The Quiet Work of Transformation
World Teachers’ Day, celebrated this week, is an opportunity to pause and give thanks for the remarkable people who dedicate their lives to the formation of young minds and hearts.
At the heart of our mission is a simple but profound statement: We are a Catholic school in the tradition of St Marcellin Champagnat that strives to make Jesus known and loved through forming young men of strong minds and gentle hearts.
Our mission has two dimensions. One names the qualities we hope to form in our graduates; the another expresses the kind of people we aspire to be as staff. Both are deeply connected. We cannot form in our boys what we do not first seek to live ourselves.
We hope our teachers dare to engage in the spiritual and intellectual adventure before them, safeguard all in their care and strive to be people of presence that is grounded, prayerful and authentic. We teach for truth, depth and choice and above all, we cherish human dignity. It is no small task, but one we can never take for granted.
So much of this happens quietly; in classrooms, on the sidelines, in conversations at break time, or in the care shown to a boy who is struggling. It is also nurtured more intentionally through our staff spirituality days, retreats, pilgrimages and service opportunities. These moments keep drawing us back to the heart of our work.
Teaching is never just about subjects or lessons. It is about shaping lives; it is sacred work.
On World Teachers’ Day, we give thanks for the care teachers show, the example they set and the hope they bring into the lives of our boys. Together, in partnership with parents, our teachers make our mission real, one lesson, one conversation, one small act of kindness at a time.
Matthew Hutchison
Headmaster
