01/10/21

Value of the month - Respect

You have probably heard the word ‘respect’ used when someone wants to honour someone’s achievement:

“You swam 50 lengths of the swimming pool – respect!”

“You scored a hat-trick for the school team – respect!”

“You raised £100 for charity at your garage sale – respect!”

We quite rightly value what someone has done and the word ‘respect’ means that you value their achievement and feel they have done well.

But respect is also something that you give people who are in important roles.

You have respect for the teaching staff at Tadworth, for the police force who patrol the roads and our streets and help keep us safe. You have respect for doctors and nurses who make you better. You have respect for those in the armed forces who make sure this country is safe from threat.

This means that you listen when they speak, you do what they say. You address them by the correct title (Mr, Dr, Police constable, Sergeant…)

We do this because if we are to live well we need to value those who are in a position of authority, even if we don’t know them. When a police man tells you to not go down a road, you don’t check out whether you like him or not. That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you obey the instruction so everyone stays safe.

So you respect those who do well, and you respect people in special jobs. Who else might you respect?

Well in fact, at Tadworth Primary we want to say that everyone is worthy of respect. You may reserve special respect to those who work in the school but the person you sit next to in class, and play with in the play ground and are selected to play alongside in sport are worthy of respect too. And this includes you of course.

What does this mean? Everyone is different and the same. We are all different to look at and listen to. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. But we are also the same because we are all worthy of respect as human beings.  It’s not OK if someone is not respected: like calling names, or leaving them out, or lying to them, or taking their things, or ignoring them, or laughing at their ideas. Respect means that you have a right to feel safe in school, to be heard, to be valued and cherished.

And when we respect one another, we are most likely to do good things and achieve our best, so that others will say: ‘respect’ to us. And if we keep this up as we grow up we may well have a position in society which is respected.

But it all starts here and now and how you look at and talk to the next person you meet.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  NP

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