Yep, we are all back; boys, girls, staff. Everyone came bursting into school last week. For some it was the start of a whole new experience, for others it was as if we had never been away! The big difference this year for me was how well everyone looked – adults and children. The lovely summer weather, here and abroad, meant that everyone just seemed more relaxed and rested. That feeling last for me until about 8.40 am on the second day when the school opened for pupils – then it was hit the ground running time again. By the end of the first day when it was mid-afternoon and coffee, lunch or even a comfort break were all still on the To Do list I began to wonder if I was up for my thirty-fifth new term! The memories of summer conversations with a dear close friend, who brings out her pension papers wistfully at least once a month (not a teacher), were beginning to take on a new slant! Maybe I was not as unready for thoughts of retirement as I kept saying? However, the minute the bell rang, and the doors opened we were back in business and so was I.
We have had a great first week of term. There was a buzz about the place from the start. Our newest pupils came in fairly willingly with only a few tears (grown-ups too). This was our first session where the newest pupils didn’t have a half day start so from day one they were faced with a whole day at school – including lunch! Now I quite often debate the merits of some education systems where children start their formal education at an older age. I have had, and still do hold, some reservations about just how young our new P1 pupils are when they start off. Curriculum for Excellence, the developments and joining up of all thee experiences youngsters have are, beginning to address some of my issues and queries. However, this is something that I think we must never underestimate in its power and effect on the long-term learning journey of our young people. These early experiences building on the home and pre-school experiences are crucial to getting the foundations for lifelong learning in place. We have now got an additional teacher on our staff that has enabled us to have a teacher full-time this session in our nursery class. This is really exciting for my established, highly skilled team of early year workers. We have had teacher input over the last couple of sessions on a rota basis that gave us valuable input and support but left us wanting more. It is a fabulous opportunity for us to cement and develop the links between our nursery class and our early years classes. We have several key developments going on this session that will all impact positively on our learning experiences in school but enhancing the early years team is a major asset- watch this space.
We also welcomed three probationary teachers this session. It is always good to have fresh ideas and experiences to share in our team, and equally, we have a wealth of skills and knowledge as a learning community to share with them. So much of what we do in school just happens (a theme I often reflect on) and the skills of established teachers and support staff are often just taken as” just what we do”. It is only when we interact with people embarking on this amazing journey that it can be brought to the fore that it isn’t just a case of what we do – our engaging, developing and motivating learning communities are built on knowledge, understanding, empathy, humour and a healthy dose of self-evaluation to name but a few. The good-will and unpaid overtime are a given. Yes, I can say that it is good to be back.