Keeping Spirits High
Yesterday I was told by a parent I had made her cry again. Immediately I apologised for my awful singing and said I hoped my more talented colleagues had made up for it. Which, fortunately, they had.
I refer of course to the spring medley where Abba met the Proclaimers with lyrics and music brilliantly curated by Mr Cousins in an effort to show how much we care about the pupils and their education. News about the 8 March has given us all a lift and we hope this song will add to the elevation and see us through the next ten days. If you have not seen it, you can watch here: Staff Medley. Thank you to all my colleagues – real Androvian humour and spirit shining through!
If authentic musicianship is more your thing then you should have attended our first Virtual Richardson Recital last night in which over 25 children performed from the comfort of their own homes. I am not actually sure what is more daunting – performing on stage in front of a packed hall or in one’s lounge in front of fussing parents. Either way, everyone performed confidently and it was a pleasure to hear live music again, something we have all missed over this last year. The concert demonstrated both the enthusiasm of the pupils to keep up their instruments as well as the commitment of our music teachers to inspire and ensure individual music development has continued. Bravo everyone – it was a treat!
It is well known that pigeons performed heroic and valuable deeds during the last war as they were trained for reconnaissance missions and to send messages. But did you know that the US Navy has trained dolphins and sea lions to do much the same thing? Or that glow-worms were used by soldiers in the trenches of World War I for their light so that they could read maps and letters? There are many remarkable stories like this and what they show us is the value of playing to our strengths and using our talents for the benefit of others. In that way, we can all do ordinary things and achieve heroic results.
This message is so relevant to the last twelve months and I want to thank every single parent who has been involved, medically or otherwise, to combat the disease or look after the sick or maintain provisions or keep spirits high. There have been so many pushes and pulls and it has been a stressful time so I am full of admiration for the ways in which parents have balanced their professional lives with the care of their children during the day. Heroic efforts indeed.
Hopefully, our remote learning provision has enabled parents to focus on their own work, safe in the knowledge the pupils are working hard. If you need a reminder of the varied and vibrant programme we have had in place, please watch this brilliant 60 second round-up. Remote learning in one minute Again it is testament to the dedication and hard-work of the teachers and staff generally who, to me, are all heroes too.
We know it has not been plain-sailing all the time and there have been frustrations along the way, especially over screen-time and device use, and we also know that not all issues will be solved on 8 March simply by returning to school. Our back-to-school planning includes well-being considerations so that we can maximise the academic advantages of having the children on site as well as support the social and emotional needs of each child. The same goes for those who cannot return to school just yet – they will not be forgotten!
So this week’s news has given us a glimmer of optimism and we must seize this as an opportunity to build positivity, confidence and momentum. It is World Book Day next Thursday and you will receive a separate communication about this; even though we are remote, we have various events planned including guest speaker presentations. And, of course, it will be one of my last chances to dress up. Any excuse!
Have a lovely weekend everyone.