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| Dear Parents and Guardians Recently I had the opportunity of marking student scripts in Grade 6. The theme of the assessment was Superheroes and included information about epic characters like Batman, Spiderman and Wonder Woman. One question required the girls to write about their own superpower. No one seemed to struggle to identify a personal strength and recognise what it did for them. One student wrote about her ability to get lost in books and therefore live different lives. Another said that dancing took her out of her present difficulties into moments of sheer joy. Reflecting on this, I realised that all children are on their own significant journey and it is their recognition of their individual strengths that gives them their needed superpowers to persevere and achieve. The role of the teacher as mentor and pastoral caregiver is immeasurable. Socrates suggested that all knowledge is already present in the mind of humankind and the only thing necessary for a student was a teacher who asked the right questions in order for them to access this knowledge and enable them to solve their problems independently. Part of our girls’ journey includes the companions she chooses. Batman had Robin, and in more traditional literature, Robin Hood had his merry band of men and Don Quixote, his Sancho. Teachers often ask girls to identify the characteristics of a healthy friendship and then the characteristics they see in their friends. This exercise is not so much that they become critical but rather to discern what friends they choose to surround themselves with and whether their character traits are inspirational. One girl wrote that Batman was a true hero because he chose to help the vulnerable with his superpower but remained humble. Odysseus filled his friends’ ears with wax and then tied himself to the mast to ensure the songs of the Sirens did not cause him to change course. Friends can also be “modern day sirens” if they adversely influence our girls or distract them from reaching their goals. We often see this as modern- day peer pressure- for instance engaging in dodgy social media because their friends are doing it or acting on an impulse because “everyone else is doing it”. Our girls need to be like Odysseus in looking after and protecting their friends, but also like the sailors who listened to the wise instruction of Odysseus. We aspire to be both teachers and mentors to our girls, guiding them in their choice of friendships, sensitively prodding them to understand the consequences of their decisions. Our baraza groups in the IP give the girls the opportunity to speak up and listen, engage with different viewpoints and grow from what is shared. Their journeys will find them standing on mountains and being swept out to sea. Our duty is to help them appreciate the view but hold out the lifeline if needed. As parents and teachers, we wish our girls to find good friends but also be loyal companions. We want them to see the inner strength each possesses, but also recognise they cannot and do not have to do it alone. I have watched with interest, twenty Grade 6 girls complete a peer mediation course in preparation for their leadership roles next year. The skills they learn equip them for life and already they have engaged successfully in resolving some playground squabbles which the girls admit they would not have explained in as such detail to the teacher. Peer mediators promote peace in the playground while empowering themselves. Finally, it is also sobering to remember that superheroes are not always strong, successful characters. Take our Anglican saints and read their often tragic and difficult journeys. Heroes also walk quietly and steadily, perhaps never being acknowledged or finding fame. However, they live bravely achieving their own greatness in the space in which they operate. Our friends, like literature, teach and sustain us through life. Let’s celebrate both! Carol te Water |
