Last week, the nation commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy. It is vitally important that we remember the sacrifice of those brave men and women who helped liberate Europe, and I am pleased to see that next year’s Early May bank holiday will take place on 8th May, and give people the
opportunity to pay tribute. Lyonsdown will certainly do our part.
Winston Churchill spoke of ‘Victory however hard and long the road may be.’ The great man spoke many wise words (and the odd unwise one) but his messages about perseverance are, perhaps, some of his best. Britain, the Commonwealth and the World have changed a great deal since 1944 and Operation Overlord, but the Fundamental British values of : democracy, the rule of law, Individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith are as important in 2019 as they were during the middle of the twentieth century. We are all different, but it is those differences that are to be celebrated and protected.
Leaving the past behind for a moment, and looking to the future, my mind was drawn to other schools last week, when I had the privilege of inspecting another school. This prompted me to remind all parents in Year 4 and 5 that they are welcome to book a Future Schools’ meeting with Mrs Windsor or myself at any point; we are happy to speak to you on as many occasions as necessary to discuss the next step in your daughter’s
learning journey.
There are plenty of exciting events in the last month of term at Lyonsdown, so I end with some fantastic news. I am delighted to announce that our guest speaker for the 2019 End of Year Celebration will be Baroness Floella Benjamin, OBE, DL. Baroness Benjamin has shown a great deal of resilience and perseverance, as demonstrated throughout her life and career as an actress, presenter, broadcaster and parliamentarian, as well as her ongoing charitable work, and the children will look forward to meeting her on Thursday 11th July.
Mr Hammond