Ms Birch鈥檚 assembly on the 偷拍视频 value of integrity last week, sent home a strong message about the meaning of integrity and some valuable examples of what integrity looks like in a student鈥檚 life. I was pleased to find out that many students can name all five school values without looking! (For reference, they are integrity, excellence, connectedness, curiosity and courage).

I explained that school values help us make decisions and they help us explain why we do what we do. They also reflect what we believe in, to those who aren鈥檛 lucky enough to be at 偷拍视频.

I thought it might be interesting to share some of what I took some time to explain.

鈥淎t its heart, integrity means doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. It is about being honest, being fair and having the courage to stand by your convictions or principles, even when it is inconvenient or unpopular. It is not always easy and sometimes exceptionally hard, but it is always very, very important.

And the reason it is so important is because integrity is what builds trust. And trust is the foundation of every strong relationship - between friends, classmates, teachers, families, and communities. If you can be trusted and people can rely on your word, if they know you will do what you say and stand by your values, that is a powerful thing.

Integrity isn鈥檛 only about the big moments like owning up to a mistake or standing up for someone who is being treated unfairly. It is also found in small, everyday choices we make.

Integrity means:

鈥� Choosing not to cheat on a test, even if it is tempting.
鈥� Returning money you have found, even when you could have kept it.
鈥� Telling the truth, even when it is uncomfortable.
鈥� Admitting when you don鈥檛 know something, rather than pretending you do.

These aren鈥檛 particularly exciting actions, and they might not make it into the paper (and in fact, sometimes having integrity is unpleasant and inconvenient!), but these actions shape the kind of person you are.

You may have read in Kohelet, 鈥楢 good name is better than fine oil鈥�. The fact that you have 鈥榓 good name鈥�, means that you are trustworthy and you do the right thing. That is very precious.

Integrity fits in beautifully with our other school values.

鈥� It takes courage to act with integrity, especially when others are making poor decisions or not speaking up for what is fair.

鈥� It strengthens our connectedness, because people will be drawn to those they know they can trust.

鈥� It makes us curious because it pushes us to find the truth and not settle for easy answers.

鈥� And it leads to excellence, not just academically, but excellence in our character because doing your best includes doing what is right.

I would like to leave you with this thought: You are always building your reputation and every single choice you make adds to it. When you choose integrity, even quietly and seemingly unnoticed, you are building something solid and lasting. Something that people will respect. Something you can be proud of.

So today, as you go about your classes, your friendships, your lunch and focus on your learning, pause occasionally and ask yourself:

What is the right thing to do here?
What would I do if no one were watching?

And listen to that quiet voice inside you, your conscience. It is your best guide. Listen to it. Trust it. And act on it. Because in the end, your achievements will be measured not by what you have done, but by how you have done it鈥�.

Perhaps integrity would form an interesting discussion point at the Shabbos table this week.

Shabbat shalom.

Dr Julie Harris
Principal