Headmaster's Message
Dear Parents
Two weeks into term and still no snow. Excellent. I know most children won’t agree but I would happily go through a winter with no icy roads, paths and playgrounds to worry about.
We had some unexpected icy showers just before school opened on Thursday and whilst waiting for the Estates team to come I quickly got out there with the grit (I couldn’t find the shovel) and made the paths safe again. It takes a bit longer for the ice to go from the playground on mornings like that so we keep the children indoors if there is a risk of accident.
I was delighted and quite proud to see so many of you here for Paul Hay’s Internet Safety talk on Tuesday evening. We had well over 70 people there. I know those who came found the talks really helpful without being too alarmist and they were presented in a way that empathised with the difficulty of dealing with these issues as children mature and demand, quite rightly, their own space as well as our trust.
For me, as a father, I think the key message is to be there to support your children and not to sit in judgement if things go wrong. If they feel they can talk openly about issues or difficulties they might get into they are much more likely to share them with their parents before they get more serious. It is important not to exaggerate the risks but to have the knowledge and means to protect yourself at the same time. I felt Paul got the balance of the message over very well and the feedback from the children in the classes during the day reinforced that impression.
Paul asked me to let you have his contact details and is very happy for you to email with any questions you have or for you to visit the 'Links' on his webpage for more advice.
Useful links:
Paul’s four 'top tips' for staying safe online are attached.
Have a great weekend.
Joe Thackway
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