Good morning, Prep School family,
Welcome to Monday and Welcome to March! I hope you have had a lovely weekend?
Mr Bennett and I were treated to a spectacular bird show last night. We went on an evening walk whilst our dinner was in the oven and we decided to walk down to Holme Pierrepoint – the National Water Sports Centre – and we saw thousands upon thousands of starlings doing their special tricks. The technical names for this (and I know this from my YOC days) is murmuration. Murmuration is when huge groups of starlings twist, turn, whizz, swoop and dive through the sky in beautiful shapes that look a little like clouds. The ‘clouds’ move through the sky in the most amazing formations and movements. It is so impressive to watch. This mass aerial stunt usually happens around dusk time as the birds are exchanging information, feeding and getting ready to roost for the night, which makes it even more spectacular due to the colours in the sky at the time. Last night, the sky was dark pinks and purples and just beautiful. If you haven’t seen this murmuration happen before, Google it- there are some wonderful videos for you to look at. I feel very lucky to have watched a ‘live’ starling show last night.
So my Bulletins this week are going to be a little bit shorter than usual as I thought I would share a picture with you daily. It’s a picture for you to think about and maybe talk about with your families. I have taken all of the pictures from a gorgeous book called ‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse’ by Charlie Macksey, which I am sure many of you have seen. I love this book so much for many different reasons. I have often turned to it throughout lockdown for some words of encouragement and reassurance. Each page is like a little hug in a book and it makes you feel better. There is a beautiful quote accompanied by a lovely hand drawn picture. I love the simplicity of Charles’ message but actually how true and valuable these messages are for us all – of any age. If you haven’t seen this book before, check it out – it is very worth the postage cost!
I hope you enjoy these extracts as much as I do – Have a great day!
Days of the year theme: Barista Day (Baristas are some of my favourite people especially at 6:30am!), Fun Facts About Names Day (Fun fact about my name – There are 36,676 people in the USA with the first name Polly. The population of the USA is 328.2 million – so that is 0.01% of the population!), Pig Day, Wedding Planning Day, World Compliment Day (Your hair looks good today!!), Fruit Compote Day and Horse Protection Day.
Quote of the Day: “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world” – Anne Frank
Mindful March calendar task (this month’s activities are based on taking the time to pause, breathe and really take in what’s all around us):
* Set an intention to live with awareness and kindness
TOP’s weekly activity: This week, I would like you to expand your knowledge of forests around the world!
For example: What is the largest forest in the world? How many types of forests are there? What kinds of animals would you find in the Amazon forest? The Monteverde forest in Costa Rica? The Daintree Forest in Australia? Bwindi Forest in Uganda? What other forests are there in the world?
What kind of trees can you find in these forests?
Some people across the world live in these forests. What do you think life is like for them compared to the life that we live?
Can you create your own forest scene? Paint it, create it out of toys or cuddly toys, create it with things from outdoors, write about etc. What animals are there? Which country are you in? Would humans be able to live in your forest?
Life skill of the day: Can you bake some bread?
Joke of the day:
Why did the cookie go to the hospital?
Because he felt crummy!
Fact of the Day: Glass balls can bounce higher than rubber ones.
Sleeps til Santa: 298 days
Three things I’m looking forward to today (thanks to Mrs Hinch for the inspiration): Can you try this each day? Remember, it focuses your mind on the positive and reminds us to show gratitude for things, no matter how small!
Today I am looking forward to: Being in school, my cuppa soup for lunch and a trip to the supermarket after school.
Take care of each other,
Mrs Bennett
