Kindness
Welcome back to Term Four. As with previous terms, this one promises to be busy and enriching, filled with activities, camps, sports, music, presentations, study, examinations, and meaningful learning experiences. It also presents another opportunity to embody the virtuous behaviours that make our school such a special place to be a part of.
Yesterday morning, I had the privilege of addressing the Grade 6 students at the Maddingley Campus. I spoke to them about our character education program and the vital role they play in shaping our school culture. I also reaffirmed our core values and encouraged them to actively “live” these values each day, both at Bacchus Marsh Grammar and within the wider community.
One of these values, Kindness, was the focus of today’s reading from Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living.
Holiday writes:
“The first person you meet today, passing acquaintance or friend, no matter the context, positive or negative, is an opportunity for kindness. You can seek to understand where they are coming from. You can seek to know who they are, what they need, and you can treat them well and be better off for it. Of course, there is no guarantee that they will treat us the same. However, we should focus on what we can control: in this case, the ability to always choose to respond with kindness.”
Let us all, throughout this week, strive to show kindness to one another, just as the young student did last night when he gently helped a fallen Prep child at the bus turnaround. His thoughtful act exemplifies the culture and character we nurture and celebrate at Bacchus Marsh Grammar.
Andrew Perks – Deputy Principal: Culture and Character Education