Rydal Penrhos School Notes: Week 1 of winter lockdown
Spot the Difference! Same tree at Rydal Penrhos, very different outlook!
The first lockdown is now a distant sunny memory as we plunge back into mid-winter and another session of remote learning.
Here in school things are pretty different also; we have Rydal Penrhos Pre-School operating pretty much as normal on-site and we have twice as many keyworker pupils as we had in March…but we do have iPads and we do have knowledge and experience about remote learning.
However, the biggest difference is the weather!
The British love to talk about the weather, that’s true, but it is totally ingrained as part of our well-being also.
Interestingly this becomes stronger as we grow older.
It is notable that our youngest pupils on-site at Rydal Penrhos currently do not seem to notice the weather and would happily play outside without their coats without seeming to notice. This enthusiasm dwindles as pupils get older to the point where Year 8s are huddling against bushes at the side of the playground too down-hearted by the freezing temperatures to even chat about them!
One thing is for certain though…if we were to get snow then everyone would just love being outside despite the fact that snow only comes due to the same freezing temperatures!
The other excitement here in school this week has been packed lunches, in particular crisps!
Not the iPads, not the wearing of PE kit, not the exciting remote lessons with you in school and your teacher at home
No, no, no…it’s the crisps!
Having their own lunches and snacks has been really rather overwhelming for some of our pre-schoolers. The knowledge that a packet of crisps is waiting for them in their bag in the cloakroom has been enough to set off tears by 9.30am.
I overheard the following conversation today between a teacher and a three-year-old:
- Teacher: Why the sad face? What’s wrong?
- 3YO: I’m hungry
- Teacher: Really? But it’s only 09:30, you’ve only just got here
- 3YO (louder and tears impending): I’m really hungry
- Teacher: OK, well let me get some fruit, I think we have some apples
- 3YO (full crying mode): not…that…kind…of…hungry
- Teacher: Oh dear, what kind of hungry?
- 3YO (sobbing): crisps hungry!
- Teacher: OK, well it’s a school rule that we can’t eat crisps before 10.30
- 3YO (instantly stops crying): when’s 10.30?
- Teacher: very soon
The three-year-old was happy with this and rushed off to play with the diggers!
This is the kind of incident which inspires all parents to leave ‘telling the time’ until much later on in childhood!
Winter lockdowns are certainly stressful but the learning goes on whether at home or at school…we can do this Rydal Penrhos!
Mrs Lucy Davies
Head of Rydal Penrhos Prep School
Week 1 of winter lockdown
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Anyone wishing to enquire about Rydal Penrhos School can do so by calling 01492 530155, email admissions@rydalpenrhos.com or register your interest online here: https://rydal.wpengine.com/admissions/apply-now/
