Friday 19th March
Happy Friday!
Today we participated in Red Nose Day by wearing a red accessory with our uniform. It was like a sea of red coming into school this morning - we had red t-shirts, red trousers, red hair, red jumpers, red shoes, red hair bands and, of course, red noses! Thank you to everyone who contributed, Mrs Carpenter will add up all of the donations and we will let you know how much we have raised. The money raised will go straight to Comic Relief.
Comic Relief aims to make a difference to the lives of millions of people across the UK and around the world. They believe that a just world, free from poverty, is possible, and that those closest to the issues have the best solutions. They partner with amazing projects and organisations that are working to tackle four of the biggest challenges society faces today:
IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH: Every year, 450 million people worldwide experience mental health problems. They're tackling mental health stigma – as well as making sure people get the support when they need it most.
A SAFE PLACE FOR EVERYONE: Having a safe place to call home is a fundamental right of every person on the planet. But around the world, a shocking 1 in 5 people don't have the shelter they need. They're working to put that right.
A WORLD WHERE CHILDREN SURVIVE AND THRIVE: Every year millions of children still die before their 5th birthday, or grow up in poverty and neglect. Great progress is being made – but it's not happening fast enough and with your help they can accelerate change.
FREEDOM FROM FEAR, VIOLENCE & DISCRIMINATION: The idea that some of us are worth less because of our gender leads to real violence which costs lives. They work with organisations right on the frontline to help people speak out and seek help so they can escape fear, violence and discrimination.
In each of these areas, the Covid-19 pandemic has made people’s lives even harder, so your support is as important as ever. Thank you.
Did you know that it has been a year since England first went into lockdown due to the Covid19 pandemic? Here is an extract from a letter we sent out on Thursday 19th March 2020:
‘Our school will close tomorrow for the majority of our children, and whilst we fully understand the decision to do so, it will be done with a heavy heart and we will miss you all. Tomorrow, you may collect your child from 1.30pm onwards – please come to their usual exits and there will be members of staff on the doors to support you. Please do not feel you need to collect your child early, we will be operating our usual hours. If you have a child in year six and you wish for them to leave early, please either collect your child in person or let the school know that you have given them permission to leave early.
Please come and speak to us if you have any concerns at all – this is a difficult time for everyone.’
I will never forget walking across the playground at 1.25pm on Friday 20th March and unlocking the playground gates to let parents in to collect their children. The playground was eerily quiet and the mood very sombre. I don’t think anyone could have predicted what has happened since and all the changes we have faced. I think about everyone in our community and I am so proud of how everyone has coped in these most uncertain of circumstances, particularly our youngest members of society who have adapted so well to all the new situations they have faced.
I believe that it is important that we all take time to reflect on the year gone by and to think about everything that has been achieved. To think about all the changes that have happened - the good and the bad. To think about all the lessons we have learned - what is important in life and what is not. As I always say, we are living through a moment in history and one day children will study this period in their history lessons.
As we head into the weekend, I have been looking back at where I was this time last year. At this exact moment, I was still in school working alongside Mr Priest, Miss Walters and Mr Holder desperately trying to trawl through the requests for critical worker places and communicate this to parents without delay. Many of your teachers were also still in school, preparing your remote provision for the following Monday. I’d had to send Miss Jenkins and Miss Best home as they were in the early days of their pregnancies and the guidance at the time said they needed to self-isolate (believe me, it took a lot of persuasion to get them out of the building and there were a few tears). We turned off the bells and we’ve not turned them back on again! Can you remember what you were doing this time last year?
From all of the staff at Olive Hill, we wish you a lovely weekend and we look forward to seeing all of our children again on Monday.
Stay safe.