Give More, Grow More
Head Prefect Poppy finds growth in the unlikely and the everyday.
Each week, our student leaders share their insights with their peers in Assembly.
Now, a few years ago, my grandma asked me a question I’d say not too many people have been asked before. She was wondering if I knew of anyone who would be interested in coming along to a dung beetle seminar.
In case you’re as confused as I was at first, you really shouldn’t be, because a dung beetle seminar is exactly what it sounds like – a seminar about beetles that live in dung.
Being the selfless older sister that I am, I assured her my two younger siblings would be only too delighted to attend and watched with my own delight as they drove off into the distance, unsure of exactly when they had agreed to this plan of mine.
I thought this was an excellent play by me, yet when they returned, I realised I had really missed out. It was apparent that by generously throwing themselves into a cause that was so close to my grandma’s heart, not only had my siblings brightened her day, but their own hearts had been filled as well. Yes, they had learned a lot about dung beetles, even winning the raffle and along with it, their very own copy of Ecology and Evolution of Dung Beetles! But more than that, they were able to engage with fascinating people and perspectives they would never otherwise encounter in their everyday lives – especially because they were the youngest people there by about 60 years.
It was almost as though by giving, my siblings had grown. I’m choosing to share this story following the launch of our new Prefect initiative and 2025-2026 theme ‘Give More, Grow More’. I hope it can illustrate that giving and growth take many forms that we might not necessarily always hear about in Assembly or in the news.
‘Give More, Grow More’ looks different for everyone. It is not about comparing what you give or how you grow to the friend beside you. And there are times you must give yourself grace to make mistakes and take a break or (as beautifully put by Prefect Abi), “Grow through what you go through”.
Ultimately, to give is just to be brave enough to put your heart in, and to grow is to see where it takes you. Something I have found during my time at Wenona, as my inner-confidence has grown with the support of the people I have connected with along the way, is that what you put in you will get out – many times over. So, my promise to you is that if my grandma ever invites me to a dung beetle seminar part 2, I’ll let you all know how it goes. Because this time, I’d like to be there, growing by giving it my all.
Whether it be through a smile in the halls, supporting your friend’s next sporting match or welcoming a new opportunity unique to you - I can’t wait to see you all make the ‘Give More, Grow More’ theme your own. Just as the Prefects and I have and will continue to do, I hope you enjoy finding the right place for it in your own personal stories.