In a week where the Nursery children helped me to discover what the best clothing to return a penguin to South Pole would be, I feel I should discuss the weather.
Kyle Edmund has shown what is possible when battling the conditions of 40 degree Celsius heat whilst competing against opposition (apparently) far superior… I think we can all agree he did rather well and is an underdog no more. Yes, Mr Edmund did not make the final of the Australian Open , but he has emerged as a far better tennis player. In the same vein, I was hugely impressed by Miss Doyle’s tale of our cross country team in testing conditions. They shook off the cold, the wet and fatigue and just kept going. As a keen runner, this kind of resilience strikes a personal chord with me. Of course, the resilience experienced through sport can be applied to other parts of school and life. A disappointing test mark or examination result is not a failure, it is a lesson learnt. In a week where Gary Oldman has swept the board for his portrayal of one of our greatest Brits, Winston Churchill, it seems apt to quote the man himself: “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Resilience is not always a natural trait. Experiences are one part of the learning journey, but the support of our family, friends and teachers are all equally important. As adults, we know this, but some of our children and pupils need guidance. Of course, if things are not going well, children must ask for support. Physical injury, hurt feelings, worries about work; it is important that our pupils know that they can speak to someone if they feel they need to. It was with this in mind that the NSPCC visited school this week, and delivered some very important messages.
Speaking of visitors, Lyonsdown welcomed two further sets of important tourists this week. To 2P’s delight, Miss Pilmer brought her baby boy, Toby, to school for his Lyonsdown debut and, on Tuesday, the governors toured the school. They had the pleasure of seeing a small sample of the fantastic teaching and learning that goes on at Lyonsdown every day, all supplemented by eating in the Dining Room with the Upper School. Pupils from Nursery to Year 6 were keen to speak to our guests throughout the day, especially when explaining what their favourite parts of school were. Their answers were varied, interesting and showed just how proud they are of Lyonsdown School. Their headmaster goes into the weekend with exactly that sentiment.
C. Hammond