Good morning, Prep School family,
I hope you are all well and are gearing up for a very busy few weeks in the Prep School! I have had the best few days – I haven’t stopped. Mrs Bennett and I have been to the theatre to see the musical Six, we went to see a comedian and we went to a 130th (60th and 70th) birthday party combined with a wedding reception and did much festive mingling on Sunday. I don’t feel like my feet have touched the ground – I’m already tired and its only Tuesday but my heart is also full of happiness ready for the week ahead. It’s a good place to be.
As I write this Bulletin, I am feeling very Christmassy – our events have started and they have started with gusto! I have just returned from watching the Cygnets at HPP perform some Christmas songs for their parents at the Christmas workshop. Although some of these children are only two, they were singing along to the songs and playing their instruments brilliantly! On Friday, I was also treated to the Swans nativity at HPW, again another super production with pliantly of singing, dancing and of course a very cute cast.
I am very much looking forward to the rest of the events that are taking place in the coming weeks – they are all special for so many different reasons, but the ones that I enjoy the most are the ones that can be life changing for others. In the coming weeks, we spend a lot of time out and about in the local community and hosting the local community in school. We visit our friends at Sutton Park Grange care home, we go out carol singing in Lichfield and Sutton, we invite the elderly residents from Dwyer House housing care to our concerts and we have our grandparents into school for a concert dedicated to them. I often get stopped when we are out by strangers, people who I have never met that come to listen to the children singing. They often stay for a while appreciating the buzz and the young life that is around them. When we have guests attend our concert, there parting comment is usually something along the lines of, “Wow, I wish I could watch that all over again” or “You don’t know how much that meant to me”. What I think that I sometimes forget and I sometimes don’t fully appreciate is, that for some of these people, watching our choir sing or listening to our children perform or the conversations that these moments may lead to, could be the only human interaction that some of these people have that day, that week or even that month. When our children sing, smile or say “Hello, how are you”, that one act of kindness could be life altering. We should never underestimate the fact that we do not know what internal battles others are facing and we should always do our best to make everyone feel special – I watch with immense pride at these events, knowing that our children always make everyone immediately feel part of our school community and I am proud that they are making a difference in this world, at times, without even knowing it.
So my message to you all this week – Christmas is amazing. It’s a time to make memories, to be with loved ones and to eat, drink and be merry but it is also the time that loneliness is the most striking. So let us to think of others less fortunate than ourselves, be someone’s light in the dark, be a ray of sunshine to all we meet, invite that neighbour who never seems to have many visitors or whose family do not live near to them around for a cup of tea and mince pie and lets be truly grateful for all we have. Keep smiling and always, always be kind. You can make a difference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98j-L6TOEbA
Quote of the week: “Never be afraid when people can’t see what you see. Only be afraid if you no longer see it” – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Well-being tasks for this week: These are all based on New Ways November–Actions to help you focus on what really matters.
Tuesday 28 November – Design a friendly greetings card – discover your artistic side
Wednesday 29 November – Enjoy music today – play, sing, dance or listen
Thursday 30 November – Look for new reasons to be hopeful, even in tough times
Friday 1 December – Spread kindness in your own way
Saturday 2 December – Contact someone you can’t be with and see how they are
Sunday 3 December – Offer to help someone who is facing a difficult time at the moment
Monday 4 December – Support a charity, cause or campaign that you really care about
Jokes of the week:
If you think you can do any better, please send your jokes to me and I can include them in The Bulletin! We are close enough to December now to start on the Christmas jokes!
What is green, covered in Christmas lights and Christmas bulbs, and goes ribbit? A mistle-toad.
What is every parent’s favourite Christmas song? Silent Night!
Why did Rudolph have to attend summer school? Because he went down in history.
How did Joseph and Mary weigh baby Jesus at birth? They had a weigh in the manger.
Why does Scrooge love Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Because every buck is dear to him!
What did Adam say on the day before Christmas? It’s Christmas, Eve!
Conversation starters:
What do you think is the meaning of life?
What do you think is the most difficult job in the world? Why?
A Christmas treat:
To get us in the Christmas mood and to expand our Christmas general knowledge, the Language Ambassadors at HPP have thought of some questions about Christmas traditions around the world. There will be one question a week for the next five weeks. Please email Ms Kenny with the correct answers to all five questions by the end of term – Wednesday 20 December (c.kenny@highclareschool.co.uk). Ms Kenny will then announce the winners when we return to school in January. Good luck!
What is the name the log decoration found in Catalonia in Spain, which you ‘feed’ during advent?
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 all of the Christmas events that are happening in school.
- I am looking forward to having a day out in Stamford with Mr Bennett at the weekend.
- I am looking forward to putting our Christmas tree up.
- I am grateful for warm coats, scarves, hats and gloves.
- I am grateful for the cheesy, feel good Christmas films that are on at the moment – completely unrealistic but heart-warming nonetheless!
Sleeps til Santa: 26 sleeps. . . let the celebrations begin!
Have a super week and have lots of fun,
With much love,
Mrs Bennett
