Our Year 9 students received a talk from Gabriel Stein this week. Gabriel is a descendent of a Holocaust survivor. It was a most moving and inspiring talk, and I was so very proud of how our students listened intently and respectfully throughout. My sincere thanks to Gabriel for spending time with us.
We regularly invite inspiring speakers into school here at The Hall. Such ‘learning beyond the classroom’ is so enriching, as we strive to equip our children with a deeper understanding of the world and their role within it.
As Philip Jackson says, in his fascinating book, Life in Classrooms, ‘learning in school involves learning to live in a crowd.’ This is not always easy, but it’s a fundamental part of growing up and coming to understand that life is about balancing what you want and need with what others want and need.
Perhaps this is why our values are so important to us here. So often we hear that education is about developing independent minds and building independent skills. It is certainly true that we want all of our students to think for themselves, find their own voice and take up their role in the world as a free-thinking, self-reliant person. But for me, another important goal is to teach the value of interdependence – the synergy that benefits us all when we work together and come to the realisation that it is our reliance on others – and their reliance on us – that makes a safe and harmonious society. Individual skills and talents are celebrated here, daily, but I am particularly pleased when I see team players working together and depending on one another. We are more than the sum of our parts, such is the benefit, and thrill, of being in a strong team!
I wish everyone an enjoyable weekend together.