From the Acting Headmaster

Well, we have made it to the end of Term 3. Congratulations everyone! Thank you for contributing to our community over the past ten weeks.

As we head into a holiday break, I am hopeful that you might make a conscious decision to slow down, even if just a little. About three years ago, I took one of the most dangerous steps as a leader. I took email off my phone and considerably scaled back my dependence on social media and technology (it wasn't until I had stepped away that I realised its control over me). Perhaps you might make one or two minor adjustments these holidays and encourage your child to do likewise. 

I drive a long way to work each day, which allows me to listen to some clever people. One of my favourites is Carey Nieuwhof, a front runner in leadership growth. In one of his most recent blog posts, he identifies why he moved away from tech and social media and some things that can help change the trajectory of technology use. I will share them with you and the link to the full article.  

Can I encourage you these holidays to take the opportunity to step toward finding space and time without a device? The renewal and increased well-being are well-documented in the research. 

Can I suggest you consider this article with your children as well? It may free them from some of the demands that always 'being on' places upon them. Sadly, we live in an age where we are at risk of no longer owning our devices, but instead, our devices own us. 

So here are some of Carey's insights into technology: 

1. Nothing that important is happening, although you think it is.
2. The anger and envy that stems from social media are not helping anyone, particularly our children.
3. There is evidence that meaningful thinking is declining and undigested opinion is rising.

And his recommendations include: 

1. Be one of the good people. It is simple to be critical and opinionated, but being constructive requires you to take a position. 
2. Unfollow those people who are generally critical or sarcastic. You don't have to follow angry, negative ranters. So don't. Look for thoughtful, intelligent people to follow. Look for longer-form content that can carry an idea beyond a soundbite or phrase. This mainly helps us to discern further. 
3. Consume less. Reflect More. Like Carey, I had to work hard at this because I found it so easy to stay on my phone most of the day. As I mentioned, I have now turned off almost all notifications on my iPhone. I put my phone on Do Not Disturb after 9:00 pm and do not switch it on again until after my wife and I have had our coffee the following morning. 

I encourage you to read the entire article on here on Carey's page. 

I would be very interested in hearing about your experiences. I hope that these holidays are as relaxing as your schedule allows. I wish the Class of 2022 the very best as they finish up their time at Blue Mountains Grammar School, and I want to wish everyone, from our youngest to our oldest community members, a time to rest, reset and smell the roses.

Please stay safe. 

Mr Steven Coote 

Acting Headmaster