Kindlehill hosted the Japanese exchange student and I felt such incredible pride in our student body from Kindy all the way through to our High School. I asked our students to be invitational and hospitable to the students prior their arrival. As soon as the students were here there was such a joyous buzz of friendship and engagement. They were incredibly shiny in their warmth, invitational and open heartedness.
On a personal level, there were plenty of moments where there was a load of work to be done and without hesitation our High School students stepped in and helped carry it. More than once my breath caught in my throat as I felt how incredible these young people are and how deep their capacity for the work of caring for people truly is. High levels of engagement, warmth and care and such profound openness.
The future is bright with young people like this at the helm.
After extensive experience with Barnardos Australia, Erica joined the teaching profession in 2004, focusing for many years on high school teaching for young people with behavioural issues not able to be in mainstream classes. Erica joined Kindlehill School in 2009. She has a B. Arts ( Hons) (USYD) and a Master of Teaching (UWS).
“Through a profoundly nurturing and rich education of the whole child we help to heal the world and move towards greater kindness and respect – that’s why I am here.”.
