Blog
A Lasting Approach
This year has been hard for the vast majority of people, but the way in which we react and learn from hardships in our life becomes part of the sum of what it means to be human.
My own children seem to get a mention in every entry that I submit to the Valley Park Blog, and this entry is no different. My son, at four years old, understands what Covid-19 means to him. Whilst his understanding of the virus itself may be minimal, he knows he can’t see his extended family and that birthday parties need to be virtual.
This seems like a small price to pay when compared to the suffering that some have faced through the pandemic, but it highlights the fact that lessons in resilience and sacrifice are being learnt, even at his tender age.
When we pan our focus to the students at Valley Park - who have a far greater understanding of the virus and have made far greater compromises to their lives - the importance of our role in supporting one another through the emotional landscape of contemporary school life becomes all the more important.
We are all taking on the pursuit of pastoral excellence in education. What this means - for me at least - relates to the fact that we have the privilege of working with people who are forming the habits and developing the emotional tools they will use to manage personal challenges for the rest of their lives.
There will inevitably be parts of this pursuit that we can celebrate, whilst there will also be parts we need to develop. What is certain, however, is that this pursuit will be one in which every student at Valley Park takes part, and one which forms part of their lasting approach to life at Valley Park and beyond.
