From the Leadership Team
Julia Padgett, Deputy Principal
Semester one character trait - Compassion
This semester, our character trait as well as one of the School values is compassion. Compassion is a crucial component of emotional intelligence and can greatly influence our children’s relationships, mental health and overall wellbeing.
Studies have shown that children who learn how to practise compassion are more likely to have positive relationships, show empathy and have higher self-esteem. Moreover, compassionate children have a better understanding of others’ emotions and are more likely to be kinder towards others.
So, how can we help our children to develop compassion? One way is to model it for them. Children learn by example, and if they see us being considerate to others, they are more likely to follow suit. Another way is to encourage them to practise empathy by asking them to put themselves in other people’s shoes and consider how they would feel in a similar situation.
Last week at Kilvington, students celebrated Random Acts of Kindness Day. ELC students came through the Junior School and Administration building displaying acts of kindness. They made some clay hearts and gave out notes along the way. My beautiful clay heart sits on my desk and makes me smile each time I look at it.
In the Junior School, students in Years 2 to 6 wrote notes to members of the Walsh Club. The Walsh Club members are all past students who attended Kilvington Grammar School 50 or more years ago.
The handwritten and illustrated cards all contained a personal message of thanks for the part they played in shaping our School. In March, some of our Year 6 leaders will attend the Walsh Club reunion and hand-deliver the cards.
Senior School students were encouraged to make 'kindness the norm’ by participating in a range of activities. The School leaders sold chocolate hearts as gifts, with all proceeds being donated to support the Turkey and Syria earthquake efforts.
By fostering compassion in our children, we are helping them to become happier, more empathetic individuals, and equipping them to navigate the complexities of the world with kindness and understanding.
Staffing news
We welcome Evgeny Chebykin, who will commence as a Trumpet Teacher from next week. Evgeny is a graduate from the Royal Academy of Music in London and has previously been Head of Brass at Peninsula Grammar School. Evgeny has a wealth of performance experience, including most recently with Melbourne Opera and Orchestra Victoria.
In mid-March, we will say goodbye to Tamara Drazic, Library Services and Digital Resources Assistant, who is leaving us for an Academic Librarianship position at the University of Melbourne. We take this opportunity to thank Tamara for her commitment to the Library over the last couple of years. Her initiative and knowledge of our audio visual systems and ability to make the Library a creative place to learn have been greatly appreciated.