JUNIOR SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER
Friday 1st February 2019 Dear Parents
As I write this, early on Thursday afternoon, a beautiful frost-tinted remains over much of the school campus. With clear skies on break duty this morning and a crisp chill in the air, I almost thought we were in the Alps not the Cotswolds! The cold weather (more forecast tonight too) has led to us postponing our Junior School Open Morning, which will instead coincide with the Early Years “Stay and Play” next Friday instead. While it might have changed our plans, the cold spell hasn’t changed our teaching and learning, and all the classes have been outside at some point this week. Yesterday, Foundation were having a great time exploring the snow in their allin-ones and thoroughly enjoying themselves! It is worth a reminder though, that with the cold weather we are experiencing that the children have coats, gloves, hats, scarves and appropriate footwear to wear outside at lunch and break time. During Meeting for Worship this week we have been continuing our theme of Consideration. We began on Monday by thinking about the importance of telling the truth and thereby being considerate to others and yourself. We explored (with the help of Bart Simpson and Mr Burns!) how people can give differing accounts of the same situation, and that it is important to be honest about our actions and not just those done to us by others. On Tuesday, in recognition of Holocaust Memorial Day, Year 5 and 6 watched some very moving accounts from survivors of the atrocities. Miriam and Feyodor, now nearing 90, were talking to their grandchildren about their experiences as children. Feyodor gave a heart-rending description of how his family had hidden from the Nazis by living in remote barns and forests for 18 months before their capture. He recalled being torn from his protesting father’s arms to be taken away to a concentration camp. He later found out his entire family had been killed in the genocide. Miriam’s story was different, but nonetheless harrowing. Her family remained in Bratislava and relied upon kind families who hid them behind panelling in their flats at huge risk to themselves. They survived the war, but only because of the compassion of the people who fed them and protected them. The children and I reflected upon how lucky we are to live in the safe communities surrounding us. We also thought about how it is incumbent upon all of us to protect that safety though our actions and our honesty. I shared with them Advices and Queries 17 which includes some sage guidance about accepting our own flaws and respecting the opinions of others: “Do you respect that of God in everyone though it may be expressed in unfamiliar ways or be difficult to discern? Each of us has a particular experience of God and each must find the way to be true to it. When words are strange or disturbing to you, try to sense where they come from and what has nourished the lives of others. Listen patiently and seek the truth which other people’s opinions may contain for you. Avoid hurtful criticism and provocative language. Do not allow the strength of your convictions to betray you into making statements or allegations that