Good morning, Prep School family,
It’s Friyay!!
I hope you are all ready for an excellent day! We have lots going on today at Highclare Prep! We have our HPW End of Term Merit, the last of our Pre-Prep graduations, transition sessions happening throughout the day and then tonight (6:30pm) we have our first Virtual Prize Giving! All such wonderful things to be happening but again, I am getting that happy/sad feeling in my tummy. I know it won’t last and I am so proud of what we have achieved for you at the end of term but I am not ready to say a fond farewell for the summer holidays yet. I think its worst this year as this last term has been so different!
I am also feeling reflective today as my little brother turns 40 on Sunday! How has this happened? I remember him running around our garden in the snow wearing a nappy and wellies, trying to learn to ride his bike on our local park and him crying constantly when my mum tried to take his dummy off him. . .at the age of 15 – only joking, he was about 6! I remember us fighting like cats and dogs about anything! We fought about my endless love of Take That and him being allowed to go to the Oasis concert at Maine Rd in 1996 (that I had brought tickets for – this ended up being their best concert ever) and I wasn’t allowed to go because my parents thought it was too dangerous for me! We are very close in age, there are only 15 months between us, so we used to compete at everything – school, sports, monopoly anything we could find and it always ended in an argument! I think it is safe to say from about the age of 10-27ish, we didn’t really like each other at all. At times, we would refuse to be in the house together! My parents deserved medals for putting up with us. I loved him, I didn’t like him!
In 2010, something happened that changed both our lives forever. Our mum died. Since then, we have become much, much closer and over the past 10 years, we have become the best of friends. He is always there for me when I need him, he is always making me laugh and sending me silly jokes, videos or stories. He always phones to see if I am cooking a Sunday roast, so that he (along with his wife and Arthur and Amelie) can descend on my house for a free meal! We are always at each other’s houses, going for walks, meeting at the pub for a drink or hanging out at my dad’s. He has the most gorgeously behaved children (I have no idea how as they are completely different to him as a little boy!), a house and a grown up job. . . yet, I am finding it hard to believe he will be 40! We have some secret family bubble celebrations planned for him for Sunday, these milestone occasions are always hard for us without my mum but I know he will enjoy what we are doing or at least he better or we might end up fighting again! I am so proud of him and all he has achieved. I never thought I would say that 20 years ago! I have attached a couple of photos for you to see my brother now and then.
Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy everything we have planned today. I’ll be sat down to watch the graduations this afternoon with a cup of tea and tonight with a glass of something cold and fizzy for Prize Giving (Don’t panic, I will send the link out later!).
Life skill of the day: Learn how to make some popcorn (ready for Prize Giving this evening).
Day of the year themes: ‘Air Conditioning Appreciation Day’, ‘Eat Beans Day’, ‘International Plastic Bag Free Day’, ‘Compliment Your Mirror Day’, ‘Stay Out Of The Sun Day’ and ‘Chocolate Wafer Day’.
This weekend you have the following to look forward to. . .
Saturday: ‘Independence From Meat Day’, ‘Jackfruit Day’, ‘Caesar Salad Day’, ‘Spareribs Day’, ‘Barbecue Day’ and ‘Hop A Park Day’.
Sunday: ‘Apple Turnover Day’, ‘Bikini Day’, ‘Mechanical Pencil Day’ and ‘Build A Scarecrow Day’.
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 soup a food or a drink?
TOPS activity of the week:
Draw a face out of cardboard with ears and no hair. Can you find as many different and exciting hair styles as possible? Maybe experiment with a beard or a moustache? Earrings? Hats?
Quote of the Day: “I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the I thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It is probably the most important thing in a person, the ability to laugh” – Audrey Hepburn
Jump Back July calendar task (this month’s activities are based on developing resilience): Adopt a growth mindset. Change “I can’t” into “I can’t. . . yet”.
Sleeps til Santa: 174
Have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend!
Mrs Bennett 😊
