This weekend marks the end of the 2024 Olympics, and what a spectacle it has been over the past fortnight! We have been privy to the highs and the lows, the triumphs and the struggles, through the extensive coverage, able to celebrate or commiserate with the athletes as they perform to the best of their ability.
There are many comparisons that can be drawn between The Knox School and the Olympics, one of which is the celebration of the diverse range of countries. While TKS cannot match the 206 countries represented at the 2024 Olympics, we can certainly celebrate the 54 countries represented at our School. What an achievement for a school of our size!
The Junior School Olympics Day last Friday was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the lesser-known countries, with teams named after countries rather than group numbers, which provided the impetus for our younger students to embrace different cultures. This emulated the magic in evidence at the Olympics, where differences are set aside, and diversity and unity are celebrated.
Another similarity is that of the values of TKS and the Olympics. The three values of Olympism are excellence, respect and friendship, and they are the foundation on which the Olympic movement builds its activities to promote sport, culture and education with a view to building a better world. At TKS, our values underpin the three journeys of our education framework to develop the mind, the skills to apply knowledge and the development of character and contribution, with the clear objective to empower our students to create meaningful change now and into the future.
Just as the Olympics encourage people to be the best they can, so do the teachers at TKS encourage its students to strive for their personal best. Working in tandem with parents, the School supports the growth and development of students, guiding them to achieve success both in and out of the classroom. The academic journey is important, but so too is the journey that leads our students to be confident, curious and ambitious, as well as positive contributors to the community.
On Monday morning AEST, the 33rd Olympiad of the modern era will be brought to a close, celebrating a fortnight of hard-fought competitions and handing over the baton to the Los Angeles 2028 Organising Committee. The memories, however, will remain, as will the inspiration we have gleaned from the athletes who have strived to be faster, higher and stronger together, encouraging us to the be the best versions of ourselves.
Toni-Ann Bright
Head of People and Culture
