Early Years & Primary Weekly Updates (3/10 - 7/10)

Dear parents,

We live in distracting times, and it is all too easy for a person to be in the same room as you, yet mentally or emotionally far away. It is easy in our busy lives to never really put our preoccupations to one side and give our full attention to our colleagues, our friends, our loved ones, or indeed to anything!

At school, we register your children twice a day as either ‘present’ or ‘absent’. But, of course, we are only recording whether they are physically present. Our teachers also put great effort into captivating the children’s imagination, stimulating their curiosity, inspiring them to persevere, and engaging them mentally, physically, and emotionally so they are fully present in the learning.

Some people may think that school is just about learning the knowledge contained in the academic curriculum and getting good grades to prove it. At BVIS, we believe that education is much more than that. The education we provide is values-based. I like to think it helps your children to be more truly present, in body, mind and spirit. Hopefully, enabling them to:

- put their best into all they do,
- form rewarding relationships,
- get the most out of life, and
- achieve great things.

The five values we teach at BVIS that I think relate most closely to this issue are Caring, Communication, Cooperation, Respect and Reflection.

- Caring, because we encourage the children to be kind, warm-hearted, helpful and look after others.
- Communication, because we want our children to relate well to others and be great listeners.
- Cooperation, because we value collaborative individuals, who are great at teamwork and help others.
- Respect, because we want all our children to be polite, and to treat others with consideration.
- Reflection, because we are nurturing young people who are thoughtful, observant, and aware of their impact on others.

If you appreciate these values at home, as I am sure you do, it will strengthen our partnership, helping your children to thrive and grow to be great human beings.

Wishing you a great weekend with your family,

Malcolm Wood (Mr)
Head of Primary