From the Headmaster

On Wednesday morning at our Year 7 transition day, there were several nervous looks from new students, who will commence at Girton in Year 7 next year. Not to be confused with being anxious, a state associated with being full of mental distress, the incoming students were highly excitable fuelled by an unease of a new environment. No doubt, several had ‘butterflies’ in their stomachs and felt apprehensive. These are normal feelings to be expected from our newest students, and for the majority of children, these feelings will subside as they become familiar with their surrounds and with the people with whom they are sharing the same journey.

The distinction between experiencing anxiety and being nervous is an important one, and when our students can make this distinction for themselves, they are better prepared to cope with life’s ups and downs.

Dr O’Reilly delivered a wonderful address in last week’s Headmaster’s Assembly about struggle. She talked about the importance of being able to sit with the frustration of struggle, to acknowledge it, take a break from it, but to come back to it, time and again, and importantly, Dr O’Reilly explained that this is something that we all need to practice. She challenged students to “trust their struggle” because when we avoid struggle, we fall into the trap of what experts call “avoidance coping” which in the end, sustains the struggle which can tip over into anxiety.

Research shows that students learn better when working with low levels of frustration. The variable of frustration amounts to the difference between performance and learning, one being short term and the latter being long term. I encourage parents and carers to talk to their children about the normalcy of feeling nervous and to reassure them that the struggle they might be in today can develop the strength that they need tomorrow.

There are many examples of our students in the last two weeks taming the butterflies in their stomachs, embracing challenge and understanding that effort is the pathway to mastery.

We saw some stunning performances at the annual Performing Arts Showcase, including some much loved “Matilda moments”, and we were delighted by the range and quality of music at the annual Musician and Composer of the Year competition.

The Year 8 production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is bumped in, and there have been some impressive transformations from students who have never been on the stage, frankly, into Drama titans!

Our Tournament of Minds students stared down the pressure of impromptu problem-solving at the Regional Finals, and every team has qualified for the State Finals. For the five Girton teams in Netball finals this weekend, overcoming nerves from the first whistle will be crucial. Even Conrad Sewell, who would appear to have the world at his feet, and who roused our students into an excitable state from the first note that he sang in assembly last week, has struggled and failed, and struggled again until finding success.

I applaud the students celebrated in this edition of eLink for trusting their struggle and persisting through discomfort.

Matthew F. Maruff

Headmaster