and what is not.

Over the weekend, I listened to a fascinating podcast. It was an interview with Jonathan Haidt, author of the Anxious Generation. He was interviewed by neuroscientist, Dr Andrew Huberman. Some of the questions they addressed was why social media has such an impact on girls and how pornography exposure has potential for long-term impact on relationships. It is well worth the time to listen.

Jodie Bennett

Principal