“Nothing gives greater delight than learning united with virtue.” Marsilio Ficino

The principle of unity is deeply embedded in the foundational heart of Ficino School. What does this mean? It means that we are united by the beauty of the present moment in which we all share. We all choose to be here, to be present for your child, to welcome them with love and kindness. We share a vision to bring out the best in your child and introduce them to all that is good in the world. Unity between teacher and child is found in shared moments of revelation, connection, joy, humour, gratitude and even correction.

In the wider world we see too many examples of disharmony. In order to counter this, we must direct the next generation to peace. Observing remembrance days helps us to keep casting light on the dark consequences of decisions formed by hatred. This week I spoke to the Year 7 & 8 students about the upcoming Unity Week in March. It is an award-winning initiative led by the Sakinah Community Trust – a group of seven women who lost loved ones in the 15 March Christchurch mosque attacks. They call for communities across New Zealand to affirm their commitment to strengthening connection, compassion and social cohesion across our nation.

We ask our Year 7 & 8 students to champion the values of unity within our school as part of their civic duty:

U  Understanding

N  Nationhood

I  Integrity

T  Trust

Y  You

Mrs Bayliss-Lane shared a poignant analogy with us recently that she gave to young children in South Africa. Imagine being given an amazing colouring picture only to be given one coloured pencil with which to complete it.  You would be pretty disappointed. Her message was that it takes all colours to create something truly special. That is the spirit of unity.

We look forward to welcoming you all to our annual school picnic this Sunday. It is a wonderful time for us to model unity to our children, so that everyone in our community experiences a sense of belonging.

Lorna Spicer, Deputy Principal