‘Never see a need without trying to do something about it.’ – Mary MacKillop

As citizens of the Carey community, we are all responsible for ensuring we are actively contributing to an environment that promotes inclusivity, respect, collaboration, empathy and hope and one that values diversity, courage, curiosity and resilience.

With so many catchphrases and words circulating and being used in everyday language, within the school grounds, in social settings and in the home, our challenge is to understand their meaning, their relevance to us and how we can embrace them as normalised behaviours.

‘I may have just found the solution’, I thought as I sat in an online Professional Development course, ‘Seasons for Growth’, last week with Rebecca Gaskell, our new Junior School Chaplain. The course was about supporting students in times of change and providing them with a sense of hope that, like the seasons, tough times will come and go. Rebecca and I discussed how we make all the above relevant to the students and families in the Carey community, and I then had a lightbulb moment when the quote from Mary MacKillop was shared with the participants:

‘Never see a need without trying to do something about it.’

I sat and thought about this for a while and then my mind just started racing. There are so many times across a normal day when we can all embrace the notion of the quote and swing into ‘action’. It may be as small as seeing a piece of rubbish on the ground and deciding to pick it up, or seeing a peer in the playground on their own and deciding, ‘Will I approach and say hello and ask them to join in or will I just carry on with my friends and activities?’. Similarly, it’s when we consider, ‘Will I turn a blind eye to my child’s excessive screen-time as I am busy or tired, or will I engage with them, show an interest in their day and thoughts and feelings?’ or ‘Will I sit on the couch and watch the devastating news, both locally and internationally that punctuates our daily news reports or will I take action?’

Action is not about the position you hold or the experience you have, it simply means you are doing something and trying to make a positive difference. It’s like when we set about to collect loose five-cent coins as a Junior School to donate to a chosen charity. Five cents on its own does not change a life, but across a term if every child in the Junior School donated five five-cent coins, by the end of the term we would have collectively raised $137.50, a significant donation that will indeed make a difference.

I empower you all to notice the daily needs and ‘take action’. One small act, seemingly inconsequential to you can have a profound and lasting impact on others. It starts with a small ripple and can soon become a tsunami of support and make a real difference to your child or another person or community. As Carey community members it is incumbent on us to at least try.

‘Never see a need without trying to do something about it.’

Alby Ingles
Deputy Head of Junior School Kew – Student Wellbeing