The Leader In Me

KATHY HARAMIS

Leadership Facilitator

Leaving a Legacy

‘It only takes one person to change my life … me.’   Gena Mclean

All things must come to an end. That is the natural cycle of events. The time has arrived, when it’s now my turn to say goodbye to Oakleigh Grammar, and acknowledge the amazing journey I have been privileged to have with our students, staff and parents of this wonderful community. In making this decision, I asked myself whether I have completed my mission, and in my heart I knew that the right time had arrived to begin a new and wonderful phase in my life.

Dr Stephen Covey defines the essence of leadership as ‘the ability to see and acknowledge the potential of another so clearly, that they see and act upon it themselves.’ In passing the baton to Mrs Sarah Caffrey, who commences as Leadership Facilitator in Term 2, I must say that, from the moment she came to us, I knew immediately in my heart that she had the potential to take The Leader in Me to greater heights. I can’t thank Sarah enough for her support, contribution, friendship and professionalism. The synergies experienced have allowed me to mentor and hand over the role with pride in the secure knowledge that it’s in the best hands. I am confident that Sarah’s energy, enthusiasm and passion for leadership will catapult the process to a higher level than ever before. In this way, the legacy will continue to flourish and everyone will reap the rewards!

Working with Sarah and all of the Junior School team has been not only an honour, but a huge privilege, and wonderful learning journey for us all!

Upon reflection, the one constant in my life at Oakleigh Grammar has been teaching the children. As an Orthodox Studies Instructor for nearly 25 years I have had the joy in being an educator. In that journey, I have learnt meaningful lessons from the students, and in that process I have developed the clear understanding that having strong relationships based on faith, integrity and love are critical to our emotional and mental health. The children have been an inspiration … always giving, always forgiving, always learning, always hoping. Always smiling! They are the life source of any school community.

And so, it was for the children, that approximately 10 years ago, passionate to make a difference to our community, I introduced The Leader in Me to the Junior School. Timing was everything. The rest is now history. Suffice it to say that it has been an exhilarating journey, where the leadership framework has provided us with timeless principles for our personal and interpersonal development – to have achieved Lighthouse Status is a testament to the hard working and professional teaching staff in Junior School, who have embraced The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and put Oakleigh Grammar on the world map as an exemplar school of leadership. They are an incredibly hard working team and I owe them a huge debt of gratitude for all that they do!

If we, as a School Community, have seen far and wide, it is because we have stood on the shoulders of giants - leaving a legacy that inspires others to be the best they can be is a true legacy.

I remember when the Middle School team were successful in their journey towards being accredited as an International Baccalaureate School, and how proud we all were of their achievement.

I acknowledge with all my heart the profound impact Father Nicholas Moutafis has had in my life. He helped me find my place in the world. As the Founder of our School, and my Confessor and Spiritual Father, his influence as a transition person continues to this very day.

We must acknowledge the immense sacrifices of past members of the community who, together with Father Nicholas Moutafis, have gifted us this vibrant School that is based upon our strong Christian Orthodox faith and Hellenic values. In remembering our past, we can continue to grow strong in the future. Keeping the foundation secure, we celebrate the fact the Oakleigh Grammar was born of the Christian Orthodox Church, and continues to nurture its members in truth and love.

I wholeheartedly thank, from the bottom of my heart, Father George Adamakis, whose visible presence at our School, transforms the everyday detail into one of prayer, love and forgiveness. We are blessed to have him as our Parish Priest, and I feel truly honoured to have worked with him. Father George has been a fountain of faith and strength, always guiding the Community towards the values that bind our humanity. This legacy continues because of the strong foundations that our beloved Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis has left us.

My immense gratitude is extended to Mr Angelo Sardellis and the Board, who endorsed and financially supported The Leader in Me from the onset. Without the ongoing support, we would not have been able to achieve our leadership milestones. God bless our Board of Management.

I thank Mr Mark Robertson, our Principal, who continually gave Lauren Cummins, myself and our Junior School team the freedom to reach the great heights I knew we could all achieve. It goes without saying that Sarah Boardman, as Acting Head of Junior School, has empowered her staff to find their voice - she has been an inspiration through her proactive and focused approach across all areas of our Junior School. So many wonderful initiatives and changes have been implemented under her guidance.

My heartfelt thanks extend to our parent body for supporting me in both my role as a Facilitator and Orthodox Studies Instructor. Many parents who have attended the 7 Habits Workshops over the last decade have embraced the framework at home and have experienced its benefits firsthand. I have cherished the feedback received with regards to just how much the children loved Orthodox Studies. I have priceless memories that I will hold dear in my heart forever.

Finally, I deeply thank the children. Nearly an entire generation have touched my life in so many ways. In what other profession, would I have been so abundantly blessed by God as to have taught so many children, each with their unique gifts and talents. They are our true 3rd Alternative – each endowed with capabilities new to the world and cannot be duplicated. These capabilities cannot be predicted by adding up the capabilities of the parents. Each child is unique in the universe and the creative potential exponentially greater still. Let us all inspire them to tap into their potential and inherent greatness. Help them understand that leaders are not born nor made. Leaders choose to be leaders.

Thank you Dr Covey, for being one of the most influential people in the 21st Century!

In conclusion, I leave you with this parting quote:

"Life is like a camera…just focus on what’s important and capture the good times. Develop from the negatives and if things don’t work out, just take another shot."

Ziad K Abdelnour

God bless Oakleigh Grammar!