Bill Rusin, Interim Principal
Competition can be a very positive experience for children. The thrill of the chase and the satisfaction of crossing the finish line can bring a real sense of achievement. At the same time, for some children, events such as cross-country running can feel quite daunting.
This often becomes more pronounced as children grow older and begin to view success in relative terms — “I am good at something if I am better than others” — rather than through the more task-focused perspective younger children often have, in which effort, improvement, and participation are primarily focused on achieving the task itself.
As a school, we recognise that not all students are naturally gifted athletically. Some students are simply not built for particular physical activities, while others may not have had significant exposure to organised sport or fitness activities outside of school.
However, for those who are able to participate, we encourage them to give their best — not simply to ‘win the prize’, but more importantly, to honour those they compete alongside by striving wholeheartedly themselves.
Healthy competition is not only about personal success; it is also about drawing the best out of one another.
This week, we held our Cross Country event for students across the school. It was a fabulous sunny day, but still cool, making for excellent running conditions. We were encouraged by the way in which our students participated. It was wonderful to watch older buddies run with our youngest competitors and to see our students cheering one another on from the sidelines. We also enjoyed the house spirit that our senior Secondary students brought to the event, not only through their competition, but in the many ways they served on the day.
We are especially grateful to the Kuyper Community Group for supporting the event with a sausage sizzle. Thank you to Jennifer Pennings, Sue Tonkin, Kerryn Johnson and their wonderful volunteer team for organising this event!
There were some strong performances on the track, and I acknowledge those who won their races. However, I would particularly like to commend those students who honoured their fellow competitors by giving their very best.
