Welcome back to the start of term 4. I hope that the holidays were restful times for you. If the holidays were a hive of activity in your household, I hope then that the start of school allowed you to return to some degree of normality today. The start of a new term always brings with it a great deal of renewed energy and vigour and this term seems to be heading in the same direction. I am looking forward to what is always a busy last term at the College.

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The English playwright William Congreve once commented that ‘uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life.’ Congreve’s comments could well be written about the youth of today and in particular the young men of Ambrose Treacy College. As the term draws to its slow end, I have reflected on the term’s journey and once again it has been filled with plenty of surprises.

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The challenge of mental health has never been greater. Whether life is more challenging or people are just more vulnerable, is not fully understood. Regardless of the reason, the reality is that many people have needs to be addressed. The solution I suspect lies importantly with us as individuals and our ‘support crew’ who journey with us.

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‘My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.’ —Jim Valvano

Fathers’ Day is a time that we all like to remember the contribution that Dads and significant males have in our life. Their contribution is many and varied and for many it is their ability to be the butt of an anecdote that characterises Dads.

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It is always easy to operate with the benefit of hindsight. Similarly we will always believe that our heroes from the past are better than they potentially were. Today’s world is a difficult world and a complex society. Our young people certainly have to grow up in a more challenging world than I grew up in. The advent of technology has opened possibilities that were not possible to dream of previously. Social media creates connections that can be overwhelming.

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