From the Principal
From tribulation to triumph: five things I’ve learnt since the beginning of the pandemic Jonathan Walter Principal
It has been a real challenge for us all to cut through the negativity of the media cycle over the course of 2021. We get bogged down in the subsequent lockdowns, the crisis in Afghanistan and the International Panel on Climate Change declaring a ‘code red for humanity’, alongside the mental health impacts of the pandemic on our young people.
However, at our school, we are fortunate to be involved with the next generation of leaders and, as such, it is perhaps more possible to adopt a hopeful stance. These inspiring young people give us evidence every day of adaption and creativity at work. We can look to the future and feel hopeful. The following are five important observations I have made over the past 18 months that I believe we should embrace as we move through and beyond this pandemic. There are some true positives and some inspiring and exciting things to look forward to.
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1. Connection is the key The opportunities we have had to connect with each other have allowed
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us to show and experience warmth, share pain and loss, and be open and vulnerable about how we are travelling. It is at these times when we are our most human and are of greatest support to each other. Connection is the key as we move through this period. Many of our students have mentioned how important it has been to feel the support of their peers while studying remotely. They would open a communication platform just to be together, even if they were working on a solitary task. I know for me personally, the online gathering of the School Leadership Team at the start of each day in lockdown has been a necessary support, not only for the purposes of organising the operations of the School, but also for each of us to feel the connection and share the burden.
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2. We are better together Our community is strong and resilient. We can support each other through times of difficulty. Like an ecosystem, the diversity within our community is fundamental to its strength, adaptiveness and ability to respond to the challenges before it. By actively
‘It’s not what happens to you that matters, it’s what you become because of your response to it.’
