Learning with Grace and Charity

Thank you to everyone for coming together last week for our annual Sorry Day Assembly,  a gathering that acknowledges and reinforces our commitment to reconciliation as educators, leaders, professional and support staff, parents, students, and community members.

A community approach is integral in advocating for equity, social justice, and wellbeing for all people, as well as highlighting the exceptional quality of commitment and care within our community.

We learned that we will always say sorry, and we will always be sorry. I was so struck by this simple and powerful message delivered by Mrs Barber, Reconciliation Action Plan Coordinator, during her address at the Assembly. Three little words. I am sorry. She reminded us that not so long ago, we had also said three simple, yet powerful words, ‘lest we forget’. 

Our Sorry Day Assembly is an annual gathering in our calendar where we collect our thoughts and strengthen our resolve and our commitment. It is retaining its power and momentum as the children in the Assembly are showing commitment to reconciliation, in much the same way as we see so many young people involved in ANZAC marches across the country. Thank you, Mrs Barber, for a wonderful address.

Sheila Heen, a lecturer at Harvard Law School and co-founder of Triad Consulting Group,  co-author of the books Difficult Conversations and Thanks for the Feedback, reminds us that many people avoid emotive topics and conversations out of fear.

She shows us that coming to a topic or conversation that is emotional or difficult is often only hard because of a belief that the purpose of the conversation is to convince somebody that they’re wrong or to convince somebody that you are right. Conversations where there needs to be only one right person, and every other person is wrong more often than not, do not tend to go well.

So why must we address the wrongs of the past? On balance, there are two things - number one, to remember that worrying about the potential costs of raising something important is only half the ledger. The other half of the ledger is what the potential costs of avoiding it and letting it fester. Forgiveness, acceptance and gratitude are the secret elements more powerful than divisiveness resulting from the win and loss scenario. Stories are always a central feature of assemblies and sharing stories with an audience who yearns to hear them is so powerful, builds empathy and invites us to share the experience that leads to the need to say sorry.

The assembly was a wonderful reminder of who we are, what we value, and demonstrated the goodness of this special place.

Where has the term gone? It’s the end of Week 7, and we are collectively sprinting towards the June-July break. Hold on tight, stay warm, look after one another and thank you.

Anna Owen
Principal