Living a Life Beyond Ourselves
I love our School Motto, Non Nobis Solum, …..
‘We are not born for ourselves alone, but for the whole world’.
Generosity is one of the four key domains and vital signs for healthy personal growth and development (alongside belonging, mastery, and independence). Successful societies have communities of people working together for the common good, both for the present generation and the next.
Building compassionate hearts, capable minds and a commitment to action that supports others is a priority at Prep. According to research, taking advantage of learning during this first critical period of brain development means extending beyond academics, to interpersonal skills and character development in dispositions such as kindness, respect, empathy, and teamwork.
Generosity and compassion are key components of ‘emotional intelligence’ which are both powerful for the giver as well as the receiver. Research indicates that generosity is a key component of self-worth and purpose, mental health, resilience, and general wellbeing. At Mosman Prep, generosity is facilitated by our powerful social action program, GoodCHAP (Community Helpers Assisting People).
From pre-kindergarten through to Year 6, all students at Mosman Prep are engaged in our GoodCHAP Program. Through GoodCHAP, students develop initiative, respect, an increased sense of personal and social responsibility, compassion, and a spirit of generosity as they identify the needs of others in the community and abroad. In essence, they learn to find joy in living a life beyond themselves.
The GoodCHAP program has two formats.
Each class from pre-kindergarten to Year 6 is deeply immersed in the program. They contribute to initiatives such as nursing home visits, assisting at food distribution stores, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s ‘Feast for Freedom’ to support people seeking asylum with food, shelter and health services, or raising money to support an Aboriginal Preschool in Coffs Harbour.
All the boys are engaged in research and practical activities to gain a better understanding of their charity, to educate the rest of the school, and to raise funds in support of their chosen charities.
“Year 5 were most impressive in their GoodCHAP efforts, raising $4000 for the local indigenous preschool in Coffs Harbour which they visited in Term 3. The money was used to purchase literature, hats for the children, blankets, sporting equipment, and a new dishwasher for the staff. We went to Kulai Preschool and played Aboriginal language games with the children. We also sang with them and handed over the gifts that we had been fundraising for. They were extremely grateful.” (Jackson Scoular, Year 5 2023)
Years 4-6 boys complete 10 hours of self-organised, outside school, individual or small group social action such as cooking meals and raising money through the Mosman ‘Mini-Mos’ race for the ‘Kids Giving Back Organisation’, raising money for the Red Cross, involvement in local environmental clean-up, or the ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’ initiative.
“I advertised, took orders, made lemon curd and the labels, and delivered the curd myself. I did this because the Red Cross helped us when we had a car accident and I wanted to raise money to make sure they could help others. It made me really fulfilled because I was giving back to the community, especially my elderly neighbours.” (Jonah Kok, Year 4 2023)
The GoodCHAP program is a powerful framework for nurturing and encouraging boys to be generous and joyful as they identify the needs of others, enabling them to serve in their community alongside their peers. The program is a wonderful example of how the Christian foundations of the School encourage character development, and the motivation to help and be of service to others.
At Mosman Prep, we aim to develop young men who are committed to leadership in service, empathetic, compassionate, generous, and who have a desire to be connected to, and contribute to, the wider world around them.
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:3-5
Peter Grimes | Headmaster
