There is a time for everything
Our final day at Kingswood started with a remarkable
achievement. All the children were up, dressed, bags packed, rooms cleared and
lined up for breakfast by eight o’clock!
It just goes to prove that the impossible can be achieved at times.
Though having said that I never seem to be able to manage this with only two
children at home never mind 49!
Following another cooked breakfast, we entered our last two
activities. These consisted of den building, Go Karting, Zip wire, abseiling
and low ropes.The fruit of our forest school’s initiative over the past
few years could clearly be seen, as the children took naturally to the den
building, creating some very impressive shelters from the resources available.
Zip wire was as awesome as ever and for some the fear of heights was overcome
when they achieved the abseiling descent. Low ropes challenged our tired bodies
and tired minds, whilst Go Karting produced another record-breaking achievement
for Mr Chivers, beating the previous record probably set by him last year.
As for Mrs Orton – she still never managed to get behind the
wheel!
As we gathered for lunch before embarking on the coach it
was good to reflect on all that had been achieved over the past few days. All
the children had entered into the past few days with an extremely positive
attitude, pushing their limits and learning new skills. Their support for each
other and their willingness to give everything a go really paid off.
It has been such a privilege for all the staff to be able to
share in these achievements. I have always found it one of the most rewarding
aspects of the school year. Observing individuals take on new challenges and in
some cases face their fears and overcome them. The smiles that this brings to
their faces is something I will never grow tired of seeing.
What equally strikes me about such experiences is the
support that their peers give to those who for what ever reason are not able to
complete the activity, particularly when it involves significant height. What is
celebrated is the achievements that are made, the climb to the first ladder,
the clipping on of the safety rope and looking down. This is an essential
aspect of life long learning, understanding that not everything is achieved first
time or maybe even the next time. What is important is the resilience and self
confidence to face these situations, to learn from them and to move on.
As Nelson Mandela is quoted as saying “the greatest glory of living lies not in never
falling but in rising every time you fall.”
In a world that is wrongly focused, on success, outward appearances
and material gain. What we seek to embed in our children is that their identity
and their significance is not based on what they achieve, but on who they are.
We are all different; different strengths, different passions and different
perspectives. What I observed again this week was the encouragement of others to
look inwards and to know who you are and to be confident in that.
There is always time
for that important reflection.
Mr Marshall
