“Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive
But to be young was very heaven.”
Well, we all associate William Wordsworth with the emergence of the daffodils, but these two lines from The Prelude express even better the joy that pervaded The Blue Coat School this week.
It was a little after dawn when the children came back on Monday, but I dare say they would have returned before daybreak had that been possible – just to see familiar faces and get back to something like normal.
What a wonderful, proud moment it was, welcoming the children back. The smiles reinforced how happy they all were to see their teachers and friends.
Thank you to the parents for the continued supportive emails and comments. They really do mean so much. I must say that the children have settled well into their studies. This is wonderful to see, and I believe that some of it is a consequence of the strong, inspiring distance learning that has been delivered by staff.
The highlight of the week for me at least was hearing the children playing sports on the field and astro. They created a sound that I have dreamt about for some time. The laughter, the cheering, the cajoling of each other, the blowing of whistles, the blood and the thunder: a general, all-embracing sound of happiness.
Not just outside at playtime and in the classrooms. In the corridors I was aware of it, too. The children were producing delightful music in their reinstated one-to-one music lessons. The banging of drums, the delicacy of the flute and the tinkling of ivories. Those sounds, as much as anything, made me feel that normality was heading our way once again.
Activities after school have certainly been well received and, although looking a little tired, the children are certainly grasping all that is on offer. One little girl summed up the first week in the single word: “Amazing!” I think that says it all.
Resuming the Golden table with Mrs Andrews was the perfect way to round off the week. Year 3, in particular, were full of the joys of spring, telling me about life at home during lockdown, the excitement of returning to BCS and even using a pencil again…small things! One smiling child passed on the sense of family relief like this: “Daddy was extremely happy that you got the school open Mr Neeson!”
The Heads of School meeting focused on our school leaders preparing to lead the School assembly for Comic Relief Day. They will be writing to you shortly to outline the program. The Heads were also waxing lyrical about plans for their next podcast, due out after the Easter break.
Well, as this tired but proud Headmaster signs off for another week, I want to thank all the staff, children and parents for making BCS the school it is!
Happy weekend, stay safe and let’s keep maintaining Government guidelines.
Noel Neeson | Headmaster
