Our Magnificent Tall Poppies!

In Australia, there remains a stubborn syndrome, The Tall Poppy. Traditionally, “Tall Poppies” have been criticised for accomplishments placing them above their peers.  

Unfortunately, all gifts are not viewed equally. A gifted athlete, musician, dancer, or artist is honoured in Australian society. However, instead of praise, some of our intellectually and academically gifted individuals are negatively labelled with terms such as nerd, try hard, sweat or know-it-all. Did you know our former Prime Minister, The Honourable Robert Hawke, was awarded a Rhodes’ Scholarship to University College, Oxford, as well as a scholarship for a doctorate in Arbitrational Law at ANU? Instead, you are probably aware of the world record he achieved for drinking beer. Bob Hawke was lauded for his larrikinism rather than his intelligence. As a society, we must widen our scope of celebration to include knowledge, thought, and judgment.  

Like the wonderful Bob Hawke, gifted students are knowledgeable in the area of their passion, they thrive on complexity, can see many points of view, have a mature sense of humour, and are acutely aware of social justice issues. These are the very characteristics our society is so desperately in need of. Let us encourage all with gifts to shine brightly. When considering our future challenges, it is clear our world cannot afford to lose our magnificent Tall Poppies. We must encourage them in any way we can to stand tall and proud.   

Gifted Awareness Week (22-26 May) celebrated the multitude of gifts and talents within the Marist Regional College community. In fact, the term “Gifted” originates from the Norse word gipt or gift, which means both “gift” and “good luck”. The week acknowledged our students’ outstanding abilities, aptitudes, or “good luck” in at least one of the following ability domains: intellectual, creative, leadership, emotional, spatial, kinaesthetic, and multiple intelligences. 

Our inaugural Gifted Awareness Week focussed on the “diverse faces of giftedness”. A range of activities were on offer, from ongoing “Smarty Pants” challenges in the Library, to a concert in the Blue Room, and the extremely popular MaRChibald Art Challenge. Thank you to all staff who gave so generously of their time, knowledge, creativity, and energy to run these activities. 

Mrs Nicki Rogers 

Frayne Head of House 

Congratulations to these students for their success in the following activities and gaining house points (1st 50, 2nd 30, 3rd 10):