Head's Blog: Happy New Year

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year!

A thought for the Spring term – ‘forget the former things and do not dwell on the past’. A new year and a new start.

I wanted my first assembly to focus on the idea of ‘bouncebackability’. I felt that in today’s society some children (and adults) struggle to recover quickly from a setback and the idea of resilience and growth mindset continues to be ever important.

I offered the children three specific areas to think about:

• Learn to reflect on your successes and failures - be honest with yourself;
• Focus only on what you can control;
• Be willing to ask for help from your teachers, parents and friends.

I was then able to show them an excellent sporting video that was able to sum up what I was trying to say - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLmGzTJYFvE

This term I am also excited by the introduction of a new competition - the inter-house General Knowledge Quiz. It will involve House teams of 4 pupils (Year 5-8), two semi-finals and a final, and House support will be encouraged during the competition – a cup is already being purchased! Hopefully, this will generate lots of interest both at school and at home – herewith some questions to whet the appetite:

1. What sort of creature is a dingo?

2. In which country is the Taj Mahal?

3. Who was the first man to walk on the moon?

4. What are the names of Harry Potter’s parents?

5. What are the world's oceans called?

6. Which language is spoken in Australia?

7. What is the name of the tree that produces acorns?

8. What is a baby kangaroo called?

9. How many sides does a hexagon have?

10. How many strings does a violin have?

I wish everyone all the best for 2020 – please remember that my door is always open and my staff are always available to discuss your children.

Richard Brown

Headmaster