Yesterday, we celebrated World Friendship Day, which fell on Sunday 30 July. The day centres around human solidarity, which takes various forms, with friendship being the most fundamental in a world with challenges. The Wellbeing and SRC teams planned a series of activities to celebrate and raise awareness. Students were given ribbons to wear, greeted with treats upon arrival, enjoyed a movie screening with friends and participated in expressing gratitude through notes adorning the Flagpole in the central courtyard.

Friendship building and nurturing relationships are values we embrace and starting from Year 7 this is a core focus in both cocurricular and curriculum offerings. Our junior Health classes include the ‘URSTRONG program’, which is underpinned by the ‘Friendology,’ curriculum, which focus on teaching friendship skills. This allows students to develop strategies for establishing and maintaining relationships, based on their stage of development. Our ultimate goal is to foster a culture of kindness that aligns perfectly with our College motto, ‘Strength and Kindliness’. When we prioritise cultivating healthy friendships, we see our young people flourishing and thriving in their lives.