Dear Boarding Families,
Well! I didn’t see that coming but I now know some of you did!
A huge shout out to my wonderful family Lisa, Katie and Josh who surprised me last fortnight by flying me back to Perth to celebrate with family, friends and mates. I had no idea this was happening, even when Lisa proofed my newsletter last week, she didn’t give anything away. Some of the key staff involved knew and Tom and Justine had no intentions of catching up for dinner at the Crown Melbourne. Well played!
This week, I reflected on what I just experienced back home and the main word that came to mind was gratitude. I was very grateful for what others had done for me to ensure the secret was not spoilt and the moment has been etched in my mind for another 50 years to come! I am grateful for our boarding community.
From Psychology Today
“Gratitude is the expression of appreciation for what one has. It is an affirmation of goodness and warmth. This social emotion strengthens relationships, and its roots run deep in evolutionary history—emanating from the survival value of helping others and being helped in return. Brain scans of people assigned a task that stimulates expression of gratitude show lasting changes in the prefrontal cortex that heighten sensitivity to future experiences of gratitude.”
Knowing this, I have been asking our boarders to share something they are grateful for. This was not a loaded question nor just related to boarding but was designed to allow our students to pause and reflect on what they are thankful for.
Enjoy your fortnight.
Kind regards,
Ash
Ash Keatch
Head of Boarding