From the Deputy Principal

Welcome back to LWLS. Term 4 is upon us and is looking to be a busy 9 weeks. I want to thank you for your ongoing support and engagement with the school. 

Our focus value for the first three weeks of this term is Love: Show compassion and kindness in the classroom. 

Compassion is defined as the feeling that arises when you perceive another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. Compassion can arise from empathy, the more general ability to understand and feel others’ emotions, but it goes further by also including the desire to help.  As Lutherans we have a service element in everything we do. We want to help. When compassion does lead to action, we often call the result kindness. 

Research has shown that compassion and kindness are deeply rooted in human nature–our first impulse is to cooperate rather than compete. Even toddlers spontaneously help people in need out of genuine concern for their welfare. This innate kindness, however, often gets lost in a society built on competition. We all have a golden opportunity to cultivate the compassionate side of our children by creating a culture in which kindness is valued. How do you show compassion and kindness to others? How do you encourage your children to show this same compassion and kindness to others? 

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

–Leo Buscaglia

Miss Megan Nertney