Welcome back! It has been lovely to see everyone this week, hear about half term adventures and hopefully the batteries are fully charged ready for the excitement of the second half of term.
I accomplished my half term mission! I spent almost every day outside, I was blessed with beautiful scenery, wonderful weather, some great memories and genuine inspiration, from a tree! I was in Northumberland and when I wasn’t standing in the River Tyne, I was enjoying the stunning scenery of the North Pennines National Park and Hadrian’s Wall. At 73 miles long, rather than traverse the entire length we focused on the area around the Sycamore Gap. I am certain everyone remembers the images from last year when the famous Sycamore tree for which this area is known was felled in an act of vandalism and the widespread upset this caused. It is a sad sight, and whilst nobody will probably know the reason behind this act, I wonder if they considered that it would become quite so inspirational! You can still feel the levels of anger and sadness but there is also a tangible sense of determination to protect nature more than ever! In moments of crisis or disaster we can often see the very best side of human nature and that spirit is evident here. The human response is notable but the real inspiration is mother nature and the actual tree itself. It is still very much alive and has begun sprouting new growth! It is a powerful image of recovery and perseverance, and I like the fact that it provides hope that the natural world, whilst needing our help and protection more than ever, will very often find a way!
This is the second tree that inspired me this week! A great friend sent me a wonderful story about how the wonder of nature can inspire and nurture curiosity in our children – in fact – in us all. A 5yr old pupil made the following observation, “isn’t it funny that when leaves fall from trees, they have a drawing of a tree on them?” The pupil proceeded to point out that the veins on the leaf looked just like a tree, like it was printing a miniature version of itself. I found this a really inspiring insight into the curiosity of young minds, the potential of nature to allow us to pause and be mindful and further inspiration, should we need it, to get ourselves outside as much as we can! This will be made all the easier as we confirmed today that with the kind generosity of our BPSA, we are going to create (well, let nature create) a wild garden alongside our outdoor learning area to encourage and protect nature and inspire curiosity. This approach plays a significant part of our “Be Curious” curriculum, at the heart of which will see us developing our commitment to learning in the outdoors, and greater details will be shared with you soon.
Thank you in advance to the children who are joining me in representing BPS in the annual Banstead Remembrance parade on Sunday. Wishing you all a lovely weekend.
