From the Headmaster's Desk

From the Headmaster’s Desk

A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.

On Thursday, Lyonsdown School was filled with a collection of dastardly villains, heroic women and a broad range of creatures. On the gate on Friday, one toddler commented “no dinosaur.” It is true that not every school day can be World Book Day, but it is fabulous to fully immerse oneself in such joyous occasions. Books are a window to a huge amount of opportunity: they open worlds of fantasy or fact, encourage discussion and inspire us. Amongst the witches, ents and gangster grannies I saw there are over a hundred potential authors. All children at Lyonsdown can write a story and, when older, all children have a book in them, in fact all people do. I am sure the activities that Mrs Hall
organised this week have inspired the scribe in all of us.

Writing was invariably one of the topics that was discussed at our first parents’ evening this week. Over the past few years, the introduction of an electronic booking system and an increase in the number of appointments available to parents have been well-received, so I hope the increased opportunity to look at your child’s books was useful, enjoyable and keeps you further informed of your child’s progress. The children are rightly proud of their work, and will have another chance to show their very best at next week’s Open Day.

All the best for a relaxing weekend (Sunday is International Women’s Day – details below).

Mr Hammond

Mr Hammond’s challenge

This week’s Head’s desk mentions a creature that will be unfamiliar to children. A house point for identifying said
being, and explaining what they are.

International Women’s Day

We will be marking this special day next week. If you are able to look at the following website with your child and
discuss the importance of equality, alongside highlighting any women’s achievements you think relevant to your child, that would be wonderful.
https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

COVID-19

Our guidance remains the same as in Mr Hammond’s last letter and we continue to plan for all eventualities. As well as encouraging regular and thorough hand-washing and checking where all visitors have travelled to, you will have
noticed that we have now banned handshaking in school. Thank you for reminding your children of the importance of washing their hands for the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice.

If you plan on travelling to any country identified by the Government as being particularly affected by the virus, you must let the School know. You can find lists of affected areas online; the list of lockdown areas in Italy has been expanded. You can find all of the Government’s key documents and helpful advice here: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response