Tiverton Campus News
Years 5 – 8: Key Focus
Respect for Other People
Throughout 2019 students on the Tiverton Campus have been focusing on the key Lasallian value of Respect. As the school year draws to a close we have been focusing on the notion of respect for other people.
We want all De La Salle students to use their thinking part of their brain, instead of their emotional part of their brain, and treat people of difference with respect. We want people of all race, sex, ethnicity, mental and physical abilities, old and young to have a sense of belonging in the De La Salle community at all times. We want our classrooms and playgrounds to be inclusive, collaborative and welcoming. We want respect for the individual and we will continue to educate our students on this core principle to make them better men.
This week two Year 8 students focused on the topic of racism and the importance in our community. They discussed that they had learnt that “we have to include and respect people for who they really are, no matter what the colour of their skin is, or no matter what they believe or even their culture”. They also discussed that in order to stop racism “people have to put themselves in the victim’s shoes. People quite often don’t understand how bad they make the victim feel when they are being racist”.
Racism is something that we do not tolerate at De La Salle College in any form and it is viewed as a Level 4 violation of the De La Salle Principles. As a consequence, offending students participate in an internal suspension where they will research and learn about racism through the Library Guides on Ollie. This will also be on the students’ permanent record in the College.
The Tiverton Wellbeing team will farewell the Year 8 students from the Tiverton campus in a few weeks’ time and we will continue to work with the other Year levels in the next few years, and so we would like to end the year with this poem by David Harris.
Respect
If we can not respect another
How can we expect them to respect us
If we can not respect someone’s beliefs
How can we expect them to respect ours
If we can not respect another’s race
How can we expect that race to respect us
If we can not respect others
How can we expect respect in return
Everyone expects respect
No matter who they are
The only way to gain it
Is to start treating everyone
As a friend, a brother, a sister
As part of our extended family
No matter what colour or creed they are
Only then you will start to get
The respect you so clearly crave
David Harris
Mr Martin Gibbs
Director of Students — Tiverton Campus