FROM THE HEAD OF PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Examining excellence with Dr Holly Miller
“ Excellence is not a skill . It is an attitude .”
– Ralph Marston
Excellence as a school value is core to what both students and staff strive for in our everyday actions . While there have been many achievements at the highest level showcasing excellence , it is personal excellence that I believe is the most important and should be the most celebrated . All students who strive to achieve the goals they set , work hard for self-improvement and dedicate themselves to be the best they can be , and have so much to be proud of . Personal excellence is on display in every aspect of our school , be it a Music Ensemble , the sporting field , the classroom , on stage or in everyday actions of citizenship . We talk to students about not comparing themselves to others but looking inwardly to reflect on their own efforts and perseverance for improvement and growth that sees them achieve their personal excellence .
I encourage every student to take time to consider the year that has passed and reflect on where they have demonstrated the school value of excellence in their actions and achievement of personal goals . Perhaps it is overcoming nerves to take on a speaking part in the Drama production , learning a new skill on the basketball court , mastering a new group of spelling sounds and words , passing a swimming level that they may have attempted a number of times , or even consciously acting
on their goal to be ‘ kind on purpose ’ and help others .
I also encourage all students to reflect on what it sometimes takes to achieve their goals . Failure is a part of growth and achievement of personal excellence .
Many of us know the story of WD-40 , but for those that do not , this product stems back to 1953 when three staff of Rocket Chemical Company set out to create a rustprevention solvent to use in the aerospace industry . They failed 39 times in their attempts to find the right ingredients and it wasn ’ t until the 40th attempt that the right recipe was created . WD-40 ’ s name originates from this process . Imagine if they gave up at attempt 26 or even after their 39th failure ? The achievement of personal excellence took 39 demonstrations of perseverance , grit , determination , commitment and self-belief that they could achieve what they had set out to , resulting in a household product that is still widely used today . We can all learn much from this story and I urge every student to remember WD-40 when they fail on their first try and when it feels like they will never get to where they want to go . Don ’ t give up , keep working hard and you too will achieve what you set your mind to .
Personal excellence is an attitude , it is a commitment to achieving your best , regardless of what others are doing . It is the determination to not see failure as an opportunity to give up , but as a catalyst to learn and strive for continual improvement . The achievement of personal excellence is what we at GGS will always be most proud of .
Dr Holly Miller Head of Preparatory School
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