From the Head of Wesley College

By Mr Ross Barron

Values are the fundamental beliefs that guide our actions. They help determine what’s important to us. They’re what we do even when we know nobody’s looking.

At Wesley, we express those values in two different ways.

There is the explicit—our stated Core Values of Respect, Integrity, Compassion and Courage. But there is also the implied—an understanding of how we hold ourselves as Wesleyans, the way in which we move through the world. These are values that are harder to express verbally but are passed through generations of teachers and students by endless small acts.

Put simply, it’s what we do every hour of every day.

In this issue of The Wesleyan, I hope you’ll see examples of these explicit and implied values and the pride we place in them.

As the Head of Wesley College, I see our Core Values as non-negotiable. It’s my job to ensure that the vision of our College is communicated to staff, students, parents, stakeholders and the broader community as a living, breathing ethos.

Why? Because the words Respect, Integrity, Compassion and Courage are empty if they’re just on posters and banners. They need to be an active part of our daily life. A touchpoint that we can all refer to.

So every day, I look out for examples of students living our values so that I can congratulate them. And almost every day, I find examples left, right and centre, across every sub-school. It’s something that always makes me proud.

Just yesterday, I was in the Junior School and a student fell over on Hanton Quadrangle while chasing after a ball. It was the kind of stumble that happens a thousand times a day when children are playing. But within a moment of the stack, two other students had run over to check that all was well.

There was no injury other than pride, so a hand was extended, the student pulled upright and the game went on. It was a very small act of compassion with no fuss, but it was significant and I was pleased to see it happen in view of the other playing children.

After all, a large percentage of students’ learning comes from watching the behaviours of those around them. Children love to copy and are very influenced by what they see, so the conduct of other students has a huge impact. It’s heartening to see it as part of the fabric of our College from the earliest age.

In fact, visitors often use the word ‘kindness’ when describing their time on campus. The feeling that we’re all looking out for each other permeates the air. That’s the sum of all our Core Values in action. As we head into our Centenary, these values have built a strong village that has stood the test of time.

So, I invite you to enjoy this values-themed edition of The Wesleyan and I thank you for the many ways your own good values play into the exceptional sense of community that we all enjoy.