Business Managers Report

2015 has come and gone and as always it feels … where did it go! Being part of the St Thomas’ team is an absolute pleasure. The College is superbly run and continues to do whatever it takes to give the students a fantastic schooling experience. Along the way there are always plenty of bumps but sometimes it is important to reflect and remember what we have achieved. For everyone this will be slightly different but collectively from what I can see on the large part is many happy people at STC. St Thomas is more than just a school but for a lot of us, a major part of our life. Each year hundreds of hours are put in by each staff member doing their bit to make a difference to a student’s life as a young man. Our boys are very lucky to have a dedicated staff that ranges not only from the teachers but also from the incredible support staff, coaches, mentors that they come across upon their journey here. It is the people that ultimately make a difference to one’s schooling life. At St Thomas’ we are committed to recruiting and developing a wide range of gifted and talented people that have the abilities to connect and engage our students to be the best that they can be.

Working in a school of around 550 students often means your job description can take on many shapes and forms. As I write this report (December 10th 2015) , I have realised that most of my meetings in the last two weeks have been focussed around property, staffing, budgets, new buildings, sport, internationals etc. I also reflect that most of these meetings are around new initiatives for 2016. The fact that new challenges are never too far away and that the want and desire to do the best for our current and future students never diminishes, STC makes me realise we work in a special place.

Excitingly 2016 will see the completion of two great new buildings for the College. Our new administration centre plus our new sports complex featuring indoor courts, weights room, rock climbing, physio and café will be unveiled. These two important buildings really set the school up for the next 50 years which is great to be a part of. In March we will also host our new sister school from Shenzhen in China. During a recent trip we managed to set up a new venture which is exciting especially as we teach Chinese and travel there regularly. I look forward to seeing this relationship blossom over the years. We have big plans for the College in 2016 and will continue to focus on all that is important in a boys school. I welcome the new appointment of our Director of Developments , Mark Vincent. I look forward to working alongside him next year and I know there are many great possibilities that we will explore together.

Finally I endeavour to take a relaxing break over the festive season and celebrate all that is good in life. We can never guarantee what year will be our last but what we can guarantee is that life is complex but can be full of meaning if we know deep in our hearts what is important. Once you know what that is, gravitate towards putting time in this area and enjoy the little moments. I hope you have a safe and happy break, bring on 2016! Best wishes, Hamish McCombie.

Regards Hamish McCombie