Patience Over Judgement
We often speak of ourselves as a school-community. It is a phrase we use comfortably and frequently, and it is worth reflecting from time to time on what community looks like in practice, and what is it that is it that makes our school-community
Let me offer a small, everyday glimpse.
Some time ago walking through the school grounds I noticed an older student taking time to assist a younger child. The junior child must have been facing a tough moment. The senior student offered reassurance and created a way for the younger child to regain composure and confidence.
As an observer I saw that a safe community is one in which students feel secure not only in their surroundings, but also in themselves. Both those students were safe and supported. One was safe to offer support, he obviously felt supported in being supportive. The other child felt safely supported too.
Children feel safe and supported when they get patience rather than judgement. Patience makes students confident to try, to fail, to try again. As we know, supportiveness never really exists in isolation. It is an expression of the wider community. It is a cultural expression, not a single event.
Support will be seen and heard in the tone of an adult’s voice when they speak to a child, and in the tone of a child’s reply. In our school, do we use respectful ways of speaking and listening to one another? Because just like courtesy, support will be shown through our everyday interactions.
Of course, a supportive environment doesn’t happen by chance. It is built intentionally: through clear expectations, consistent care, and strong partnerships between school and home. Most importantly, it is sustained by the shared understanding that every individual matters.
There will always be times that test us, as individuals and as a community, and in these moments school culture is revealed.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership with teachers. We are jointly nurturing a school where every student is known and valued.
david gleeson, principal