Happy New Year.

For many schools, the new academic year begins tomorrow. Maybe not for the children, but staff will be assembling for Inset days, up and down the country. Inset days at the start of term are a strange limbo land, easing yourself back into the swing of things, catching up with colleagues, updating information, routines, skills, loads to do but no children to give school that real 'school feeling'.

So, to ex colleagues and friends who are starting back tomorrow - good luck, have fun. I shall miss that buzz that goes with the start of a new academic year, even though I shall not miss the early morning starts. A special good luck goes out to one of our tutors, who is starting a new job tomorrow, though happily she is currently still available for afternoon/evening sessions with us.

Teaching is an amazing, rewarding, frustrating, exhausting profession and let's not forget all the wonderful, talented TA's who support our teachers.
 All these people will be giving your children every ounce (should that be gram?) of effort they have. They will work an enormous number of unpaid hours to make sure your children's school experience is the very best they can  manage.
And so (yes, yes I did start that sentence with an And.  It's a literary device forbidden to our children. I have lost count of the number of books I have marked with the instruction 'Never, NEVER, start a sentence with And or But'. I promise  faithfully to instruct your children in the ways of literary accuracy but the fact that Mr Gove dislikes starting sentences with connectives - or conjunctions as we are calling them once again - makes them seem doubly appealing to me) A heartfelt, all the best, to all you school staff. And (there's another one) good luck to all the children starting their new classes this week.

Your child's teacher is one of the biggest influences on their lives, outside family. Get to know them, work with them.
Rest assured, we shall be doing all we can to support them, as we support your children on this year's learning journey.

Holidays

Sunset over Brockenthurst

Breaks are good. They recharge our batteries, allow us time to relax and they give us an opportunity to think about, and talk about, things we  take for granted. My holiday is nearly over; I've popped home for the day to collect A level results with my youngest (Huge well done  J, brilliant results). The most precious thing about this time, for me, is the chance to spend quality time with my children - I use the word loosely , the fact that the youngest is now celebrating his escape to uni might give a hint why. We love camping on the Forest. We walk miles, spot deer, barbecue and play board games. We enjoy each other's company. I am blessed that we get along so well.

Clouds reflected  in Eyeworth Pond

 Mixed  with the laughter and the fun, is a deep pleasure in that escape from town life, from time constraints and from confinement indoors. We have always camped and in previous years I delighted in watching the children, Usborn Spotter's Guides in hand, dashing from tree to tree trying to identify all the nature around them. They grew up knowing the forest, knowing trees, discovering fungi. They grew up knowing that every drop of water they used needed to be fetched and later disposed of. They developed and awareness of the environment that has made them rather pleasing adults.

Home to many, many species.

Holiday times taught them about: ecology, weather systems, the water cycle, life processes, living things, habitats, light - reflections, diffusion, shadows,  classifying, hypothesising, testing, evaluating results (the last few form the basis of every good game of Pooh sticks), to name just a few.

I hope you are all enjoying your summer break...and learning loads on your travels