From the Principal

Are you ok?

This week our Year 9 students led our celebration of R U OK? Day. It was great to see encouragement for members of our school community to regularly check on each other’s welfare. Supporting each other, so that staff and students feel happy and connected to our community is certainly a high priority.

R U OK? is inspiring people to take the time to ask, "are you ok?" and then to listen. It all comes down to regular, face-to-face, meaningful conversations about life. Asking “are you ok?” is a great place to start.

Interestingly, our Year 10 students covered a similar theme during our annual Atticus Finch speeches when they questioned the complacency of the ‘just get over it’ mentality. It is wonderful that our students are taught to question and discern the relevance of societal attitudes as they aspire to ‘seek justice’.

At our secondary assembly this week, I also encouraged our students to not just enquire about the welfare of others but also to ensure that our actions towards other students are positive and supportive. I related the following story from my own school experience:

‘Some years ago, I attended a 25 year school reunion for my class from school. I had a good experience with my education but still had some apprehension in attending a function with former classmates many of whom I had not seen since I left school.

It was great to catch up on stories from our school days and to learn more on how our lives had progressed. It did not take long before everyone was relaxed and enjoying each other’s company.

Mid-way through the function, I caught a glimpse of one of my former classmates. I was surprised at my own immediate reaction of discomfort. I had not given this person any thought in the 25 years since I had left school but memories of his bullying towards me and other students came back to me.’

Any time that I have shared that story other people have shared similar reactions from their own formative years. It is important that we ask R U OK? and also reflect on our own attitudes and behaviours towards others.

We won’t always remember what people did; we will always remember how they made us feel. 

R U OK? It is an important question to ask.

Robert Henderson

Principal