Good morning, Prep School family,
Welcome to the last few days of the term and to the final Bennett’s Bulletin for this academic year. I cannot believe that we are breaking up already. This year has flown by it doesn’t seem very long ago at all when we were gathering at the Sports Field last year to have our end of term, very socially distanced, outside meet up as that was all restrictions would allow!
So much has changed for us all this year. It has been a little bit like a tasting menu in a very posh restaurant. . . we have savoured class bubbles, national lockdowns, schools opening and schools closing, the wearing of masks, endless cleaning routines and roadmaps that have taken us in many directions! We have sampled a little bit of everything. I have personally loved many parts of the last year, including some of the hard times and the challenges – they have made me stronger as a person and made me appreciate the things in life that I sometimes overlooked. Children, I have also seen your own perseverance and resilience develop beyond belief since March 2020 and I know this will continue as your carry on with your individual learning journeys. I think we can all agree that this year has continued to teach us the most precious of lessons: to never give up, to search out those rainbows and to find a silver lining amongst those sometimes very dark clouds.
I would like to take this opportunity to say a MASSIVE “Well done” to your all for your part played in Prize Giving. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it on Friday night and I was so impressed with your many talents. I think I used up a whole box of tissues as I laughed and cried very happy tears, non-stop, from beginning to end. Saturday morning at school was also such a special time, welcoming those children who had won an award into school to come and collect their prizes. There were so many smiling faces and school was filled with joyous laughter. I felt privileged to be part such a special, celebratory time. Special thanks must go to Miss Broder – she has been the brains behind the production and without her, Prize Giving would never, ever have been half as good as it was. If, by any chance, you have missed it or want to watch it again, the link will stay live for a few weeks.
Year 6, I am also looking forward to watching your ‘Class of 2020’ assemblies on Wednesday evening! I know it is going to be amazing! I am so proud of you all and I am blessed to have been part of your educational journeys for the past 6 years. You are all so ready for the next stage of your schooling, but always remember us and come back to see us once in a while. Our door is always open and no matter how big and cool you get, you will always be part of our Highclare Prep School family.
To my whole Highclare Prep School family – children, staff and parents – I am sooooooo incredibly proud of everything that we have achieved together this year. I am so glad that we were able to journey through this year together. I am glad that we have been each other’s strength in times of weakness, light in the darkness and sunshine in each other’s grey days. I am glad that we have continued to find the many positives in such a bleak and seemingly endless pandemic and that we worked so well together as a team. I couldn’t have got through it without you all. I am so privileged to work at such and amazing school and to have such a fantastic ‘school’ family around me. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.
So, to sign off, I thought I would leave you with the words from two (I couldn’t choose!) songs that are really important to me. The words of both speak to me on so many different levels. They are as applicable to you children as they are to the adults reading this and as relevant today and they will be if you read them in 20 years’ time. I feel these songs are like life anthems. They will support us to get us through the hard times and they reaffirm the belief we should all have in ourselves. . . especially now, with our new found inner strength all thanks to that pesky Covid-19 virus.
The Climb by Miley Cyrus
I can almost see it
That dream I’m dreaming
But, there’s a voice inside my head saying
You’ll never reach it
Every step I’m taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking
But I, I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high
There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb
The struggles I’m facing
The chances I’m taking
Sometimes might knock me down, but
No, I’m not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments, that
I’m gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going
And I, I gotta be strong
Just keep pushing on, ’cause
There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb.
Unbreakable by Kelly Clarkson and Janelle Monae
There’s always gonna be someone trying to tear you down
Mocking you for your mistakes, oh-oh
There’s always gonna be someone messing your head around
Watching you to see you break, so
Don’t you let ‘em call you out
Brush away the shame and doubt
Remember what you’re all about and then
Show ’em who you are
Show ’em that you’re strong
Show ’em that you know where you belong
Open up their eyes, force ’em all to see
Let ’em know you are and you’ll always be
Unbreakable, unbreakable
Unbreakable, unbreakable.
There’s always gonna be someone saying you’re something less
Let ’em talk, you know your heart, oh-oh
There’s always gonna be someone calling you second best
Shut ’em down, don’t fall apart, no
Don’t you let ’em in your head
Doesn’t matter what they said
Get up on your feet instead, and then
Show ’em who you are
Show ’em that you’re strong
Show ’em they’ve been seeing you all wrong
Open up their minds, throw away the key
Tell ’em that you are and you’ll always be
Unbreakable, unbreakable, yeah
You define yourself, oh (hey, yeah)
You and no one else
Show ’em who you are
Show ’em that you’re strong
Show ’em that you’ve known it all along
Open every door, own your destiny
Live as if you are what you were
And you’ve been and you’ll always be
Unbreakable, unbreakable
Unbreakable, unbreakable
UNBREAKABLE!
Days of the year themes for the coming week:
Tuesday 6th July – Sports Day, Fried Chicken Day, Umbrella Day and International Kissing Day
Wednesday 7th July – Chocolate Day, Macaroni Day, Strawberry Sundae Day, Euro’s 2021 Semi Final Day (Come on, England!) and Tell the Truth Day
Thursday 8th July – Maths Day, Chocolate with Almonds Day and End of Term Day!
Friday 9th July – Kebab Day and Sugar Cookie Day
Saturday 10th July – Teddy Bear’s Picnic Day and Don’t Step on a Bee Day
Sunday 11th July – Blueberry Muffin Day, World Population Day and (Hopefully but I am writing this before the match tomorrow so could be totally irrelevant!) The Day England Win the Final of the Euros 2021 Day!
Quote of the week: “Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life”.
Jokes of the Week: Something to make you smile this week!
What do sheep do on sunny days?
Have a baa-baa-cue!
What do you call a snowman in July?
A puddle!
Where do maths teachers go on holiday?
Time Square!
Back Up July calendar task (This month’s theme is all about appreciating the little things and finding joy. July’s theme is about developing resilience and bouncing back):
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Tuesday 6th July: Pause, breathe and feel your feet firmly on the ground |
Wednesday 7th July: Shift your mood by doing something you really enjoy |
Thursday 8th July: Avoid saying “must” and “should” to yourself today |
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Friday 9th July: Put a problem into perspective |
Saturday 10th July: Reach out to someone you trust and talk to them |
Sunday 11th July: Find a positive today from a challenging situation |
Sleeps til Santa: 171 days
Five things I am looking forward to this week (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!
This week I am looking forward to: Sports Day, Going for Gold celebrations, moving my morning alarm from 5am, seeing friends on Friday night and collecting Arthur from school on Thursday (a real holiday time treat!).
Have a really wonderful summer holidays – have a good rest and enjoy the break from routine and school! Enjoy time with loved ones, make memories and have lots and lots and lots of fun – that is what holiday times are for!
Stay safe over the summer and look after each other. I cannot wait to see you all again in September,
Much love,
Mrs Bennett
