Well known American researcher, author and TED talker Brené Brown, has been quoted as saying, “You can choose courage, or you can choose comfort, but you cannot do both.”  Courage is one of the Education Department and Penguin District School’s core values and one which is regularly discussed and demonstrated at school. Being brave and showing courage is when we learn so much about ourselves as learners and as human beings.

Recently I spent some time in a Year 5/6 class unpacking what does it mean to be brave. Children wrote about their vulnerabilities and a time when they were brave. They wrote of times when they were scared and had a go at something outside of their comfort zone. Some of the examples included: going down a giant water slide, being on stage, trying out for the Student Board and starting at a new school. Some students created their own inspiring mottos such as, ‘believe in yourself and anything is possible’.

On Thursday and Friday of this week a number of students from the primary school took a leap of faith and performed in front of their peers, in the Student Board initiated extravaganza, Penguin’s Got Talent. The show was an outstanding success with students such as Rory being brave enough at the age of 7 to sing a solo acapella. The moment where she stood in front of the audience and took a few very deep breaths to calm herself demonstrated clearly that she was really going beyond her comfort zone. After composing herself she was able to wow the crowd with a beautiful rendition of the song 1000 miles. Congratulations to all the children who tried out and those who performed and hosted the show – everyone of them taking a risk in front of their peers and parents.

Mrs Van Essen’s Year 8 Health class recently viewed a clip about Kurt Fernley, becoming the first athlete to crawl the Kokoda Track.

Rich discussions followed, emphasising the realisation that disability is not a barrier to people being successful or achieving what might have previously been considered as an insurmountable challenge. Dylan Alcott, recently won the French Open in the men’s wheelchair event. He stated it was not so much that he wanted to win for his own self-esteem or financial benefit, but to serve (pun intended) as an inspiration to others to see that anything is possible.

Take the time to show courage, challenge yourself and discuss and celebrate this with your family. Get out of your comfort zone. Be the inspiration to them, whether it be going to the dentist (yes one of my biggest fears!), climbing a mountain, learning a new language, or cooking a complex recipe.

Matthew Perry
Assistant Principal