27 October 2022
Across the Junior School this week has been a different sea of blue. Throughout October I have taken part in the Polished Man campaign to raise awareness to end violence against women and children. At our Junior School Assembly in Week 1, the SRC invited the Junior School students and staff to polish a nail blue and start important and powerful conversations about this issue. The statistics shared are alarming. One in two children will experience violence this year and one in three women will experience violence in their lifetime. As a community we want to be change makers to say that enough is enough. The boys were reminded that just painting a nail doesn’t end violence, but it is a chance to start a conversation. It is also a wonderful example for our boys that service to the community can occur through positive actions and does not necessarily need to be transactional.
Why choose the Polished Man campaign? Throughout this year I have written about those valuable words in our school prayer which challenges our students to display strength and love. The campaign calls on people to be ‘polished’ and I immediately connected this with our school prayer. It states ‘to be polished is to:
- Do the right thing even when nobody’s watching
- Help out friends and family without needing to be asked
- Be a role model and set a good example for those that look up to you
- Stand up for what’s right, even if your friends are part of what’s wrong
- Take action to create a safer word for all women and children
Thank you to the students, parents and staff who have supported this campaign. I look forward to these powerful conversations continuing across our community into the future.
Ben Storer
Deputy Head of Junior School – Wellbeing and Administration