Good morning, Prep School family,
I hope that this Bulletin finds you well and relaxed after a super weekend. Well I know I wished for snow in last week’s Bulletin but I did not actually expect to get any! What an exciting and unexpected ending to last week. Well done to everyone for reverting back to online learning with ease and a huge well done to those children who had never experienced this type of learning before – we were all very proud of your efforts. Parents – well done to you too – anyone else get serious lockdown flashbacks . . . anyone else open a bottle of something delicious slightly earlier than normal on Friday evening?!
It makes me so proud of our school family and how adaptable and accepting of challenge we all are. If I had said that in early March 2020 we would be having a snow day and all lessons would be deliver online to a full timetable, we (including myself) would have all thought I was a little bit crazy, however, now, online learning is embedded into our school culture. So a huge thank you from me to all of the teachers for all their hard work making the children’s learning on Friday purposeful yet fun; to the children to being excited for a day online and for a change of their normal routine and to our parental body for supporting your children – we know it isn’t easy when you are trying to carry on with your daily lives as well!
So, as Mindful March continues, I have more wisdom to share with you from Ben Fogle. I really related to his post this week. In the world we live of everything is perceived to be ‘Instagram perfect’, I thoroughly enjoy a dose of ‘Instagram reality’ and this post reminded me and highlighted to me why that reality is so important to us as adults but even more so to the children in our care.
No one is perfect! Once you concede to the reality of imperfection then you liberate the spirit to be who you really are, and not what you think others want you to be. We all have our shortcomings. We all have our failings and we all have our weaknesses. The key is not to fixate on those failing but to focus on and develop our strengths. As Winston Churchill once said “Success is stumbling from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”. If we can learn from our failures, then we have not really lost. We have gained. Celebrate what we have rather than lament what is missing. Failure and weakness help us to cope with hardships, with loss and with disappointment. It fosters resourcefulness and resilience. Failure sometimes makes us ask for help – this develops our power of collaboration, our acceptance of others ideas and the ability to adapt. It makes us appreciate other people’s points of view and other people beliefs, making us more open-minded, tolerant and respectful. By embracing fear of failure, we are awakened from the slumber of compliancy and we are pushed to be the best we can be, in all areas of our lives.
Bob Skinstad stated, “Failure is not the opposite of success, it is part of success,” and we teach the children in the Prep School this all of the time. To FAIL is to have your First Attempt In Learning. . .a valuable lesson for us all to remember.
Quote of the week: “We are all unique with perfect imperfections.”
Well-being tasks for this week: Mindful March
The task this month are set to help us take time to look within. Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our well-being in all areas of our life. It helps us tune in with our relationships, our feelings and stops us dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. It also helps us to identify the things that we are grateful for which is scientifically proven to raise out happiness levels.
Tuesday 14 March – Find ways to enjoy and tasks or chores that you need to do
Wednesday 15 March – Stop. Breathe. Notice. Repeat.
Thursday 16 March – Get absorbed with an interesting and creative activity
Friday 17 March – Look around and spot three things that are unusual and underappreciated
Saturday 18 March – Have a ‘no plans’ day
Sunday 19 March – Cultivate a feeling of loving –kindness towards others today
Monday 20 March – Focus on what makes you and others happy today
Jokes of the week: A few more this week in honour of Comic Relief on Friday!
Q: Why did the cell phone get glasses?
A: Because she lost all her contacts.
Q: How did the mobile phone propose to his girlfriend?
A: He gave her a ring.
Q: Why is Santa good at karate?
A: He has a black belt.
Q: What did the snowflake say to the road?
A: Let’s stick together.
Q: Why did the turkey join a band?
A: So he could use his drumsticks.
Q: What is a maths teacher’s favourite winter sport?
A: Figure skating.
Q: What is a firefly’s favourite dance?
A: The glitterbug.
Q: Where do roses sleep at night?
A: In their flowerbed
Q: Why was the show bad at gymnastics?
A: She was a flip-flop.
Q: What’s rain’s favourite accessory?
A: A rainbow
Q: Where does a sink go dancing?
A: The Dish-co
Q: What’s a princess’s favourite time?
A: Knight time.
Q: Why did the Genie get mad?
A: Because he was rubbed the wrong way.
Sleeps til Santa: 285 sleeps til Santa
5 things that I am grateful for or looking forward to this week:
Can you try this simple exercise in gratitude and positivity?
- I am looking forward to Comic Relief Day on Friday and the certain sponsored teacher’s silence!
- I am looking forward to the Year 5 class assemblies
- I am looking forward to seeing my dad as he has been away for a week
- I am grateful for everyone’s kindness last week
- I am grateful for the guidance of a friend
Have a fantastic week and I look forward to seeing you all at some point throughout the week. Enjoy each and every day,
With much love,
Mrs Bennett
