WHAT MAKES A GREAT SCHOOL?
Buildings, facilities, Brand, opportunities, safety…
Ek het die afgelope paar weke met ‘n paar van julle moes gesels oor wat julle doen en hoe julle optree teenoor ander mense in DIE skool. Alhoewel die boodskap gaan oor hoe ons optree teenoor die mense IN ons eie skool is dit ook van pas vir ander mense. Boelie gedrag is iets wat mens in die verlede as fisiese seermaak gesien het, maar deesdae is dit baie meer ‘n geval van emosionele seermaak. Party keer hoor ek die een wat boelie sê, ja maar dit was net ‘n grappie! Ja, en as almal nie lag nie, dan is dit nie snaaks nie en verseker nie ‘n grappie nie. Ons het verval in ‘n kultuur waar ons ander verneder omdat ons, ons eie isues het en dan, en dan aanvaarding soek, sodat ons beter kan voel oor onsself. Sosiale Media is seker die plek waar ons mekaar die meeste seermaak…en al probeer ons die onvanpaste “post” verwyder of verander…dit is klaar uit daar in die “cyber space” en jy kry dit nie weer terug nie. Die skade is reeds daar.
I heard another saying that says: “Hurt people, hurt”. Mense wat seergemaak is, maak ander mense seer.
Luke 6:31 “…and as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”
In Luke 15 there is a story that Jesus told about the Love of God in going after the one sheep and leaving the other 99 behind. They have written a song about his called “Reckless love of God”
God’s love is…The phrase Reckless love of God does not say God himself is reckless, He’s not crazy, we are however saying that, the way He loves, is in many regards quite so. He is utterly unconcerned with the consequence of his actions with regards to his own safety, comfort and well-being, his love isn’t crafty, cunning or slick, or shrewd. In fact, all things considered, it is quite shock-like, and might I suggest sometimes quite ridiculous. His love bankrupted heaven for you and me, his love doesn’t consider himself first, it isn’t selfish of self-serving, he doesn’t wonder what he will gain or lose by putting himself on the line on the off chance that you and I might be looking back and give Him the same love in return. He leaves the 99 behind to find the one every time. To many practical adults, that is a foolish concept, cause what if He loses the 99 when he finds the 1 right? Finding the one lost sheep is and will always be supremely important. His love isn’t cautious, it’s a love that sent his own son to die a gruesome death on the cross, there is no plan B with the love of God. He gives his heart so completely and make no mistake…our sins do break His heart and 70×7 is a lot of times to get your heart broken and yet He opens up and allows us back in every single time. His love saw you when you hated him and all logic said that He will reject you…but he didn’t.
“There’s no shadow You won’t light up, mountain you won’t climb up, coming after me, there is no wall you won’t kick down, lie you won’t tear down coming after me”
Now, if that isn’t a great reference of the kind of love we should be having in this school, then I don’t know. We talk about the Hermie Magic. There is another song that says: “Love is not a feeling but an act of your will”.
Now I know that being a teenager is not easy! For most of us, it is a case of just trying to survive this crazy and unpredictable time in our lives with all of its demands and challenges. We learn bad habits, are often exposed to bad influences in person BUT also on social media.
There is another saying in line with this scripture that goes something like this…treat others the way YOU would like to be treated. Then one of the previous headmasters that I have worked under taught me that is should rather be…treat other people the way THEY would like to be treated.
“What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create”.
Partykeer dink ons dat ons skeppings doel is dalk ‘n posisie of selfs ‘n groot prestasie MAAR soms is dit dalk ‘n persoonliheid wat jy moet wees, ‘n beste vriend, ‘n oor om te luister, ‘n “cheerleader” wat ander aanmoedig op hulle avontuur.
To those who got hurt, some words of encouragement. “You grow through what you go through”
Back to the question about what makes a great school…undoubtably the pupils and staff of the school. Without us displaying the Hermie Magic every day, our school will never be great. Let’s focus on make everybody’s life around us better, because we are part of their lives. Let us strive to display some of the reckless love of God in the corridors and fields of Hermanus High School.
PRAYER
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for guiding us through this past test series and allowing us to get better…for lessons learned in and outside of class. Help us to treat people the way THEY would like to be treated. Give us a caring heart and make us aware of the people around us in our day-to-day existence at School.
Bless us during the remaining 2 weeks at school, and help us to be committed and focussed in all we do.
AMEN
Mr MJ Smuts
PRINCIPAL