Good morning, Prep School!
Welcome to Wednesday! We are half way through the week, the sun is back and shining gloriously this morning. The birds are singing loudly and I know today is going to be a good day for us all!
Yesterday was a great day for me as I was in school and back to a little bit of normality! My day started with some car park catch ups, just like when I stand on the gate in a morning at school to welcome you all in. I joined in with Yr2P’s spelling test over Zoom, I did break duty and then helped a child in school with a Reception Zoom maths lesson. It was lots of fun as we had to go on a 3D shape hunt! After that, I caught up with the teachers in school, did some emails and made some phone calls and before I knew it. . . lunchtime! We all had lunch together and then we went outside for a break. After lunch, I helped in Pre-Prep for a little while, then took part in another Zoom maths lesson with Mr Goddard and Yr3P. We learnt maths through rugby, darts, animals and teacher’s fingers and toes! It was a really fun and interactive way to end the lessons for the day. After this, lots of the children went home and I then helped to look after those who were in ‘TOPS’ until they were collected too. It was a very. very good day.
Once everyone had gone, I sat in the office, in the peace of an empty school with a cup of tea and thought about you all. I thought about a typical Tuesday in school, what you would all be doing normally and I wondered what you were doing instead. It made me sad that I wasn’t with you all or that I didn’t have to go into the corridor to ask you to tuck your shirts in, pull up your socks or walk! I miss the endless knocks on my door from you all just to say hi or to show me your fantastic work and I miss the giggling that I usually hear daily as I walk around school or in and out of your lessons.
However, I then turned my thoughts to what you would be doing instead. I pictured you with your families, laughing and giggling. Maybe your parents had been able to finish work a little bit earlier so you could go on a family bike ride or a walk. I imagined that many of you would be sat down having a family evening meal – maybe this was something that your family didn’t or couldn’t normally do due to work commitments, school activities or all the extra clubs that you all do! I thought some of you would be relaxing on the sofa – watching the television, reading a book or doing a puzzle. It made me smile that some of you may be practising the life skills you have been set – so you might have been baking, doing some gardening or tidying your bedroom (I hope so). By the time I had thought about all of this, my cup of tea was empty, the cleaners had arrived at school, the peace was broken and I knew it was time to head home to Mr Bennett. I love these little periods of reflection that ‘lockdown’ is giving me. It is a chance for me to be mindful in a world that doesn’t often allow me this, and it is a chance to stop, just for 5 minutes and think, really think. This is a positive from the current situation that I am embracing and I really hope that I can carry it on when life returns to ‘normal’. What is the thing that you hope carries on after lockdown ends? It doesn’t have to be big, it could be the smallest thing to you but it means the most.
I just wanted to say a quick thank you to all of you (Reception to Yr6) who filled in the well-being questions that we placed on VLE as a task. It is really important for me at the moment to see how you are all feeling, so well done for completing it and thank you for being honest. Remember it is ok not to be ok at times and it is more than ok to ask for help if you need it – either with your work or emotionally. We are still here for you, day in, day out and if you are upset, worried, confused, angry etc and you need/want to talk to us – please, please get in touch. Your class teachers, specialist teachers, Mrs Griffiths and myself are here for you and will be in touch as soon as you reach out.
So each day I promised I would be sending you a life skill task to complete and also a joke, poem, picture, fact or reflection. Here we go for Wednesday 6th May 2020:
Life skill of the day: Can you do make some toast (with adult supervision)?
Day of the year themes: ‘No Diet Day’, ‘Golf Day’, ‘Beverage Day’, ‘No Homework Day’ and ‘School Nurse Day’.
I’m still waiting for some silly pictures from yesterdays, ‘Hug A Shed And Take A Selfie Day’. . . I thought you would all inundate me with these!
Thunk of the day: Remember, Thunks are unusual questions that are designed to make you think. There are no right or wrong answers -just your answer. The only rule is that you must be able to justify and explain your answer. You cannot just say the first thing that comes into your head. Really think about the question and discuss with your family!
Question: Is black a colour?
TOPS activity of the week: On Friday this week, we are going to be celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day. This week can you please complete the following tasks:
- Find out and research what VE Day is
- Create a poster/short film/bake/model etc to tell me something about VE Day – be imaginative!
Quote of the Day: “Today is a good day to have a good day”
Jokes of the day: One from me today and one from Ms Jones
Q: What do you call a magician dog?
A: A labra-ca-dadra-dor!
Q: What is the difference between Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
A: In Dubai they don’t watch the Flintstones, but in Abu Dhabi do!
And we cannot forget a very important countdown. . .
Sleeps til Santa: 233
Have a lovely day, looking forward to my Zoom assemblies today!
Take care and stay safe,
Mrs Bennett
