Teachers spend at least some of their time in school asking children to stop talking – one of the many topics covered in any good teacher training course. Noise is a natural part of school life, and I can’t imagine my working day without thehubbub of children in the background, but there are occasions when silence is golden. However, in some senses, talking has never been more important, especially when we are thinking of the mental health of children and young people. Our “inside out” charity day on Friday in aid of Place2Be continued Lyonsdown’s commitment to raising the profile of mental health; children should always have a variety of people to talk to and I am proud that this is something we get so right at Lyonsdown. Earlier in the week, I shared a very mature conversation with both charity prefects about the importance of looking after our mental wellbeing, as well as our physical health and talking about our problems.
Our girls conversational skills were one of the many aspects of Lyonsdown that was praised at our Open Morning for prospective parents on Thursday and at our Stay and Play on Tuesday. These events are a chance to show off the very best of the school, including our new facilities, but they also offer a valuable opportunity for our Year 6 girls to practise their public speaking and marketing talents. We all know how much they like to talk, so it is always wonderful to put this enthusiasm to such good use.
The excitement of our Open Morning might be one thing, but after school on Friday took things to a whole other level. Our wonderful FLS arrange and host a huge range of events throughout the year, but “Movie Night” is a major highlight for all children – they start looking forward to it in September! Zog and Life of Pets 2 were the main event, with snacks adding to the authentic cinema atmosphere. It was a wonderful end to a fantastic week.
So, keep talking – the imminent relaxing weekend is an excellent opportunity.
Mr Hammond
You can find out more about Place2Be here:
https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/about-the-week/