The word for ‘spirit’ in Hebrew and Arabic comes from the word RUAH, which means ‘breath’. Taking the letters of the word RUAH, we can build a formula for building up the spirit, or ethos, of our school community:

• Respect - we value ourselves, others, the environment and resources.
• Understanding - we have an awareness and tolerance of others and forgive mistakes.
• Affection - we care for, appreciate and are positive towards others.
• Humour - we smile, are cheerful and celebrate our own and others achievements.

RUAH describes the deep sense of life that moves in every person as they breathe in and out. In the Christian tradition, it is the soul of a person - that place in each life that is linked to God. When Don Bosco spoke of a ‘family spirit’, he wanted to emphasise that in relating to each member of our family, we are somehow in touch with the mystery that many call God.