Hero, hardship and highlight

Hero, hardship and highlight. These three words are now common in the vocabulary of our Year 11 and 12 students as they move through the Leadership programme. In the coming weeks, the new Year 11 cohort will present their speeches, in which they talk about a chosen hero in their life, a hardship they have endured or something that has been a highlight for them.

Over the past three years, our students have addressed their peers in their House groups and discussed something that is quite personal to them, in what has become known as their ‘triple H’ speeches.

The boys share something special or unique to them and this helps with the connectedness of the group as it relies on trust and support. In some cases, boys will share a story that might make them feel vulnerable or is something they feel emotionally connected to.  

While this programme helps to prepare the students for the important life skill of presenting in front of a group, the ‘triple H’ speeches are far more than that. Each student is required to reflect on their own feelings and experiences as they choose something from their own life under one of these three categories that they are comfortable sharing with their peers. It can be a very empowering moment for both the student presenting and for the group listening.

The students’ addresses are invariably fantastic and much of this can be attributed to the respect they show towards each other and their willingness to understand themselves and their peers. As a school community, while we share much in common, we are also different in many ways and to be able to listen to others, understand them and support them helps us to build stronger relationships and work more positively as a team.

Mr Gale, Year 11 and 12 Coordinator, introduced these speeches three years ago and he, along with Mr Williams, Deputy Head of Senior School have  shared  their ‘hero and hardship’ stories respectively with the Year 11 cohort, to set the students on the right path. I thank Mr Gale and Mr Williams for their willingness to share the personal experiences that have contributed to shaping who they are and for the example they have set for the boys in the Leadership programme.

While discussing the sharing of personal experiences, I would also like to acknowledge Mr Jones for his recent presentations in Chapel. While speaking about a traumatic time in his childhood took courage, it was also a poignant moment for everyone who heard his recollection. It focused on overcoming hardship, the importance of supporting others and on how much we have changed as a society. It certainly led those of us in the audience to reflect on difficult times in our own lives and on the  manner in which  we approached them.

While I have mentioned a few staff members who have shared some of their experiences and the impact they have had on those who have been fortunate enough to hear them, the ‘triple H’ speeches are about the 170 plus students in Year 11. By sharing their experiences with their House groups and listening to each other, they strengthen their bond. While they may feel vulnerable, they also trust that they will be supported. This is a very important outcome of the programme, and one that I feel is of great benefit for the boys as they prepare for the years ahead.