Old Wheatleyans F ORMER P UPIL N EWS
Welcome to the Winter edition of the newsletter… Dear Old Wheatleyan, One of my most enjoyable and rewarding ‘duties’ over the last two years has been to welcome former pupils back to an increasing number of reunions, as we seek to celebrate certain milestones, to rekindle friendships and to sustain affection for the ‘old school’. Within these pages you will read about occasions organised to mark 40 years of co-education as well as a reunion for the Lincoln boys. I also have very fond memories of the 1960s reunion in the summer, and we look forward to the next decades reunion in May. It is indeed shared memories and anecdotes and the laughter of complicity which bring these events to life, whilst our OWs also enjoy meeting current pupils and hearing about today’s community. We have been delighted by some of the feedback, with some effusive e-mails and letters received by us over subsequent days. These reunions have, above all, been very happy occasions, and we are often told that today’s school community is characterised by warmth, friendliness and happiness. That doesn’t mean we can be happy all of the time, and it’s vital that we look after both pupils and staff who traverse difficult periods of their lives. We can, however, do our best to be glass-half-full people. We know how important positive thinking is for us as individuals and also for any organisation or community – especially when days grow darker and colder, or when we’re feeling the pressures of work or anxiety. Author and trainer Andy Cope, speaking at the recent Girls’ Schools Association conference, suggested some techniques to nurture a positive environment: he said the '10/5 principle', which requires participants to smile at anyone who comes within 10 feet - and say 'hello' to anyone who comes within five feet - was a good place to start. He also highlighted the four minute rule, which encourages others to be their "best selves" for four minutes, as this is apparently the amount of time it takes for people to catch how you are feeling. "If you're really happy and positive, then every single person you meet during that day is going to be a minimum of 16 per cent happier." He added that "putting happiness off until the weekend, Christmas, or retirement" meant people risked letting moments pass them by. "Everyone is manic busy all the time, we are all sinking under the weight of emails," he said, "but all we have got is now, so enjoy the moment…..Happiness isn’t real, it’s not a thing that you can put in a wheelbarrow and cart around, it’s an emotion, it’s in your head," he continued. "You are only ever one thought away from happiness." He added: "One of the biggest things you can do to get back to being happy again is, first of all, get out of bed in the morning and appreciate that you don’t have toothache, secondly, list 10 things that you appreciate but normally take for granted……In many state schools, clubs are being cut back on, sports teams are being cut back on, dance and music are being cut back on," he warned. "It’s because they are not core subjects that can be measured, they just add value to people's lives." My hope for you and for Bablake this Christmas is that we shall brighten each other’s days, and that the warmth and positivity of our families and our community both sustain and enrich us all.
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