From the Desk of Mrs. Vashni Chetty – Principal (Academics) B Ed (Hon) HDE – Summerhill College
Dear College Parents, Students and Staff,
As we approach Youth Day it is important to celebrate the youth who rose up in protest of the many injustices, especially in the education sector, that dominated their world in 1976. It is important that we encourage our youth to understand the significance of the day and the lessons that can be taken out of it so that they may work at being a generation of youth in pursuit of greatness.
Of great significance is the message that we can only effect change in our communities if we empower the youth with the tools to survive in the world successfully. It is important that we encourage the youth to be change makers in their own communities and work together to build up the future leaders of South Africa.
At the forefront of the many tools we can provide our youth with, education is by far the most crucial. An education does not only extend to academics but should focus on the whole child. It is important to us at Summerhill College that our students are taught the right blend of cognitive and social skills in order to make them citizens of the world.
Schools mainly focus on Academics as it is always deemed as the pathway for success in the world. In order to develop the whole child we need to focus on the other key aspects that make students world ready.
As part of our focus on youth empowerment we have embarked on a series of different approaches to educating the whole child so that we can allow the ability of all of our students to be released.
It is very important to develop positive attitudes and values. In a world plagued by stress and negativity it is very easy to become burdened by the weight of the world. As a means of fostering positivity among the youth it is important to get them to focus on acquiring skills that make them strong enough to deal with the pressures placed on them by school and society as a whole.
We live in the age of the selfie. If we want to effect change in our communities we need to start by teaching our youth empathy in schools and encouraging it in the home. At the College we try to teach the students to have empathy for their community by engaging in social upliftment and being a part of the charity drives. Every little bit helps and collectively we are able to help more people.
Global warming has indeed become a reality in our ever day world. How can the youth be instrumental in sustaining their environment? We aim to empower the youth to be more environmentally aware and take part in the WESSA initiatives on offer at the school. We are excited to start with the building of the greenhouse from eco-bricks. Keep an eye out for that in the new term.
Teaching holistically is respectful to the child. It makes them feel competent and gives them a wide variety of experiences and learning opportunities. It also encourages individuality. We hope that you can also encourage your child/children to embrace the nature of a holistic approach to education so that they too can become world ready.
