Message from School Council President

SCHOOL COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Volunteering. It’s such a turgid word. It conjures up an impression of obligation – stepping up to do your bit, as your civic duty. Even Volunteering Australia (the national peak body) defines volunteering as “the time willingly given for the common good and without financial gain”. It sounds serious, time consuming and boring. What they don’t talk about is what you get when you give. My own volunteering journey began at KDS. It was my first year of school. My oldest had started Prep and the call came for class reps. I remember the panicked thoughts running through my mind; I don’t have time … I don’t have digital skills … I don’t know all the parents. I needn’t have worried. The job was immediately over-subscribed, and I didn’t make the cut. The next year I didn’t hold back. This experience was where I made the parentfriends who still today remain in my closest circle – notwithstanding our kids have completed their school journey. (There is a story that may or may not be true that I was banned from school excursions after buying a hot chocolate for all the kids in my Year 4 group on a freezing day at the Werribee Zoo, leaving the teachers to deal with the howls of protest from the students in other groups …) But I learned my lesson and kept signing up. Most Senior School parents have memories of my late husband Ben walking around at the School’s annual fete – the King’s Carnival - serving glasses of wine to boost the wine sales, making friends all day. I met new parents while volunteering at the KDSPA cafe before school performances, and got to know students from other year levels volunteering to help with make-up before the musicals. But for all I gained, the biggest unexpected benefit was the pride of my children who loved seeing their parents involved with the School they were so proud to attend. Somewhere along the line we started to understand we were modelling a powerful value when our children began to sign up, turn up and get involved. When the School Council asked me to take over as President soon after becoming a widow, those panicked thoughts returned – I don’t have the time … I have a full time job … I’m a single parent raising three kids. I knew I couldn’t do it without the support of my kids who would be the most impacted by the time taken up by that job. They were unhesitatingly supportive and excited. The genuine rewards from getting involved give back threefold the time you put in through a connection with others in a way you wouldn’t organically get, the satisfaction of really making a difference and contributing to an organisation you are part of, and the modelling which is far more powerful than a discussion with your kids. We are all time-poor. All of us have varying degrees of stress; rushing children to and from school, after-school activities and social arrangements, all while juggling our own work demands. But it’s critical we make time to give back to our community. Covid changed something within the DNA of our school community. The culture of ‘sign-up, get involved’ has been replaced with hesitancy, and an air of expectation – that someone else will step up. This has to change. Both to maintain what has been cultivated as the most special aspect of the King David experience, and to ensure we are not producing a generation of entitled kids who have no-one role modelling volunteering. Dr Thomas Nielson, University of Canberra, advocates for a ‘Curriculum of Giving’. His research shows that giving and service to others increases wellbeing and resilience in students (and adults). I urge each and every member of our school community to give of themselves, in whatever way they can, to our wonderful school. Whether it’s baking for the KDSPA café at the school musicals, supporting a KDSPA fundraiser or putting your hand up to become a volunteer on a KDSPA committee. We need you to get involved to ensure our events are successful. And, an added benefit is your children will feel pride in your contribution and hopefully go on to be givers/ volunteers in their community too. Perhaps this could be your Rosh HaShanah resolution? Wishing you all a Shana Tova and a year filled with meaning and good health.

Lahra Carey School Council President