WELCOME TO ISSUE #3 OF SJB TOGETHER
Dear Parents and members of the SJB community,
I hope this recent newsletter finds you and your extended families safe and well and having returned from a very happy and enjoyable half-term.
A lot has happened since we broke for our half-term break, not least of all the tragic death of George Floyd in the United States. This incident has caused us to reflect on how fortunate we are to live in a community that recognises diversity as a valuable part of group identity. It also leads us to remember the impact we have on the boys through their formative years; the potential to accompany and inspire them to make sense of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of them. We are proud to identify ourselves through our shared beliefs rather than differences and this enables our boys to derive great strength from their relationships and work collaboratively for the greater good of each other. We pray that, in the days and weeks ahead, those who have a voice will use it in healing.
This week at SJB has without a doubt been dominated by the return of our Nursery, Reception, Blandyke and Lower Figures boys and it was such a tremendous pleasure to see so many of them return to school on Monday. They wasted no time getting down to business quickly and each ‘bubble’ has established a very effective routine which is wonderful.
The day was however understandably tinged with a sense of sadness that there were other boys who were not able to join us. Please know that you are very much in our thoughts and prayers and we are grateful to have the opportunity to engage with the boys through SJBReach for the time being.
We wish our Rudiments boys the very best as they complete their Common Entrance examinations for their choice of secondary school and await eagerly the results which are expected next week. Now that examinations are drawing to a close, we are looking forward to the forthcoming music concerts and other planned events during the second half of term.
I want to thank all of the staff who have played such a pivotal role in preparing for the return of the boys this week: maintenance, administrative and teaching staff. They have done a wonderful job to ensure the engagement and importantly, the safety of all of the boys.
As the saying goes, ‘a week is a long time in politics’ and a day is a long time during COVID-19 as things involve rapidly on a daily basis. We will continue to keep you all updated as we adapt to changing circumstances and I would ask you please to keep a vigilant eye out for these updates when they are published.
I can’t thank you enough for your continuing support and forbearance whilst we navigate these current waters. The generosity and selflessness of so many boys and their families have not been lost on me over these past weeks and the prioritising of other people’s needs over our own has been self-evident on so many occasions: thank you!
I would like to wish you all a wonderful weekend!
Giles Delaney
Headmaster