Respect

“Everyone…at their best…as often as possible.”

Respect is the acknowledgement of the worth of an individual or group; that each of us has value because of what we can contribute. Respect includes a level of admiration for an individual’s achievements, qualities, abilities or contribution.

At the heart of Wellbeing at Scotch is the concept of “Knowing the Boy”. At every stage of a boy’s development, there are significant staff who seek to understand what is going on in his life and who know best what skills he needs to live life well. A key part of our Wellbeing programme is making students aware of these skills and providing them with opportunities to practice them.

We seek to develop within each student a healthy level of self-respect. Without respecting oneself and one’s body, it is difficult to show respect to others. Self-respect requires honesty and compassion: we have to be honest with ourselves and we also need to be compassionate – willing to forgive ourselves as well as not judging ourselves too harshly. Self-respect also requires a balance of determination to make the most of one’s abilities, pride in doing so and humility in appreciating that these abilities should be directed for the benefit of others. Humility is critical in self-respect, as it acknowledges the belief that we can do better.

Respecting others is a critical element of this pillar. Respect for others requires us to go beyond tolerance of difference to celebrate diversity. This is about recognising that others may have a different view of the world and we should engage with this and challenge ourselves to think about our own views and opinions, again being honest in assessing how we form our opinions. It is also about appreciating that others have different skills which can be of great benefit to our world.

Respect for the past and for tradition is a very important aspect of life at Scotch. We are proud of our beginnings and our traditions, even as we recognise the importance of striving to do better and be better. With this respect for the past, we should also feel gratitude for the legacy that has been left to us, and we should resolve to add to this legacy in a positive way.

We also place a high value on respect for the environment. This is manifested at multiple levels. Students are encouraged to respect their school environment, particularly in how they threat the grounds and ovals, as well as the building, classrooms and equipment. They are fortunate to be able to learn about and to appreciate more fully the natural world through our outdoor education programme. This sense of our interconnectedness is critical in addressing significant global issues such as climate change.  We seek to instill in our students a love of the outdoors which also allows them to appreciate the beauty of the natural world as well as understanding its importance to our survival. This sense of awe is fundamental to our sense of connection and our willingness to act.

At Scotch, we place respect at the heart of our attitude towards staff. This respect is demonstrated through consultation and appreciation of their efforts. We seek to acknowledge what staff do through appropriate rewards and recognition (in the most suitable way and time and place) of their contributions to making Scotch a better place.

Key Elements of Respect at Scotch:

• Self-respect
• Respect for Others (including women)
• Respect for the Past/Tradition
• Respect for the Environment