Thoughts, comments, ideas and pause for thought from members of our school and extended community.
The start of a new academic year is very exciting. Never mind that gearing up for it is a whirlwind of frenetic activity; once the term is under way, it presents us with fresh opportunities to grow, learn, explore and participate in a myriad of activities.
As the academic year winds down, one begins to reflect on all that has been. It can be very sobering to look back and see all that was planned and perhaps did not come to fruition; or perhaps one can be pleasantly surprised at how much was achieved. Taking time to reflect on one’s achievements is an important part of knowing oneself, and allowing oneself to learn from success and failure alike.
As teachers, we encounter a very broad range of children, each possessing their own unique personality, will, likes and dislikes. The first day of each new academic year brings with it a sense of excitement, but also a little bit of nervousness, as one is never entirely sure what the melting pot of the classroom may dish up. We all have stories of children we have encountered over the years who have been real pickles; but more often than not, there is more to it than meets the eye.
This is an article I wrote at about this time last year (amended slightly). I think it still holds true, and I post it again as encouragement to our imminent Leavers.
There are few things more inspiring than meeting someone who is secure in their knowledge of themselves and their strengths.
I often encourage boys to use memories from their past as a starting point for their writing, especially when someone tells me that they do not know what to write about. Memory serves as a powerful tool in our lives, and it is often very disconcerting when we struggle to remember something. Those of us who have family or loved ones facing challenges with dementia can attest to the pain of seeing someone struggle to pull all the strands of their life together because they have been lost in the ether.
Mental Health Awareness Week, observed annually in May, serves as a crucial period for highlighting the importance of mental well-being and reducing the stigma associated with mental health issues.
I have spoken with a number of parents this week who have children at home preparing for (and now writing) their GCSE exams. For many, it is a time of treading on eggshells, as their children’s anxiety around the exams is easily taken out on the nearest living being – mostly their parents! For many, the atmosphere at home might feel charged with tension and stress. For parents, watching their children navigate the pressures of exams can be both challenging and worrying. It's natural for young minds to feel overwhelmed by the weight of expectations, but as parents and teachers there are numerous ways to provide support and guidance to help them cope with exam pressure and anxiety effectively.
In the vast tapestry of cinematic storytelling, one trope stands out as both ubiquitous and enigmatic: the McGuffin. Coined by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock, a McGuffin is a plot device, an object of desire that drives characters forward, yet its intrinsic value often pales in comparison to the journey it initiates. It's this very essence of the McGuffin that lends itself as a compelling metaphor for the pursuit of true meaning, particularly in the realm of education.
In today’s digitally driven world, televisions and screens are ubiquitous, providing endless hours of entertainment, education, and, at times, unwelcome content.
The Lent Term seems to be a time of deep reflection for many of us. It’s in those dark and rainy months that we often contemplate next steps, and it seems very natural to be thinking about opportunities for new growth (it’s almost as if we’re inwardly emulating the natural world). As we near the end of what has been a very wet and gloomy winter, we are able to look forward to brighter – and longer – days, and hopefully, some much-needed warmth too.
When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies. And now when every new baby is born its first laugh becomes a fairy. J.M. Barrie
