Spontaneity and spirit...
I wander’d lonely as a cloud,
That floats on high o’er vales and fells,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of sapphire bluebells.
If you have ever read one of my blogs, you will be aware how much I love my job and how privileged I feel to work in such a beautiful little school. Grayrigg is a truly beautiful Cumbrian village on the edge of the Lake District, but what makes Grayrigg and my little school truly special is the community spirit that surrounds it.
Driving home last Thursday (after a long week of Year 6 SATs) I noticed the bluebells were out in flower, the sun was shining. I stopped the car so I could take a photograph. Later that evening as I flicked through the days photographs on the I-pad, I was again struck by the beauty of the flowering bluebells in the sunshine.
So, at 9p.m that Thursday evening I had a thought “I want to do our weekly BIG write in amongst the bluebells tomorrow”. One of our local woodlands that we often use is always filled with bluebells so I started to put plans into place.
- A quick e-mail to the Parkins family to check we were OK to use the forest (to be honest I knew there would be no issue, but it’s courteous to let the landowners know that there will be a class of children in their forest that morning.)
- Travel arrangements - I wanted to transport the children down to the wood first thing in the morning, then walk back over break time. A quick e-mail to Mrs Wiseman and Mrs Dodgson (Katie’s Mummy) and this was sorted.
- Additional supervision was required in the woods and for the walk back - a quick post to the closed parents Facebook page and two willing Grandparents offered their help.
So at 9 o’clock in the evening I was able to organise BIG write in the woods, thanks to the amazing community support for the school. The school is not just at the heart of the community, it is in the hearts of the community and people never fail to step up and help. Whilst I would never take this help for granted - I’m always confident that the support will be there.
I wanted to use this week’s blog to say thank you to all the parents, grandparents and community members who make it possible for our small school to THINK BIG! However the best way to show them what a difference they make is to use a few examples from this week’s writing….
As the clear sapphire water sprinkled onto the mossy rocks, a gust of wind glided across the water. Neve and Samara
As the radiant shining sun glistened in the rippling river, the stunning bluebells danced along with the rippling wind. Emma and Grace.
The brilliant green leaves hung on the edge of the branches like chandeliers of vibrant emeralds. Henry and Sam
Rippling water zigzagged down through the emerald mossy rocks whilst creating a clear reflection of the gleaming sunflower sun. Summer
Jagged claw faced holly threatened me angrily amongst the delicate blue carpet of tiny bells of blue. Lily and Katie
As the dainty blue balloons drifted in the wind, one caught my eye. It shone bluer than the others and sparkled brighter than the midnight stars. It quivered elegantly in the summer breeze. The musical accompaniment was created by the rippling river as it zigzagged down through the mossy rocks, clearly reflecting the gleaming spotlight – the sun. Lizzie
