Thursday 11th June
Hello everyone!
I hope you’ve had a productive day. As always, we have been very busy at Olive Hill. Lots of our magical bubbles are now in operation and we are looking forward to welcoming our reception children back tomorrow.
At this time of year, we always start to look towards September and what we need to do to be ready for the next academic year. Part of that preparation includes decluttering the school. I don’t mind telling you that there is a lot of clutter in the school. Everywhere I look there seems to be a pile of something that needs to be sorted. I think my office is probably the messy place in the school - I have LOTS of piles that need to be sorted. I don’t mind admitting that my office is not very tidy, my desk is covered in paperwork. Another head once told me that a messy desk is a sign of a creative mind, I must have a very creative mind.
Today, I started to sort through some of my piles (I even have things from my previous school, just in case I needed them). Are you a tidy person? Do you keep your bedroom tidy? Do you make your bed in the morning? Do you put your toys away after you have used them? I am sure some parents are nodding and shaking their heads as they read this.
Every September I make a resolution to keep my office tidy, by the end of the first week back it is a mess once again. I have even researched how to keep things more tidy, for those of you who are untidy like me, this is what I found out:
Put things back where they belong (how often have your parents said that to you!).
Clean up after yourself - always leave your workspace in a clean and orderly fashion.
Follow the systems you have set up to organise things. For example, bookshelves for organising books, stationary holders for pens and pencils.
Create a holding zone. This can be a basket or box for storing things temporarily, until you’ve finished with them or have decided what to do with next.
Remember to regularly look at things in your holding zone, and sort them out. Otherwise it will become dumping ground for all things (I have definitely used my desk as a holding zone, that has now become a dumping zone).
Set tidying guidelines. What do you need to do everyday? What could be done once a week?
Over the next couple of weeks I am aiming to completely tidy my office (and not hide things in cupboards) and I am then going to keep my office tidy. Hopefully, when you return to school you will be able to say, ‘Wow! Miss Grasby, I am so impressed with how tidy your office is’. I also need to keep it tidy because this morning I asked all staff to keep the school tidy, and it really is unfair if I am asking them to do one thing and then not doing the same myself - I want to be Star of the Week for role modelling how to keep things tidy! I also expect the children of Olive Hill to keep things tidy, so I am definitely going to be trying really hard.
Some of your school grown-ups are really tidy. Do you know who they are? You just need to look at their desk - that will tell you a lot. I must dash now, I’d like to do a bit more tidying before Mr Weston tells me I need leave so he lock up.
We miss you. Stay safe.