In yesterday’s Lower/Middle Prep assembly, boys were encouraged to reflect on the idea of the heart, both as a vital physical organ and as a useful way of thinking about emotional and moral wellbeing.

As the evenings draw in and the familiar glow of Christmas begins to settle across the school, we are reminded that this season has long brought out the very best in people.

Comparison is something we all do, often without realising it. Children notice who runs the fastest, who answers quickly, who colours neatly; adults do much the same, only in subtler ways.

Next week is Anti-Bullying Week, and it’s a lovely chance for us all - parents, teachers, and boys - to pause and think about what it really means to be kind, brave, and part of a community. 

I’ve recently contacted a few old friends to find out how they are, and to catch up on some news. I’ve not seen some of them in a number of years, and much has taken place during that time for each of us. What struck me though, is that all of us remarked on how busy life has become, and how little time there appears to be for meaningful rest.

It begins, as so many meaningful things do in childhood, with a question.