“Never stop learning because life never stops teaching” – Lin Pernille

In an era where the term ‘education’ has been redefined where it isn’t limited to only books, there remains a dearth in young children who have experienced the true essence of education within their school.

S. Thomas’ Preparatory School is a place best known as a place that molds little children into well-bred young men, as we journey through eleven years of school life in a place, we consider to be our second home. As the school captain of 2023, it is my honour and privilege to play the role of torchbearer as I lead the prefects’ body of our school as we make a concerted effort to keep the tradition alive.

Known as a place that teaches us to distinguish between good and bad, and value opportunities as we seize them and give of our best, ‘Prep School’ as it is fondly known is blessed with the best educators who work diligently to shape us into well rounded individuals.

Everyone who is part of the school is aware about how it is no ordinary place but has something very unique and special to offer. As a small community, Prep School is a place full of love and empathy, where we are taught to reach out to one another and move forward as a team.

When you are part of the Prep family, you will know everyone who is part of it. Students build friendships with older and younger Prepites since the population of the school is not more than 1500. This in turn means you have the opportunity of mingling with boys who are older and younger than you. This helps build a good understanding among each other and we all learn to reach out and help whenever the need arises. This will always be one of the primary reasons why our school remains a special place.

This year, as we mark the 85th year since our beloved school was founded, our first headmaster Mr. W.T. Keble had a vision that we strive hard to guard and fulfill. We remain the only renown preparatory school in the country that has a small community of students thriving in a safe and secure environment conducive to learning both within and outside the classroom.

The Thomian family known for its rich culture and tradition, remains the most sought-after school not only in the island, but even the world over.

Our headmaster Rev. Nihal Fernando, the backbone of our school, continues to strive hard to sustain the tradition set during the course of a golden era spanning over eight decades and never hesitates to give every Prepite an opportunity to shine. His strong presence and compassion towards each and every individual in the Prep School community, further spearheads us becoming the best version of ourselves. As he works conscientiously to fulfil his role, as the voice of the student body of the school, I pledge my fullest support to uphold the rich values and traditions of my alma mater.

Our former headmaster who is the current Bishop of Colombo, His Lordship, the Rt. Rev. Dushantha Rodrigo, who was a stepping stone to our early years in school always taught us to venture into every area of study that interests us, teaching us the importance of developing our personality and skills to match up to the modern world and we are grateful for having him as our mentor and guide.

S. Thomas’ Preparatory School, remains a one-of-a-kind school that produces boys with integrity that helps shape us into outstanding individuals in society. Our school remains a blessing to us and let us strive to keep the Prep School spirit alive.

As the school captain, I urge all my fellow students to understand and value the opportunity of being a Prepite and persevere to be the best version of yourselves so that one day you will go places with your achievements and make our school proud. Not just by excelling academically or in extracurricular activities, but through being good human beings who will distinguish between right and wrong and always do the right thing.