Dear Parents

The past few days have been a celebration of our Matric Class of 2024 as they get ever closer to their Valedictory Service. After the Preliminary Examinations, they blew off a bit of steam with the 40-Day Celebration before they started to fine-tune their preparation for their Final IEB Examinations, starting in just over a week. I need to acknowledge how our Matrics have conducted themselves – they have been such positive role models to the rest of the school. However, in today’s communication, I thought I would share an article I read recently, which was published in the Independent Schools Association of South Africa Bulletin. Russell Shaw, a Head at Georgetown Day School in Washington D.C, wrote the article. He heads his article: "Lighthouse Parents - Have more confident kids."

When my son was a toddler, he liked to run in our driveway until he fell. He would then turn to me to see if he was hurt. If my face betrayed worry or if I audibly gasped, he would wail. If I maintained equanimity, he would brush himself off and get back to running. Learning that I could so powerfully influence his mental state was a revelation. Here was this human being who was counting on me to make sense of the world—not just how to tie his shoes or recite the ABCs, but how to feel. Years later, when he was in middle school, this lesson...

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