Blog: Pockets of excellence

It's been twenty years now since the dismantling of Apartheid. Yet our country still groans in the lingering pains of racism. 

 I believe that, as Christians, God calls us to a unique role in healing the deep rifts that exist in our society because of entrenched racism. This healing process must start with ourselves. We must face up to the ridiculous prejudices that exist in our thought patterns. The 'typical' characteristics we always love to look out for in certain race groups. And then we must work hard to shatter our prejudices by looking for 'pockets of excellence' - individuals that have defied the stereotypical mould and have reversed the trends of our past. 

 So you believe that all white people seek to exploit the weak for their own personal gain? Then find that white person who is making a difference in the transformation of our society and upliftment of the previously disenfranchised communities. He is a pocket of excellence. Someone who is breaking the mould. 

 Or do you think that black people lack the competencies to reach the pinnacle of the business world and leadership? Then find that black person who has built a business empire from the ground up or who has risen to a position of great influence. He is a pocket of excellence. Setting a new expectation. 

The Mishnah, the first commentary on the Bible compiled by Jewish scholars, makes the following intriguing statement: "Why did God create only one human being? So that no-one can say to a fellow human being, My father was better than yours."

Because we are all created in the image of God, no one race is inherently superior to any other. 

 

 

I thank God that I can contribute through the vehicle of education to the deconstruction of myths that have taken root in our society. Raising a new generation that is unencumbered by the baggage of their predecessors and who are becoming pockets of excellence for our nation. 

From the Principal...

Schools like ours are interested in providing an education that transforms. As children receive instruction, they should undergo a systematic, progressive transformation in spiritual, academic, and behavioural aspects, as well as in their approach to life and work. However, it is easy to sometimes make the mistake of mapping out the goals we wish to achieve, and then simply enforcing them by introducing a whole bunch of rules to conform children to these standards.

This is exactly what Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:27, 28 HCSB)

To produce meaningful and sustainable transformation in our students, we need to transform them from the inside-out and not from the outside-in. We need to instil values in them that will direct their actions, rather than impose external controls and restrictions.

Parents of children at a school in British Columbia received a surprising letter from school last month, informing them of a “no touch” policy. They’ve banned all forms of hands-on play at break— adding that it’s a zero-tolerance policy and disobeying the rule would result in being grounded during break and a meeting with the principal.

A middle school in New York banned the use of all balls during recess, saying that basketballs, baseballs and footballs, as well as cartwheels, were too risky and caused too many injuries. More schools have joined them. A school in New Jersey banned hugging last year due to “unsuitable” physical interactions between students. In Tennessee, lawmakers included a ban on “hand-holding” on campus as it may lead to further physical activity. On the other extreme, Kentucky high school athletics has now banned shaking hands after games, as it has started too many fights.

To avoid lawsuits, we no longer feel we can teach kids proper behavior, we just make up rules to harness them. It’s easier. Instead of equipping kids and preparing them for adulthood, we choose to create regulations. Sadly, external changes rarely transform kids. They simply make kids want to find loopholes to violate them.

Think about it. When kids see a sign on a freshly painted wall that says, “Don’t Touch” what do they want to do right away?  Yep. They immediately want to touch it, even if that wasn’t on their mind before they saw the wet wall. Rules don’t transform us. What our kids need is not behavior modification, but attitudinal transformation. We must work to equip them from the inside out. It’s about the heart, not the hands.

This is why we have, at The King's School West Rand strived so hard to train into our children executive functioning skills, or self-regulation skills as they are commonly known. As parents, you can help us by reinforcing these at home and chatting to your children about how they apply them in their work. The Five Self-regulation Skills we are focussing on are:

1. Don't delay - start today
2. Get organised
3. Prioritise - first things first
4. Listen actively
5. Stay on task

KL

7 Crippling Parenting Behaviours That Keep Children From Growing Into Leaders

We came across this great blog post on the Forbes website and believe it adds great insight for any parents. Have a read through the article, click on the link to see the full article, and then let us know what you think... What do you think of the points raised?

While I spend my professional time now as a career success coach, writer, and leadership trainer, I was a marriage and family therapist in my past, and worked for several years with couples, families, and children. Through that experience, I witnessed a very wide array of both functional and dysfunctional parenting behaviors. As a parent myself, I’ve learned that all the wisdom and love in the world doesn’t necessarily protect you from parenting in ways that hold your children back from thriving, gaining independence and becoming the leaders they have the potential to be.
I was intrigued, then, to catch up with leadership expert Dr. Tim Elmore and learn more about how we as parents are failing our children today — coddling and crippling them — and keeping them from becoming leaders they are destined to be. Tim is a best-selling author of more than 25 books, including Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future, Artificial Maturity: Helping Kids Meet the Challenges of Becoming Authentic Adults, and the Habitudes® series. He is Founder and President of Growing Leaders, an organization dedicated to mentoring today’s young people to become the leaders of tomorrow.
Tim had this to share about the 7 damaging parenting behaviours that keep children from becoming leaders – of their own lives and of the world’s enterprises:
1. We don’t let our children experience risk...

Click on this link to read more:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2014/01/16/7-crippling-parenting-behaviors-that-keep-children-from-growing-into-leaders/

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Scripture focus

From the 8 – 24 January our scripture memorisation programme with focus on The Bible. We have selected three different scripture references for this theme. They are Psalm 119:105-112, 1 John 5:1-12 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Our aim in this section is to instil in our children a desire for Christian wisdom and to enable them to conquer the challenges of life. The reason we have decided to focus on The Bible is due to the fact that, as a school, we hold The Bible as pre-eminent in all school operations and strive to develop Bible knowledge within the academic curriculum and integrate spiritual truth into each subject area within the school.

Psalm 119:105-112

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.
¹⁰⁶ I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
    that I will follow your righteous laws.
¹⁰⁷ I have suffered much;
    preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.
¹⁰⁸ Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,
    and teach me your laws.
¹⁰⁹ Though I constantly take my life in my hands,
    I will not forget your law.
¹¹⁰ The wicked have set a snare for me,
    but I have not strayed from your precepts.
¹¹¹ Your statutes are my heritage forever;
    they are the joy of my heart.
¹¹² My heart is set on keeping your decrees
    to the very end.^[a]

 

1 John 5:1-12

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. ² This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. ³ In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, ⁴ for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

⁶ This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷ For there are three that testify: ⁸ the^[a] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. ⁹ We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. ¹⁰ Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

From the Principal

January is always a time to look back over the year just passed, remembering moments, instances and events that remained significant in our minds. One such event in all our minds would have to be the death of former President, Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandela, Father of our Nation, passed away peacefully on 5 December 2013. Every now and then, God raises up a leader who is gifted to transform an entire society and Nelson Mandela was a leader among leaders in this category. Each family in our school owes Tata Madiba an enormous debt of gratitude for peacefully guiding our country through the critical phase of transformation during the dismantling of Apartheid.

At the Rivonia Trial in 1964, Mandela famously declared:

"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

As President of South Africa, he finally had the opportunity to construct the beginnings of such a society, but knew that there would still be many hills to climb to see the full consummation of his dream.

In Long Walk to Freedom, he wrote:

"I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my walk is not yet ended."

Now Madiba has rested on his final hill, but we all know that the legacy of Nelson Mandela will continue to contribute strongly to our building this democratic and free society. Thank you Mr. President, for strong leadership, humility in forgiveness and for persevering in your dream for a better South Africa for all of us. Thank you, God, for the magnificent gift of Nelson Mandela. 

 

As we begin a new year at The King’s School West Rand this year, let us remember, with each hill we face, that journeying to the top will add to our legacy, our story and our ultimate victory. While we begin this year feeling rejuvenated and excited, ready to begin new things, I would urge each one of you to remember that enthusiasm throughout the year. Remember to push ahead, climb the hill and finish the year strong.

Enjoy 2014, each path, hill and adventure you encounter!