GRIT: The power of passion and perseverance

“Talent sets the floor, character sets the ceiling”

Bill Belichick

The start of the new School year brings many opportunities for our girls to participate in the co-curricular opportunities at St Catherine’s School.

Trying a new activity, or reconnecting with a group or activity from last year, has significant benefits. Angela Duckworth, author of GRIT, The power of passion and perseverance suggests the maximum benefits from participating in an activity come from participating for two years.

There are countless studies demonstrating that children who are more involved in co-curricular activities fare better on just about every conceivable metric – they earn better grades, have higher self-esteem, are less likely to get in trouble and so forth. A handful of these studies are longitudinal, meaning researchers waited to see what happened to children later in their adult life. These long-term studies arrived at the same conclusion – more participation in activities predicts better outcomes.

Angela Duckworth and her research team established the best predictor of success was grit.

Grit, as defined by Duckworth, is the power of passion and perseverance, including stamina, working hard and living life as a marathon, not as a sprint. Continuing to work hard on an activity for long periods of time, will have long-term benefits in schoolwork, sport, music, drama or debating. I encourage you to read her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.

The benefits of participating in co-curricular activities allows students to learn skills in a variety of settings. St Catherine’s offers a wide range of co-curricular activities, providing our girls with a wide range of benefits including:

The benefits of learning Music:

  • Fosters creative expression, challenges thinking and stimulates imagination;
  • Contributes to intellectual and cognitive growth through the development of skills, techniques and processes;
  • Contributes to social and personal growth; and
  • Engages all aspects of a person: cognitive, emotional, sensory, physical and spiritual.

Further information on our Music Program can be found here.

The benefits of participating in the Drama program:

  • Improves self-confidence;
  • Enables the enhancement of memory and self-discipline;
  • Allows the development of collaborative and interpersonal skills, and
  • Enhances concentration and sustained focus.

Further information on our Performing Arts Program can be found here.

The benefits of participating in the Debating program:

  • Enables social engagement, fosters a sense of community;
  • Enhances personal, interpersonal and intrapersonal communication;
  • Develops personal confidence and public speaking skills;
  • Enhances the ability to create argument based on logic;
  • Improves performance and persuasiveness, and
  • Creates a strong sense of teamwork and personal responsibility.

Further information on our Debating and Public Speaking can be found here.

Benefits of Sport:

  • Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills;
  • Sports have hidden health benefits;
  • Playing sports builds self-confidence, and
  • Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration.

Further information on our Sports Program can be found here.

St Catherine’s Co-curricular program outlines and information can be found via the St Catherine’s School App or here.

References:

www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance
www.kidshealth.org/en/teens/girls-sports.html
www.inc.com/sonia-thompson/research-shows-kids-who-do-this-earn-better-grades.html

Mrs Gina Peele, Director of Student Programs