The Lower School nativity can mean only one thing – Christmas is soon to be upon us. And what a nativity we were treated to: for those of you who were lucky enough to experience either performance, you will know that all of the Lower School boys and girls did brilliantly. There wasn’t a script in sight and the volume of the company was wonderfully loud. Having the bravery and perseverance to stand in front of a sell-out crowd is as impressive, and even more so when the oldest child is in Year 2! But such success would not be possible without the help of others in the Lyonsdown community; pupils, parents and teachers all worked together on words, costume and song to create something very special.
But the nativity is not the only example of such collaboration in evidence this week: thank you to the FLS team for all of their hard work, and to all of you who have contributed to a variety of events. The FLS raffle, cake sale and new movie night have been very well supported and are further examples of the amazing atmosphere that is created when the Lyonsdown community works together.
And it is hard work and collaboration that sees a school through the final two weeks of the Autumn Term. Lyonsdown teachers enjoy the responsibility of creating special memories for our pupils, and this role is even more important at Christmas. However, we could not create these memories without the co-operation of the children themselves. In fact, as I write our House captains and vice-captains are delivering an important message to their teams; I have trusted them to do so, and am certain that all children will listen to their message. The Carol Service, Christmas lunch, the Lower School nativity – all of these traditions are important, and each of them places our pupils at the centre. There are special Lyonsdown traditions too: our Christmas jumper day and the Headmaster’s Challenge are not done in the same manner anywhere else, and are enjoyed by all.
It is vital that we take the lessons of Christmas and the nativity to heart; those of community, kindness and hope, and ensure that they are not purely reserved for December. Day after day, throughout the year, I see our boys and girls treat each other with the utmost respect, and it is by creating an environment such as this that makes Lyonsdown such a special place to work and learn.
I hope you are looking forward to the final week of term as much as I am and hope to see you to celebrate Christmas at our Carol Service on Thursday.
C. Hammond