The Simple Things In Life - Head's Blog

• Cooking

• Visiting new places

• Volunteering

• Gardening

• Reading 

• Painting/learning a new craft

You may think that this list looks somewhat like the ‘Top 7 things to do when you retire’, but actually this is a list of some of the activities which we see your children do or hear your children talking about on a regular basis - just the simple things in life!  

How fortunate your children are that, at St. Helen’s College, they have opportunities to participate in so many 'simple things' during their time with us. Our curriculum and co-curricular programme are extraordinarily rich and diverse. On Wednesday, our Cookery Club children were so excited at the prospect of cooking their chicken pie after school and I am sure that several families enjoyed tucking into delicious cuisine at home! Our Gardening Club pupils have harvested so many vegetables this year and await the arrival of the next season. Each term the children visit a new place to extend their learning and bring to life what they have been learning in the classroom with exciting visits to Bletchley Park, the Heath Robinson Museum, the Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery and so many more places. Our Year 6 pupils give their time to visit local care homes, entertaining the residents and sharing their youthful voices. The reward for them is seeing the older generation smile, laugh, and sing along, remembering their own youth. 

This week I was discussing some of these activities with Mr. Lewis and Ms Gilham and talking about how, as adults, we often neglect some of the simple things in life as the demands of life take over and we forget the joy which they can bring. I am almost envious of our current parents as you still have those wonderful opportunities with your dearest children to participate in these simple things together as a family. With my own daughter now at university, I relish her visits and look forward to spending time with her - she may not be as eager to help out in the garden or to get all the paints out on a Sunday afternoon (fond memories!), but we do cherish our time together as a family, enjoying each other’s company - simple!

At St. Helen's College, we pride ourselves on striving for excellence and our pupils fill us with pride with their academic achievements on a daily basis. I had the pleasure of being read to this week by some Year 4 pupils who impressed me with beautifully written myths, in which they used complex language and literary devices. But what we do so well here is balancing the pursuit of academic excellence with the appreciation of the non-material aspects of life - the awe and wonder of the simple aspects of life. 

I have previously blogged about the top 50 things to do before you are 11 and 3/4rs. 
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wallington/features/free-family-fun-in-the-great-outdoors-this-summer- 

How many can your children tick off? Lots, I am sure!

Thankfully I am way off retirement or even thinking about what I will do -  but I did have to chuckle when I searched!

We certainly are giving your children the best of a ‘simple life’ - they are well prepared for their futures!

Mrs. Drummond