As we welcome back our Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 students, it is important to reflect on the lessons we have learnt during this difficult time. The first is the importance of community. There is a famous American TV series whose theme song captures this sentiment: ‘Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.’ Schools are places where people have a sense of belonging, of comfort and of support. Whitefriars College is such a place. The second lesson is resilience. During difficult times, our character is tested I have experienced countless examples where staff, parents and students have risen above these challenges and adapted to the difficulties that isolation has presented – staff going above and beyond to ensure their students continue to learn, students having developed self-discipline and independence which they have had to draw upon like never before and as a parent of school-age children myself, I know that parents have made significant sacrifices to ensure their children have been able to stay engaged and remain positive in the face unprecedented darkness.

For our community, returning to school does not cancel out the challenges that our world is experiencing. Rather, it provides an environment of safety, comfort and most importantly, care. We will continue to educate our young men to be life-long learners and gentle men.  We will be there for them when times are tough and we will walk together through the storms and the sunshine.

Mr Mick Lafferty

Deputy Principal – Students

https://youtu.be/XdQPmDrTvww