However, after such an unsettled year in 2020, it is not surprising that we will feel some after-effects of the strain and stress of our whole society being disrupted. This evidences itself in different ways with different people of course. We have experienced a rise in anxiety and stress amongst our students that at first was puzzling. We have also noticed this amongst staff and even amongst some of our interactions with parents. Add to this the usual stresses of life and we have a troubling mix.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is something we think of occurring for returned service personnel or people who have lived through a horrific accident or to front-line workers like fire fighters or paramedics and such like. But it also occurs as the result of an accumulation of stress caused by one or more significant factors over a period of time.

As we continue on in 2021, it will be important that we tread carefully with others, being aware they may react or respond in unexpected ways with no apparent cause. We will need to extend grace and mercy to others in measures we may not have had to use before. We will also need to reflect on ourselves and be aware that we may be reacting to issues too in ways we would not normally react.

This is an opportunity to increase in the Godly characteristics of love, grace, mercy, empathy, kindness, patience etc. CS Lewis, the great academic and apologist said that we often don’t know the real extent of our character until it is tested. He suggested that while we think we have courage, it may not be until we are faced with enemy fire (he served in WW1) that we find out whether we do or not. With the help of others (and we will need their help) we can use this post-COVID experience to check on ourselves and learn about areas for growth.

As our focus is particularly children and young people, it is vital that we help them process this unusual period of human history and emerge positively from it. If you feel you are not equipped to do that then as a school, we stand ready to help you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us and ask for some assistance if you believe your child is not coping as they should. This is how we can partner together to see them equipped to stand strong in the face of life’s future challenges.

Admitting we need help is not a sign of weakness but a tool to strengthen us. God’s promise to us is that it is in our weakness that His strength really becomes available to us. When Jesus left His disciples on earth to return to His Father in heaven, His promise was to "be with them always, even to the end of the world." This is one of the great hopes we have in Christ and what Easter reminds us of – God came to earth to provide a way of salvation for us. We will reflect more on that next week.

Phillip Nash

Principal