Friends forges on

THIS year has presented The Friends’ School, and indeed all educational institutions, with a situation that could not have been expected or planned for.

But Friends’ has met this challenge head-on with the support of our global learning community.

At the heart of meeting this challenge was building a learning environment that would allow our community to not only cope, but to thrive.

Our school’s learning principles have provided a platform of understanding that we have drawn upon as we honour and tend to the needs of all members of our learning community. All learning journeys are important to us and we know that students learn best when they engage academically, they are in a comfortable physical and emotional environment and they feel safe, secure and knowing they are valued socially, culturally and spiritually.

When reflecting on our experience with distance learning, we have noticed how adaptive our learning community members have become with a truly shared responsibility towards children and their education.

We have become a true “community of learners”, strengthened by purpose and united by the challenges brought to us amid this current situation. The partnerships between home and school provide the foundation to support students’ learning, growth, health and wellbeing and agency.

In among the crisis we are all involved in, we have had a unique opportunity to nurture our relationships and live our purpose daily as an authentic community of learners, strengthening our interdependence.

A sentiment which beautifully echoes our school motto: Nemo Sibi Nascitur (no one is born for self alone).