Page 7 - Old Ratcliffian 2020 Edition

great independence, thinking those ‘big’ ideas to help others in need in our local
communities. They developed resilience, using a growth mindset, and adopting a ‘not
yet’, rather than a ‘can’t do’, attitude to their learning. Our students faced their fears
and anxieties head-on in the midst of the uncertainty of the coronavirus lockdown.
They experienced, fi rst-hand, that failure is a natural part of self-improvement COLLEGE NEWS
and personal growth, as they struggled to get to grips with learning at home.
They overcame obstacles, they prevailed, and, over the past few months, they have
acquired skills and experiences that will help to shape their futures in a positive way.

Ratcliffe’s Catholic mission places Christ at the centre of our learning. So many of our
students have lived out the Gospel values, demonstrated through countless simple
acts of kindness and love that they have shown towards others. Those who have lost
loved ones or cared for the sick during the pandemic have demonstrated compassion,
humility, and gentleness. I am proud that so many of them have listened to the call
of those who asked for help, demonstrating genuine service and sacrifi ce as they
answered that call. It is these sometimes small, but signifi cant, acts of kindness that
have helped to instil a deep sense of community and belonging at Ratcliffe, anchored
by our school motto – Love is the Fulfi lment of the Law. When our students looked
out into their communities, they felt the love that Jesus has for us, and they saw
Christ in others.
As we churn our thoughts and memories, once again, within our Pensieve, we can see
where we are now. We have worked hard as we have reopened the College. I know
just how much anxiety the school community has had to manage, and I pay tribute to
everyone for the resilience and the unsparing support that has been shown, helping
the community to move forwards during this challenging period.

And so, back to the Potterhead reference of the Pensieve. This is, of course, a clever play on the words ‘pensive’ and ‘sieve’, which
gives you a pretty good idea of what it is for. The word ‘pensive’ means to refl ect deeply; a ‘sieve’ is a means by which we separate
particles of different sizes. Imagine if you could separate out and keep your most important memories, preserved and clear to look
back on. The applications are so broad. Most importantly, Pensieves show you memories as they truly happened, untainted by bias
or human forgetfulness. I suppose the idea is that your brain has a copy of the undiluted event somewhere, and that’s what the
Pensieve extracts. So, it makes perfect sense for Albus Dumbledore to use it, as he is, essentially, being gifted with the perfect recall
of past events and their meanings. A long line of revered headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts have left behind memories
from their tenure, and thus contributed to the creation of an invaluable library of reference for the headmasters and headmistresses
yet to come. I challenge each of you to sit and quietly refl ect on the past few months, and to decide which memories you would wish
to store in Ratcliffe’s reference library to revisit and consider. More importantly, how might these memories help to shape a more
positive future, where we are able to show our Strength of Purpose?

The coronavirus pandemic could change the ‘rules of the game’, for better or worse. Moments of crisis matter in a historical context.
There could be a critical moment, where actions taken now could have legacies for decades to come. To echo the wise words of John F
Kennedy, “When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents
opportunity.” The big question arising from this natural global experiment, then, is this: What is the opportunity presented by the
COVID-19 crisis, and what are we going to do about what we have learnt from our memories of this time? During lockdown, global
emissions fell sharply; surely, we must fi nally accept that there is an imperative to decarbonise our planet, if we are to prevent a
permanent change to our climate that will make the havoc wrought by COVID-19 look like a walk in the park? As the pandemic has
spread across the globe, wreaking destruction on the most vulnerable populations who do not have access to medical care, will we
accept that our moral responsibility is to help build a more equitable future for all? That the strongest economies must do far more
to support the weak, and that we should all learn to live with a little less? As the pandemic forcefully interrupted our routines and
changed our habits, we are now in a stronger position than ever before to usher in some of the changes needed to tackle climate
change, shifting economic activity from a globalised to a more localised pattern. We could become more accustomed to a way of life
that minimises consumption; it could encourage us to commute and travel less, reduce our household waste, and rely on local supply
chains, as many have been forced to do during the pandemic.

When we look back at the COVID-19 crisis in years to come, will we acknowledge that it was a time of genuine, pensive refl ection
which led to creative and brave decisions for the betterment of humanity and our planet? Or will we bemoan the fact that we failed
to refl ect deeply enough, that we stored the wrong memories, and, as a result, the opportunity was missed and was replaced by
danger? As the next generation of leaders, politicians, scientists, teachers, doctors, and engineers, our students have the chance to
create an opportunity for positive change in our world. I challenge everyone to do just that. Use your own metaphorical Pensieve to
store the most important learning experiences of your time, and use that learning to inform a brighter, happier, more equitable and
sustainable future for us all.

Yours sincerely,
Jon Reddin
Headmaster
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