From the Headmaster's Desk

Saga Vanecek is unlikely to be a name many of us recognise, and I had certainly not heard of Vidöstern Lake until this week. However, that all changed when eight-year-old Saga pulled a 1,500 year-old sword from said lake. She hadn’t been on a Year 3 archaeological trip but, by being resilient and practising her swimming, made a fascinating discovery.

My assembly on Monday focused on the importance of having the bravery to try new things, asking your teachers or parents if you can take part in a new activity or join a club. The act of backing yourself to try street dance or fencing, or pushing yourself to have a go at harder work opens the mind to new possibilities. It is with this mind-set that discoveries are made. As a footnote, if your daughter or son has come home talking about their headmaster running through the mist and finding a haunted house, they are not lying.

Trying new things has been an unofficial theme at Lyonsdown this week. Not only have teachers been encouraging children to discover the answers in lessons, but Lyonsdown has entered the ISA Dance and Junior Triathlon competitions, with our girls performing admirably in both. You will be aware of our new Parents’ Evening booking system and structure; both changes have proved popular and we will continue to listen and develop our events to ensure we make the most of both formal and informal opportunities for parents and teachers to meet.

I end with the school report of a new member of Year 4: me. During my day in the classroom, I learnt a great deal about the life of one of Mrs Murphie’s charges, and was treated to a range of wonderful singing, acting and speaking at our Harvest Festival Assembly; thank you for your generous donations. I also enjoyed my English, Maths and Art lessons: we may not have been excavating weaponry from a previous millennia, but by going “back to school” I was able to revise my knowledge of Greek myths and learn new techniques to investigate rotational symmetry. By doing something differently and expanding my knowledge and skills, I learnt a great deal more.

All the best for a relaxing weekend.

C. Hammond

Word of the week: quire. A house point awaits those intrepid enough to discover its meaning.