I hope that you all enjoyed your Bank Holiday weekend and that many of you were able to join in with the VE Day 75th Anniversary celebrations. During the celebrations you may have seen a few faces that are familiar to us all at this current point in history but who also had a vital role to play 75 years ago too, including Captain Tom and Her Majesty the Queen.
I am sure that if you did get a chance to join in or to watch the celebrations, that you will have found many links between the care that was shown within communities during a time of global conflict 75 years ago and what is happening in our world today. Two very different events, but two significant points in history when communities have witnessed ‘Oneness’ first hand and have seen acts of bravery, sacrifice, strength and resilience all around during the most difficult of times.
During the celebrations I am sure that you will have heard stories of ‘Hope’ and just as the rainbow is our current symbol of hope, in 1939 a popular singer, Dame Vera Lynn, released one of the world’s most popular wartime songs ‘We’ll Meet Again’. This became a source of optimism, strength and hope for many during wartime broadcasts and has become popular again during the Coronavirus crisis. You may have seen this performance of the song on Friday which beautifully draws the links between the two points in history and also celebrates many of the key workers who are currently showing their care for others through the work that they do every day.
I know that as a result of the work that some of you were doing on your class blogs last week, that many stories of ‘unsung’ WW2 heroes emerged such as the story of one of our friends’ great grandfathers Kenneth Sanderson, who played an incredible role on the frontline during the war. These stories remind us that the true heroes in difficult times aren’t always the most celebrated or the most famous but that their contributions can make such a difference to the lives of many and their worth will live on in the hearts of others forever. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
This week, I would like us to think about and celebrate all the ‘real-life’ helpers and heroes that are caring for us during the current crisis. Real people who are showing true bravery and sacrifice, taking increased risks to keep others safe.
Do you know of someone within our community who is going above and beyond to look after or care for others at this time? Maybe you have someone in your own home who you are bursting with pride for and want to tell their story? Maybe you have noticed someone who is quietly helping others without being celebrated or noticed? Our very own ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
I know that I am surrounded by many unsung helpers and heroes at the moment. I see school staff in school every day, willing to do anything that is needed to support our role within the community response to Covid 19 without question. There are also staff who are now based at home but are working incredibly hard to ensure that they are still supporting children, families and colleagues relentlessly during this difficult time. I get to see some of our key workers every day too, all smiling and all doing their absolute best to keep so many of our vital care and support services going at this time. And then my own very personal heroes – my treasured family.
So – your task this week is to share with me an image or a drawing of your ‘real-life’ hero or helper that you feel should be celebrated at this time and the reason why. You may have seen the piece of artwork above by Banksy that appeared in Southampton Hospital last week, beautifully depicting the role of ‘real’ heroes too.
I can’t wait to ‘meet’ your own personal heroes and who knows, in 75 years time when our own grandchildren and great-grandchildren are marking this point in history, they may be telling stories of the actual heroes and helpers that made a difference in 2020, so let’s start telling those stories now.
I think Her Majesty The Queen summed up our celebration of helpers and heroes beautifully at the end of her speech to the nation on Friday.
‘But our streets are not empty; they are filled with the love and the care that we have for each other. And when I look at our country today, and see what we are willing to do to protect and support one another, I say with pride that we are still a nation those brave soldiers, sailors and airmen would recognise and admire.’
Enjoy your week and your reflections on your very own ‘real-life’ heroes and helpers, people that we possibly took for granted before but now see in the light that they have always deserved. A huge thank you to all our key workers and unsung heroes from us all!
With warm wishes and my heartfelt hope that you too will ‘keep smiling through, just like you always do, til the blue skies chase the dark clouds far away …’
I have loved hearing about your ‘Lockdown Legacies’ this week and seeing your words presented in such creative ways.
Inspired by the wise old words of Master Oogway you have told me about …
The greater value that is now placed on the simple things in life. Hugs with grandparents, aunts and uncles now feel like gold dust and even the less exciting parts of the school day are desperately missed
A greater appreciation of the natural magic of the outdoors
The love of family and how we are all learning to accept the diversity that exists within our own homes more
A greater understanding of the school’s ethos and its invaluable role within the wider community
The importance of patience and how it feels to live through and find peace within a significant challenge
The innovation that has resulted from our need to live life in a slightly different way for a while
The enhancements to life, such as family zoom/skype sessions that are bringing us ‘together’
The strength that has emerged within our community and the neighbourhoods that we live in as people talk and look out for each other more
A recognition that nature often mirrors the feelings and experiences that we have too – the joy of a new moorhen brood and signs of ‘healing’ all around us and all over the world
Relationships with brothers and sisters that have grown stronger
The increased opportunities that you have had to become more mindful of the changes in nature, birdsong, the names of flowers
How one of our friends’ name was chosen because it means ‘present’ or ‘gift’, fitting beautifully with this week’s theme
The absolute joy of a great board game
An appreciation of a new found ‘togetherness’
And how you really want all these positives to remain with you, long after the lockdown ends
As always, I have loved hearing all your other updates too, especially seeing all the newly hatched chicks that you have shared with me this week (I shared your photos with the chickens and they got very excited too!). Joe shared with me his idea of another symbol of ‘Hope’ – the daisy. Joe felt that daisies were hardy, survive under the harshest conditions and always bounce back. And Benji, Hugo and Ella reminded me of one of my favourite books ‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse’ and how relevant the beautiful words in this book are at this particular time (I’ve included one of their favourite quotes above).
Thank you once again for all of your wonderful thoughts and messages this week. I hope that you enjoy the images and words as much as I did …
Along with your legacies we also wanted to share with you the first part of our Damers Recipe collections. Miss Barnes has been working incredibly hard in the background, as many of you will know, collecting all the information and images she needs from you following your recipe emails and is creating four recipe collections as a lasting community legacy. Here is a wonderful insight into her amazing work so far, and my favourite one – the Veggie Collection!
I’ve chosen a book this week which shows us the power of ‘yet’ and how we may think we can’t do something until the conditions are just right …
So many parents have told me that ‘today’ has gifted them something that they didn’t have enough of before lockdown – time. As a result of this families are enjoying some of the simplest things in life much more than they were doing before as they now have time to do them more often and without other distractions. The music has changed and we are all recognising that we have always had the ability to ‘dance’ we’re just so much better at it now!
Here’s to your role in recognising the power that you have to keep all of these wonderful legacies alive, long after the lockdown ends Team Damers!
Enjoy your Bank Holiday weekend and your VE Day celebrations. I will leave you with Ellie’s beautiful poem today …
Today enjoy making some decorations for VE day – look at yesterdays post for ideas.
The weather is lovely and sunny today so enjoy time in your garden with your families. This is a lovely idea – have a look around and see what you can scan. You could adapt it and make it a nature scan and see what you can spot in your bushes, plants and grass.
This Friday we will be celebrating the 75th VE day. VE stands for Victory Europe and it will be 75 years ago this year since Victory in Europe was achieved by British Soldiers and it’s allies in WW2. On Friday we will be celebrating this victory and think about all those soldiers that fought in the war for us.
Why not make some Flags to decorate your house with, like in the photo below.
You could also bake a cake to celebrate like this lovely Victoria Sponge – recipe attached!
Ingredients
3 medium eggs
175g (6oz) butter, softened
175g (6oz) caster sugar
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
142ml carton double cream
4-6 level tablespoons raspberry jam
caster sugar, for dredging
2 x 18cm (7in) round sandwich tins, greased and base lined with baking parchment
Method
Tip all the ingredients into a bowl and beat until smooth. Divide mixture between the sandwich tins and level the surfaces.
Bake the cakes in the centre of a preheated oven – 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 20-25 mins, or until the cakes have risen and are golden, and spring back when lightly pressed in the centre.
Remove the cakes from the oven and leave them to cool in the tins for 5-10 mins, then turn them out on to a wire rack and leave them to cool completely.
Spread the jam over the base of one of the cakes. Lightly whip the double cream and spread it over the base of the other cake. Sandwich the two cakes together. Dredge with caster sugar before serving.
The unfilled Victoria sponge cakes can be packed in freezer bags and frozen for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost before filling
Why not have a go at making these craft aeroplanes….
If you can print, below is a selection of colouring pages for you to do. Also there is a craft template for you make a WW2 aeroplane.
