This week we introduced our new Learning Strength focus – Resilience. The ability to adapt and ‘bounce back’ when faced with difficulties or challenges is vitally important academically, socially, personally and when pursuing interests in sport and the arts. In assembly, the boys reflected on examples from nature of wild salmon returning to their spawning grounds by swimming against the current. They also heard about Stephen Bradbury, an Australian speedskater who faced a number of challenges whilst pursuing the sport he loved. Demonstrating resilience when faced with serious injuries, lack of funding and limited success over his twelve-year career, Stephen famously won a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics where he was the oldest competitor in his race. Luck played its part in the final with Stephen in last place until all his competitors crashed out on the final bend. Stephen almost felt embarrassed to claim his gold medal but decided that he deserved the medal which reflected the resilience and determination he had shown over the previous 12 years. 

We also announced further positions of responsibility this week with the Year 6 Reading Buddies who will be supporting some of our younger boys with their reading, and the class School Council representatives who had their first School Council meeting this afternoon. 

Earlier this week, I visited some lessons, and it is always a pleasure to see what is going on in the classroom. On this occasion, I saw boys demonstrating great focus in DT whilst constructing the wooden frame for their gearbox, a huge amount of ‘hair raising’ enthusiasm in Science as the boys used a Van de Graaff generator as part of their work on electricity, and creativity and problem solving in Geography as the boys designed a house to meet the challenges of living in a mountain environment.  

This term seems to have flown by and as we head into the final week before half term, I wish you an enjoyable weekend. 

John Bond