From Assistant Principal Pastoral Care

“to thine own self be true”

-  Polonius in Hamlet (long story)  

Sir…  

Come in. I’ve seen you look better.  

It’s all too much really. I need to be some place else. 

Have you seen my fish?  

Nice.  

What’s all too much?  

Are you supposed to fall apart in Year 12 and get all stressed out or what?  

It’s a part of life’s rich tapestry, and you seem to be doing it very well.  

Yeah, helpful. It’s rubbish probably. You’ll think it’s dumb. 

If it hurts, then it bears talking about. What’s going on?  

You got time?  

Go on.  

Study is stressy, but I get by, but it’s hard when others don’t take it seriously. Why push? 

Yes.  

It’s like not feeling you belong like the old days. It was simpler then. 

You’re too young to talk about the old days, but I get it.  What do you want out of study?  

I wanna go to Uni and all that, but everyone’s turning eighteen, getting cars and there’s just one party after another… mates who have left have money. 

And I take it by your eye roll and pregnant pause (and remember I taught you that in Year 10) that you don’t entire approve of what happens occasionally at said parties.  

Hmmm. Not occasionally. Let your imagination run wild. 

Are you close to answering your own question?  

But if I don’t go, I really and truly won’t belong. No friends and I’m over school. 

What do mum and dad think?  

It’s hard being the one who is going to be the first to go to uni in the family. I don’t wanna disappoint them. The golden child can’t have problems.  

Worth a try I reckon – most parents love you before anything else and with a bit of luck they’ll always back you. Even parents are people.  

Aren’t I old enough supposedly, to figure it all out for myself like you said? Resilience and positive thinking and all that.  

I’m ancient and I still have no idea. What aren’t you telling me?  

Probably something like you’re a party animal or nothin. And I worry for my friends. 

I have some long speeches on, “why am I the only one”/“everybody else is”/peer pressure/right and wrong/“to thine own self be true.”  

Not again! Please. I slept through most of them in Year 8.  

Yeah, good on you. Can I give you just one? You came to me remember. Make me feel useful. 

Go on then.  

What I see is a fantastic kid who has no idea of their own worth and potential and very likely no idea about how much they are loved. Special beyond comprehension. The stuff that you are worrying about speaks to your character plus and plus, not to an absence of anything. You have to do, or not do, what you think is right if you want to sleep at night. Put your head down and do your best, let the white noise go. Other people is nonsense. I’d be guessing that in twelve months’ time what’s worrying you won’t seem as big. Chances are you’ll be knocking around with more people with shared interests, maybe a bit more maturity, all that. Bet your parents are busting with pride over you, even if you think it comes out wrong sometimes. It’s the way of things. Patience and self-worth are difficult to teach and learn. I’m proud of you if that counts for something. All of your life there will be choices about the long game (which you know is right) and immediate gratification (which you know will be a problem tomorrow). 

Good speech. Used it before?  

More often than you’d think. I was tearing up anyway. Might even be something in it.  

Maybe.  

Remember to run it by mum and/or dad.  

Maybe.  

I’ll check in with you tomorrow. 

OK, thanks.