Reflections on the week at school...

Curiosity is a wonderful thing and as I look back on this week, there is evidence of it everywhere. Our netballers took to the court yesterday in a rural schools tournament at Hitchin Girls School. They did very well and were unbeaten in their group, drawing their first game and winning the following two, before being narrowly beaten in the semi-final. A fantastic achievement, but it wasn't that aspect that stood out to me. Many of those children had doubts about playing before we went and there were many compelling reasons to simply not go. Below are just a few of those...

1. There will be a lot of people that I don't know
2. I might make a mistake in front of my friends and let them and the team down (This could never be the case though, as mistakes are essential for everyone to make to keep moving forwards, but the worry is of course very real)
3. It might be cold, rainy or windy (It was actually all three and this was a concern that I shared!)
4. It is taking place at a school that I don't know and on netball courts that I have never seen

The aspect that stood out to me was that their natural curiosity overrode those concerns. I know that we helped to make sure that their curiosity won that battle with a lot of encouragement and I am sure that their parents did as well. We didn't disregard or belittle their concerns, as those concerns were all valid, we pointed out the positives to combat each of those negatives... There will be a lot of people, but you might see some of your friends from other schools there and you might make some new friends... It is taking place at a school that you don't know, but what a great opportunity this will be to see what a secondary school looks like and to play netball on some amazing courts with other children who really enjoy netball as much as you do.

The concerns are all valid but our job, mine and yours as important adults in your child's life, is to always point out the positives of every experience. Whether that is playing in a netball tournament, coming to school when you're tired or just having one of those days, taking part in a performance, going swimming or joining a new club. By pointing out the positives and not embracing the negatives around worrying about the unknown and about change, we can make sure that their natural curiosity wins out. This curiosity is there in every child, but sometimes the negatives start to outweigh it and this is where we can, by emphasising the positives of the situation, make sure that natural curiosity wins through. By doing this, we make sure that your child gets to experience the breadth of every possible experience there is to have and becomes a well balanced individual with views and opinions based on real life experiences.

This week in Puffins, through looking at Owl Babies, we have been fostering that curiosity to find out more about animals and the natural world, our Year 3 and 4 children are becoming more comfortable in the water and becoming more curious, taking more risks and developing a strong skill set. Our Year 1 and 2 children are becoming more curious in computing and learning more and more about coding as a result. Our Year 5 and 6 children are becoming more curious about World War 2 through writing letters home from evacuated children and finding out what life might have been like for the many children who were evacuated as well as those who were not.

This is just a snapshot of some of the many things that have been taking place this week in each classroom and just some of the ways in which we have been trying to foster and channel that natural curiosity. It exists in every child, but sometimes it needs our help to rise to the top, so that it stays ahead of those worries.

Click here to see what else has been happening in the school this week

I wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable weekend ahead

Mr Plunkett