Letter to Family and Friends
Dear Families,
Flourishing
I've been thinking a lot lately about the word flourish. It gets used so often these days that it's easy to let it wash over us without really asking what it means.
Author Brian Harris puts it simply: to flourish is to grow, thrive, and do more than just get by - it's about reaching your full potential and feeling truly well, not merely surviving the day. One thread that stood out to me is this: flourishing isn't something we do alone - it depends in part, on our relationships with others. As Harris writes, none of us are complete in isolation; we need connection, community, and people who know us over time.
That idea sat with me over the last two weeks, as I stepped out of my usual routine and into a range of classrooms - opening doors in the morning, taking a Playberry lesson or two, wading into some Maths fractions, and helping plan an information report.
What I was Reminded of
Even in classrooms full of students, where I no longer teach day-to-day, the relationship was still there. A little quieter now, perhaps, but never gone. Students I greeted back in Foundation are now older and more confident - but they're still, unmistakably, the same children. They lit up seeing a familiar face in their room, and I have a feeling it was pretty amusing for them too, watching me fumble with the classroom routines and different things I needed to teach which are not my normal day to day.
The relationships we build with your children from their very first day at school don't fade - they carry all the way through to graduation in Year 6. They shift and mature, but they stay. And watching that connection show up in so many small, everyday moments - a corridor hello, a shared laugh over fractions, a proud "Is my writing better than in Year 1?" - is genuinely one of the delights of my job.
A Few Honest Moments too
Not everything went smoothly. Technology didn't always cooperate, I didn't always fully understand what a lesson required, and one NIT (Non Instructional Teaching) session fell through, which meant extra time in the classroom instead. All of it kept me on my toes - and gave me a real appreciation for the routines and depth of knowledge our classroom teachers bring every single day. It also gave me a valuable window into what your children are learning right now, and how they're going.
And some things, reassuringly, never change: the cheeky comebacks, the race for the door at home time, and the collective groan when it's time for more Maths.
Why I'm Telling you this
Community and belonging - being known, being greeted, being remembered - are part of what allows children, and honestly, all of us to flourish not just get through the school day.
We could all do with a little flourishing.
Blessings,
Lisa Newbury
Early Years Coordinator