Good to be back
The smell of bacon and eggs wafting through the house on a lazy Sunday morning; plopping one’s tired head onto a pillow in a crisply-sheeted and freshly made bed; finding a £20 note in a jacket pocket that you completely forgot was there – is there anything more satisfying? Well I would add the first day back of the new academic year when the sun is out, the sky is blue and the children are chirping as much as the birds as they reappear in their uniforms, sports kits and smart, new haircuts to eagerly greet their friends once more.
Pouring in from all corners of the school – part of our strategy to maintain distance as the pupils arrive and depart – it was invigorating to hear the buzz of positivity. Yes, there was the occasional nervous look and even tearful goodbye but the parents soon pulled themselves together and any pupil nerves quickly dissipated as the routines of the day began to take shape.
In all seriousness, after such a long and fragmented period away from school, and with lots of new Androvians among us, we as a staff have thought hard about how to support the children as they settle into this term. We know that this particular start will contain more anxiety than usual and so we will be encouraging the children to share their feelings and lockdown experiences while making the most of the chances to interact with others.
I have been so impressed by the mature attitude of the children so far. They have embraced the differences, responded to the signage, kept their distances where needed and shown discipline with their hand-washing hygiene.
Inevitably, a couple of logistical matters have come to light which we are monitoring, mainly around lunchtimes and end of day arrangements. We need to let routines settle, especially with clubs starting next week, but there may be one or two adjustments in order to iron out the creases. Overall though, so far so good.
You will have seen the parentmail informing you of the unfortunate change to the parking in Meads Street; it is now permit holders only. This was out of our control and I appreciate it makes the drop-off and collecting a little trickier, especially for Year 1 and Year 2 parents who need to access the Boat Garden. Parking on the double-yellows and pavements is dangerous and ill-advised so I do urge you not to do that please. Using Upper Dukes Drive and walking down the path might yield more opportunity perhaps.
Golf was one sport which saw a surge in popularity during the lockdown and the plaudits have been raining down on Year 8 brothers, Archie and George Shakespeare who have experienced a great deal of success this summer. At the end of July, in the U18 Junior section of the Royal Eastbourne GC Competition, George was victorious and Archie finished third. Two weeks later they entered the U12 Sussex Championship at Cuckfield where the roles were reversed – Archie won and George was pipped into third place. Congratulations boys and good luck in the ISGA Championships in Abingdon in a couple of weeks.
Well done also to Dakota Kane who competed for the school last Friday in the first NSEA Show Jumping event since lockdown began. Jumping over 60 and 70cm fences, and against older opposition, she did very well to finish in ninth position.
So, as these little successes demonstrate, life is getting back to normal and I am sure there will be many more achievements and milestones ahead for all the pupils. This week has given us plenty to think about in terms of taking responsibility and I am delighted with the response.
A reminder that the Saturday morning programme starts next week (12 September) and that the after school clubs begin on Monday. Have a lovely weekend everyone!