Respect

Our value this week is respect, which, in itself, is a very simple word. Quite often I point out the respect is a two-way street and on this street it often goes hand in hand with kindness. We talk about how many of us say "please" and "thank you" enough, when someone shows them respect. Or how the adults in our school, myself included, do not simply expect respect as a matter of course, it is something we demonstrate and model too. Mutual Respect - one of the five British Values - is an aspect we have unpacked recently in assembly, alongside tolerance and understanding and respect for people of different faiths and cultures.

The worsening situation in Ukraine provides a depressing backdrop to these discussions. It is upsetting and alarming for all and must be confusing for our children. Whilst in school, we have been discussing our responsibility to show respect and kindness to others by being patient, kind, not being rude or easily angered for example, how difficult it must it be for our children to balance this with current world events. Our responsibility as adults is to model respect in action and to reassure our children that the current world events are the actions of a small minority – most people across the world do show respect to each other and act responsibly.

Covid-19

We thought optimistically that we had turned a significant corner. We haven't - yet. This week, staff absence due to Covid is the highest it has ever been, at any point in the pandemic. Our staff are flexible, so are making the best of the situation, however, in Nursery - our full time staff are currently absent, making it impossible to maintain the provision for this week. Parents have been understanding, which I am really grateful for. Hopefully the end of the week

Equally in Y2, the high numbers of absence among our children has meant reverting back to a bubble for the time being and monitoring the situation. We will keep you all informed when the situation changes.

John Bridge

The Imperial War Museum in London is a sobering place to visit on a rain streaked, quiet Sunday morning. What struck me reading about the build up to World War Two in one of the many exhibits, is the striking similarities to what is currently unfolding in Eastern Europe. On the top floor is an exhibition dedicated to heroism and bravery. There are the stories of dozens of men and women, recipients of the Victoria and George Crosses. On the fifth row, part way along, is a small display case containing the deeds of John Bridge. John won the George Cross with a bar (twice) for his actions clearing mines and defusing bombs over days under fire in World War Two in Sicily.  He was the first person to be awarded a Bar- to Britain's highest (equal to the VC) honour for bravery.

John Bridge later became Director of Education in Sunderland, secured Derwent Hill for the children of Sunderland. A humble man, who lived at Roker seafront, he never appeared comfortable discussing his past, certainly wasn't when I interviewed him, as a journalist. He died in 2006, aged 91 and the headquarters of the Fleet Diving Squadron of the Royal Navy is named after him. Our children could learn much about what bravery and heroism actually look like from the experiences of people like him -  and how the real heroes of our world move very quietly among us.