Together/ Apart!
At this time of the year, as we approach St Valentine’s Day, we usually celebrate Friendship Week in school. It is always a lovely week where students are encouraged to celebrate each other as friends and classmates. Kindness and respect for each other are always the theme for the week. There are displays of hearts and artworks produced in CSPE, SPHE, RE and Art. Students post kind thoughts for the day on the Information Screen and over the intercom. There might be music on the Street, cake sales, friendship bracelets and hot chocolate. There always seems to be a lot of pink! How we miss it all.
It is ironic that at a time when students have never needed connection more that they are scattered so far apart. Remote Learning has become part of the educational reality, but we would hate to think that any students or indeed any of our school community was feeling remote, cut-off or isolated. Never have we needed Friendship more.
So, Friendship Week will take place this week 8th-12th February. The cake and hot chocolate will have to happen at home (treat yourself!) but the good thoughts, and the focus on the themes of friendship, love and respect will be celebrated in classes where possible. What we would ask , as part of this year’s overall theme of Together /Apart, is that all students would reach out to at least one other student they might not have met for a while and have a chat. Connection is powerful.