Weekly Update 11 september

At our Alumni Reunion in London in July one woman told me that her time at Girls Grammar was ‘seminal’ and ‘changed her life’.

She said that this positive change came about directly because of the encouragement and care of her teachers. They believed she could succeed and so she did.

Many teachers have had the experience of a student thanking them for something the teacher said or did years ago. Sometimes we have forgotten the incident that had such a profound effect on that student. This is both the privilege and the responsibility of teaching. We can empower students when we speak and act with the kindness, clarity and direction that allows the student the opportunity to grow and become better.

Kindness underpins empowerment. It says to the other person ‘I believe and trust in you’. Teachers who listen and respond positively to students and colleagues are empowering and their attitude is contagious. We love to spend time with them. We leave feeling brighter more optimistic and relaxed. They bring out the desire to do our best and their kindness encourages us to extend ourselves and take on new challenges. Empowerment is both an attitude and a habit.

I still remember, all these years on, a teacher who encouraged me at school, “You are a resourceful girl Anne, you can do this,” he said. And so I did.

Anne Coutts
Principal

Last week was the final round of the winter sport program.

A number of teams will now move on to the finals and we will share their results over the next couple of weeks. I would like to thank all students, parents, staff, and coaches involved the preparation and support of the teams. Sport and studies have an important connection I believe.

Grand finals have a life of their own I have found. So many times we hear a team or individual say they seemed to have saved their worst performance for the grand final or conversely the amazing GF ‘underdog’ win. Grand finals are hard to win because the excitement of the lead up week and the emotion of the day overtake the training and successful game plans and performance that got you there in the first place. The game starts to go awry and then the panic sets in and in a flash it is all over. So, how do you win grand finals? In my humble coaching experience it is about being settled in the preparation, enjoying the lead up but assuming nothing about the game until the final whistle. It is listening to the same coaching advice and game plan that got you there and more times than not you will at least deliver a fine performance. If it is good enough for a win then well done. If not celebrate a great season and day with family. Not easing up at any stage is an absolute basic attitude. There was a stark example of this in the recent Athletics World Championships.

As the American runner, Molly Huddle, approached the finish line in the 10,000m World Championships race, held recently in Beijing, she raised her arms in celebration at what she believed was to be a certain Bronze medal. To her complete surprise her teammate ran through the line and took the medal in the final metre. A number of things struck me about the result. Ms Huddle’s warmth in congratulating her teammate; her openness about missing the opportunity to be the first US athlete since 2007 to have gained a medal in the event and more importantly the dealing with her personal disappointment about the years of training that had earned her a place in the event being diminished by her easing up and not running through the line.

The sport studies connection lies in ensuring that all tasks are completed to the best of your ability–handed in on time. For senior students, the effort needs to be there until the end of semester–it is never time to say I think I have done enough to secure the ATAR or IB result–don’t ease up a metre from the line.

A special congratulations to Isabella Davis (Year 7 Burgmann) – the new U14 Australian Ski Champion. Very well done.

Peter Milligan
Head of Senior School