Circular Extract 7|2021

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way. (A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens) This passage from Dickens’s well known A Tale of Two Cities is so applicable to our beloved country, its leaders, as well as the College. I strongly believe that we are in the season of light, the spring of hope and that we have everything in front of us. For those of you on your way to the ‘other city’, may your glasses be half-full and may you experience the warmth of the sun in the chill of the coming winter. In this current pandemic, I am concerned about the well-being of both our staff and learners, and I would like to encourage parents to support them as much as possible. Do not hesitate to contact us if there is anything we can help with. I firmly believe that every learner has a ‘go-to’ teacher, someone they have a good rapport with and I would encourage them to talk to them in their hour of need. I would like to thank all the parents who engaged with staff members during our recent parents’ meeting. The golden triangle of education, anchored in parents, teachers and learners, relies on participation from all three parties. Unfortunately, there are also glimpses of Dickens’s age of foolishness, and I would like to reiterate that we will not tolerate learners challenging our Code of Conduct and discipline at school. Encourage your children to get involved at the College, as there are ample Carpe Diem moments – a busy child is a happy child. It is wonderful to see the enthusiasm and joy experienced by learners as they return to the sport fields. This week alone we are hosting our first girls’ and boys’ hockey, netball and rugby league matches. A special word of congratulations to our first and u/16 girls’ hockey teams that had convincing wins over Eldoraigne on Tuesday. To enable you to watch these matches from home, we are busy with experimental streaming of certain events. Keep an eye on our communication channels, as we will keep you informed. Be positive, stay safe and seize the opportunities presenting themselves.