As I type, the sound of the Lyonsdown boys and girls playing in the glorious sunshine drifts through my window. It may have taken a little while to emerge from the cold, but winter seems to have given spring a miss and gone straight on into summer.
These bright, fresh days are filled with promise, and the same can be said of the Summer Term as a whole. Trips, residentials, our first Parent Talk, Sports Day, the Senior School Performance and the End of Year Celebration are but a few highlights in a packed and busy term. The boys and girls of Lyonsdown will prepare to move into the next year and, by the end, we will say goodbye to some – if the Year 2 boys and Year 6 girls needed any impetus to make the most of this term, it is that this is their last.
As I have said previously, children cannot always achieve independently of others. I focused on the current Lyonsdown Learning habit of collaboration in my first assembly, using the medium of comic books. As I explained to the pupils, if you cannot explain something with a graphic novel, it may not be worth explaining. Given that even Black Panther occasionally needs help from some of the other sixteen Avengers, I am sure we can all agree that it is a sign of strength to ask for support from those around us.
Speaking of support, the School reacted superbly to my call to arms to name what has been anonymous for 112 years. Fans of democracy (from the Greek for the people demos and power or rule kratia) may already be aware that the Lyonsdown lion has been dubbed Lily by a Lyonsdown electorate that consisted of pupils and staff. The voting, counting and discussion of the secret ballot has provided a variety of opportunities to teach the boys and girls about this most British value. The eagle-eyed of you will have spotted a Monty Python reference earlier in this week’s missive and I used Blackadder with Years 5 and 6 to explore how an election should not be run. The corridors have been buzzing with chatter about fairness and respect; many thanks to parents for supporting these key messages at home.
I do hope you can join me for the Headmaster’s coffee morning on Tuesday and wish you all the best for the weekend.
C. Hammond