Well what a hectic last few weeks we have had.
Piles of snow and freezing fog. Who would have thought it so early in the year? On one evening it took some of my teachers 4 hours to get home and I know parents had similar problems, with Eastwood becoming gridlocked and people having to abandon their cars.
The news criticises, as the news does, insisting the government didn’t do enough, the councils weren’t prepared. Were we prepared in our homes? Did we all have snow shovels at the ready? Snow chains for the cars? Thermal undies? For many the answer is no.
I prefer a solution model, rather than a moaning shop. There are many things in life we can all moan about but it doesn’t really help. Much better to channel that energy into solving problems.
That’s what we did, lots of us! Some staff, a few governors, and lots of parents, grandparents and children.
We arrived at school on Sunday afternoon armed with spades and brooms and spent two and a half hours digging out paths and clearing snow, to make school safe to open the following morning.
It turned out to be a very enjoyable event. BBC Television turned up to film our wonderful community spirit and that evening we were on the East Midlands news! Our school also featured on the National BBC news, how exciting. How proud!
So, we were able to open on Monday morning, THANK GOODNESS! I had spent 3 days working from home with my portable office (every teacher has a portable office. It’s usually a box full of paperwork or books!) I had also been communicating with teachers who were equally bored working from home and wanted to get back to the children.
So all back to normal…well as normal as can be expected when we are cramming dress rehearsals and singing practice into half the time we planned. All good fun
In the last eight days of term we have got: performances of The Bossy King and also The Little Fir Tree Nativities; Carol concerts, including one in St Mary’s Church; The Mayors Annual Service (tomorrow) at which the school choir is performing; family craft day; school disco ; visit to the pantomime; nursery winter wonderland day; Christmas dinner and loads more ! And the children still carry out their maths and English work every day until the very last day of term.
The hardest job in school when it is so busy is making sure that communications are working and that people are getting enough notice for things. I think some of the events have ended up being short notice due to the snow closure What we will do for next term is get all dates out in January for the term , with the understanding that they may change sometimes as situations are ever changing.
We had our new nursery children visiting yesterday. They were so cute! Our older nursery children spent their first full day in school and they were amazing, coped really well and even stayed for dinner.
Some of the parents were talking to me about the difficult juggling act for working parents and how communication and organisation is very important. I agree as I am a working parent.
I am very organised in my job, I have to be. When I get home and its holiday time I take a more laid back approach.
Going to work with 5 children in tow there have been some chaotic days. I wonder if any of you can relate to this recent scenario. Late on a Sunday evening my son remembers he has cooking at school the next day and wants to know which cupboard he will find the gelatine in and do we have 2 fresh mangos? Whilst complaining to him that he has done it again, only last time it was mustard seeds and green chillies, my youngest daughter comes into the room with her college bag that has a snapped handle and standing behind her is her big sister holding the iron…in two pieces after being dropped on the floor. It is starting to remind me of the New Years Day the bath started leaking and created a water feature in the kitchen below!
So I was as cool as anything when I got home from work this week to find we had a new bathroom accessory. Yes, indeed, a lovely big fish had taken up residence in the family bath!
We have a pond and during the cold weather have been keeping a close eye on the koi, hoping they would be OK. This particular day our white and orange koi, the one with the bubbly personality (yes they are all different) was in fact empty of bubbles and lying at the bottom of the pond lifeless. Mrs S fished him out and as he was saying goodbye, bubbly fish spluttered. So Mrs S put him in the bath to see if he was alive. Well, after several hours, including a couple of hours where bubbly swam upside down, he made some kind of miraculous recovery, in which time the pond had frozen over! 6 days! 6 days before it thawed! He wasn’t much trouble but the teenagers weren’t impressed.
It’s those things that make the fond memories we will have when our families have flown the nest, as well as the times they achieve well and take part in special events such as a school nativity play.
I hope your time is settling back into an easier routine now the snow has almost gone.
But who knows? Some people are saying it may be back next week…
PS Keep your eye out for the Nottingham Evening Post article on Brookhill Leys schools great OFSTED report. The article is due out sometime this week.
Take care Christmas shopping this week.
