Each year at John Colet School, we take a day to celebrate and honour the teachers in our lives. This year, students reflected on those who had helped them learn courage, one of our core school values and the value we are focusing on in Term 3. Students presented their thoughts at assembly this week.
From Lower First…
A teacher helps us to learn and shows us ways to be respectful to one another. A teacher can teach us to be still and how to pause. If we don’t understand the teacher helps us in many ways to finish our work.
We have many teachers in our lives.
Our Mummies and Daddies have taught us things ever since we were born and they will continue to do this all our lives. They help us with our homework, they help with our maths, and they help us read books.
Grandma and Grandpa teach us too, and they have a lot of wisdom. Some of us have even been taught different language from them.
Our brothers and sisters have taught us to write, to read, to skip, and to play.
There are many teachers who teach us things outside of school. For example we have learnt to dance, swim, play soccer, tennis, rugby, singing, skate boarding and gymnastics.
We love our teachers and we thank them for all they do for us.
“My teacher of courage is my soccer teacher. When I fell over or got hurt she kept on telling me to get up. So, I had the courage to get up and I scored a goal, and got the award.
I felt sore, so I had to completely ignore it and get up.”
“A long time ago when my Granny and Grandpa were young, they were hiking on the slopes of Mount Kosciusko with two friends, and they lost their way.
Not long afterwards, a blizzard blew in and they were caught. They were scared, but they did not panic, instead they decided to build a snow shelter.
They were forced to stay in the shelter for three days, until eventually, the blizzard passed and they could find their way back onto the right track.
This has taught me not to panic in a crisis and to never give up. This is true courage.”
“I have a teacher who has been helping me all my life and has taught me Stillness, Truthfulness, Respect and of course Courage. And that teacher is my Mum.
My Mum has taught me how to stand up for yourself, to always stop a situation where there are bad things going on, to try new things and most important of all, to always have the courage to believe in yourself. My Mum has always been one of the best teachers I’ve ever known.”
I admire Malala because she showed me a great deal of courage and that you can do whatever you want – you just have to try. Malala nearly died from doing what she oived and that was learning. She stood up in Afghanistan, where woment don’t have the right to learn, and said that women must be educated. She was only 10 years old – my age!
And because of that she was shot in the head. She was then flown to Canada to get the right medicine but all she wanted was her school books and to learn. Luckily she survived and continues to show a great deal of courage. Now she is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize…
Lily M – 4K
In the Second World War my neighbour, Peter R, was captured by the Japanese. After being released he started Japanese pottery, which he had a great passion for. He learned to love the Japanese, even after they imprisoned him. A few years later he returned to Japan. He paid a visit to his guard from the Second World War to forgive him. After everything he did Peter R used courage and kindness as his weapons, not hatred. His life was a great example of courage.
Anna W – 4S
To me, courage is perseverance; it’s the ability to do something when everything else says no.
It’s bravery and the acceptance of fear with an ability to overcome it.
Courage is to tell the truth even if it gets you into trouble. It’s a determination and a spirit.
Courage is something my Dad has.
My Dad shows courage everyday by pushing through all of the pain his body gives him and all of the frustration and exhaustion from work. He has taught me to be tough, even in the worst situations. I believe that the reason why my Dad works so hard and endures so much is for his sake and mine. He has shown me how to stand up for yourself and others.
My Dad hasn’t just taught me physical things, he has taught me mental things as well. Every time I ask my Dad a question he will always give me his most honest, well-thought out and best answer. This has taught me to always be open and truthful and try to remain calm about things.
My Dad has been my greatest teacher of courage and I strive to be like him every day.
Erik K – 6th class
