Caitlin Glass, Year 9, on what integrity means to her:

What does Integrity mean to you? The word itself sounds like it means to be strong and outgoing. To me, Integrity means to be honest with yourself and others, as well as to have strong moral principles.

From my point of view, having strong moral principles means to show the difference between what is right and what is wrong and to also stand up for yourself and what you believe in.

If you find something on the ground, like a phone, wallet, etc, don’t put it in your pocket and think about how lucky you are. Think about that person who has lost it, think about how worried they might be, think about how you would feel if you were in their shoes. Do you know the difference between right and wrong?

And in another case, bullying. If you are getting bullied, the first thing that comes to mind is to throw back a punch or kick or throw a few nasty words. That is one way to stand up for yourself, but the other is to just walk away and tell a teacher close by. Most people, when they see a fight, the first thing they do is take out their phone and video it. You, yes you, need to change that, stand up for the other person who is getting bullied, show them what is right and what is wrong.

Another important part of Integrity is honesty. Being honest with yourself means to not hide what is important to you, to be an individual and not copy other people. To show the world that there is only one of you in this whole universe, and that there is no one else like you. Be unique.

I want to give you all a challenge. The next time you see something bad going on, a fight for example, don’t copy others and grab your phone. Stand up for him or her and show them a better way to resolve it. Be yourself. Have Integrity.