As school staff continue over summer with preparations for the return in September, Fr David O'Malley, our Salesian Schools Network Coordinator, has produced a video offering a Salesian approach to helping staff and students adapt to the new situation, and cope with the challenging experiences school communities have been through.

His 7-course menu advises schools to start with fun, build gratitude, help others, teach about the common good, learn realistic optimism, challenge feelings of helpless, and for staff and students to find ways to stop and be still. Fr David's menu comes with two essential side-dishes: belief in the goodness of young people, and plenty of coffee!

Fr David concludes: "As educators, I hope we can use the tragedy of COVID-19 to build a stronger and deeper sense of community: one that embraces generations and will last. A sense of community that we will all need to ease racial tensions, and to tackle the world climate crisis. So let's put the losses and the confusion of lockdown to good use and generate new hope and a new community for the future."