Message from Associate Principal

These moments in life mark strong memories for us as parents. They are burnt into our memories, and I am sure we can all recall some if not all of these moments with our children.

Last week saw some milestones starting or being achieved across the school. In the Early Years setting we saw children mark their achievements in swimming. This year we have been able to run additional sessions for our Early Years called our Early Years Additional Sessions or EYAS for short. We recognised that children needed something extra coming out of the COVID pandemic and that included additional physical development (extra swimming and yoga), language development (speech language support and introduction to speaking and listening with French), and social and emotional support with a mixture of sessions encouraging risk taking, turn taking and exploring. It was great to hear the responses from parents who were able to attend their celebration of swim – proud parents seeing how much their child had progressed in swimming and how much they have grown with water confidence. A milestone achieved.

For other students at the top end of the school last week saw us officially say goodbye and good luck as they enter a significant milestone in their lives – exams. The culmination of many years of learning and study squeezed into a few weeks where students get to show case their knowledge and understanding. A tough time for them but one which helps them draw on all that school and home have offered over the years. It is indeed a testing time for these students, and I am sure we all remember our own version of this experience. But although it is a significant milestone it isn’t one to worry about or that defines the future forever. As we know the milestones mark a moment in time and they help us to put a line in the sand to move on from. So, whatever the result for individuals in exams it is not the one thing that defines their future. It is a moment to move on from, to explore new options and make new choices. It is a line in the sand that we can look back on but shouldn’t limit us or define us. It is part of our journey and so much more defines who we are and the success we can achieve.

There are many milestones ahead for us all, let’s enjoy the journey.

Alan Cocker

Associate Principal

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