Good morning, Prep School family,
I hope you are all well this week and have enjoyed the long weekend. What a treat to have an extra day off – I really feel we should have one long weekend every month, I got so much more done than I usually do. I went out for the most delicious meal on Friday night, it was the best thing I have eaten at a restaurant in ages. In fact it was so good, we booked to go again in a few weeks before we had even left. I also got to watch Amelie in her dance show on Saturday afternoon – extremely cute. On Saturday night I felt sooooo old as we went to a friend’s 60th birthday party. I didn’t feel old due to the age of the host more because the party was full of children that I had taught in the past and they were all there consuming adult beverages, with their boyfriends and girlfriends telling me all about their high powered and very exotic jobs. We were laughing as we worked out that I taught them all 16 years ago when they were in Year 2! It was so amazing to reminisce with them about the things that they recalled from being in my class from our Rumble in the Jungle themed class assembly to having a whole day in the snow learning outside one January to a science lesson on light and dark when we all went and hid in the cupboard in the classroom and turned off all of the lights – we had crying and squealing at exactly the moment the senior Head walked in with a tour of prospective parents . . .he thought it was hysterical and they all joined us in the cupboard to continue our lesson. The children/now fully grown adults even spoke about our class teddy (Leo the Lion) who went home with a different child each night and everyone wrote in his diary. . .that was until he ‘accidentally’ got left on a beach in France by a parent (This was an organised crime!) and I spoke of their faces when he turned up a week later having had the best week away – he even brought the parents an extra homework task to do the following week! To this day, they were still trying to work out how he got back to the classroom. Thank goodness Toys r Us used to do multiple lion teddies! I have known some of these children and their families for many, many years and we often bump into each other in Nottingham but what always astounds me and makes me smile is that they never, ever call me by my first name – it’s always Miss P as it was 16 years ago. Harry, the son of the person turning 60 introduced me to his new girlfriend this week, is exact words were “Milly, meet Miss P, she was my Year 2 teacher.”
So why am I telling you this? That is a very good question! I just want you to think that no matter what you do each day, you make a difference to someone’s life. You may not know it at the time and you may never know it but everyone has an impact on the people they meet. Sure, sometimes this is bigger and more memorable than other times but every time we have any sort of human interaction we are making a difference. The most important of these, I would argue, is when you don’t know what difference you are making. Just think about that.
Quote of the week: “Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never tried to fall asleep with a mosquito in the room.” The Dalai Lama
Well-being tasks for this week: These tasks are based on Meaningful May. Actions to help us find ways to be part of something bigger.
Tuesday 7 May – Make a list of what matters most to you and why
Wednesday 8 May – Set yourself a kindness mission to help others today
Thursday 9 May – What values are important to you? Find ways to use them today
Friday 10 May – Be grateful for the little things, even in difficult times
Saturday 11 May – Look around for things that bring you a sense of awe and wander
Sunday 12 May – Listen to your favourite piece of music and remember what it means to you and why
Monday 13 May – Find out about the values and traditions of another culture
Jokes of the week:
Why do artists constantly feel cold? Because they’re surrounded by drafts.
What do you call an old snowman? Water!
Why are ghosts such bad liars? Because you can see right through them.
What has ears but can’t hear? A cornfield.
How do you catch a whole school of fish? With bookworms.
Conversation starters:
Has there ever been a question that you wanted to ask but didn’t?
If you could only eat one food that is the same colour for the rest of your life, what colour would you choose?
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 a week of beautiful weather (fingers tightly crossed).
- I am looking forward to sitting in the garden of an evening.
- I am looking forward to the Year 6 residential – I am getting so excited for the children and wish I was going as well.
- I am grateful for the smell of wisteria wafting into my bedroom.
- I am grateful for friendship that lasts through the years.
Sleeps til Santa: 231 sleeps. . .
Wishing you the most wonderful week full of happiness, laughter and learning!
With much love,
Mrs Bennett
