Headmaster’s Weekly Comment: 4/2/2013

Welcome back everyone to the new academic year.  Aside from welcoming a new cohort of beautiful Lower 1^st children, we also have over a dozen new children in other classes who are settling in nicely to their new school.  And we have new members of staff as well, which always enlivens the school, bringing fresh perspectives to the classroom.  And lastly we have our newly rebuilt Colet House.

Over the Summer the teachers met in December and January for a total of seven days.  We planned the year, and also had some very stimulating in-service days on Mathematics, Gifted and Talented issues and Creative Writing; we also covered the basic areas of child protection and student welfare.

I would like to start the year by making school’s basic Philosophy very practical.  We do believe in a higher power that is ever present, accessible and helpful. But remembering to be quietly present and to connect with that higher power in the hurley burley of everyday life sometimes presents a challenge. 

So the staff have been reminded that all problems can be solved and all challenges faced best by being present and giving loving intelligent attention to the issue.  And we have instituted a simple practice: from now on, at 11.00 am every day, the whole school including teachers, children, office and lunch staff and anyone else on the premises will be invited to be silent and still and peaceful for just a few moments.