Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator

Friendship & Bread

“Bread for myself is a material question. Bread for my neighbour is a spiritual one.”

Nikolai Berdyaev

Dear Families,

Last week I was inspired to share my secrets of simple bread making. I’ve been baking bread for quite a few years now and spent a lot of time perfecting my sourdough during all the lockdowns and remote learning periods last year. Often during online learning sessions with my class that were held in the kitchen, the timer would start buzzing and I’d pause the meeting to pull out some fresh bread from the oven. Sometimes sourdough, other times focaccia, and also ciabatta. I really enjoy fresh, warm bread with lots of salty butter. After creating my video on making ciabatta and posting it to Seesaw for the OGPS community, I received many positive comments and photos of homemade bread that some of our students made. I felt happy and proud that some kids had taken on the challenge of making ciabatta. 

One of the best things about fresh bread for me is giving it away to others. I love seeing their faces light up when I hand over a warm loaf of bread. It makes me feel so good to give away something for no special reason except to show kindness to them. I get so much myself by giving to others. It’s amazing that something so simple can strengthen friendships. 

Speaking of friendships, this Friday is ‘International Day of Friendship’. Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good (United Nations).

Here are a few ideas that you could do this week to foster friendship and friendliness: 

• Go for a walk to the local park or beach and say “Hello” to everyone you pass.
• Brighten someone’s day with a kind note or message.
• Cook something and give it to someone else.
• Who are all the friendly people you know? Why do you think they are so friendly? Discuss.
• Create a poster about friendship and hang it in your front window or on the front fence.
• Make an acrostic poem about ‘friendship’.
• Complete a ‘Random Act of Kindness’ for a friend.

“It takes a long time to grow an old friend.” John Leonard.

Thanks for your support,

Andy McNeilly

Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator