Thought For The Day And Bank Holiday Weekend – Friday 2nd May 2025
Grace and Gratitude
The word “gratitude” originates from the Latin word “gratus,” meaning “thankful”.
In turn, this connects to “grace” or generous love, blessings or kindness.
So, in and with gratitude, we convey and express appreciation, and thankfulness, for kindness and blessings.
Thank you for all your hard work in this warm week. The new facility at T.B.S.H.S. has made such a positive difference again in these much warmer climes. We continue to be very grateful for our new facility.
Well done to Year 10 students on their impressive examination passion and resilience. Next season has already begun. We appreciate your conduct, as we do the dedication of Mrs. Chan and the T.B.S.H.S.’ Examinations and Invigilation Team.
Future foundations, including grace and gratitude, are built everywhere, including in Year 7 with their excellent Geography visit. “House Drama” next week will also be outstanding. The Cricket season, offering brilliant and extensive and committed opportunities, is in full swing. Year 11 and Year 13 students are completing timetabled lessons before public examinations with characteristic positivity and purpose. Their characterful contributions to the School inside and outside of lessons are very much appreciated.
Thank you to all giving their time, at school and at home, to be the very best version of themselves, to allow others to be the very best version of themselves.
Have a happy, healthy and safe “Bank Holiday” weekend.
It was an honour, and a blessing, to host Holocaust Survivor Hannah Lewis M.B.E. again this week. Hannah is pictured above on Tuesday, before talking with the Sixth Form. Thank you to the students from the school newspaper who interviewed Hannah afterwards.
Hannah has been visiting the school for many years. Hannah was greatly impressed by the new T.B.S.H.S., as was her husband, David Lewis C.B.E. Equally positive about T.B.S.H.S. was Annabel of “Holocaust Educational Trust”, who accompanied Hannah and David. We presented all with either a T.B.S.H.S. broach or a school tie. Thank you to “Holocaust Educational Trust” for all they do.
Hannah is 87 years-of-age. On Tuesday, Hannah stood up and shared her traumatic and resilient testimony for one hour. During her presentation, Hannah had no break. She spoke without a note. She talked from the heart and the head. She witnessed negative prejudice and negative discrimination experience and suffered in her childhood. Movingly beyond words, Hannah emotionally re-lived seeing her mother killed by the Nazis. She recounted rebuilding her life after the Second World War in a new county, with (for her) a new language, and with most of her family murdered. She epitomized, and epitomizes, resilience. She encapsulated, and encapsulates, love, gratitude and grace. Hannah always smiles and is always kind. 
Thank you to the History department at T.B.S.H.S. for all they do for our education and life. An absolutely vital subject.
Next week, the 80th anniversary of V.E. Day, Victory In Europe Day, will be remembered, particularly on the 80th anniversary in the U.K. of 8th May 2025. A week of commemorations for V.E. Day, commences on “Bank Holiday Monday”.
V.E. Day marked the official end of the Second World War in Europe and the defeat of Nazism in Europe. Stories next week will be told from the time of joy and celebration at that historic moment.
We cannot even imagine what it must have been like for people, of all ages, to have suffered six years of conflict and war, at home and abroad.
And still.
Stories will also be told next week of sadness, great loss, trauma, resilience and rebuilding. Whilst all were happy beyond words in Europe at the end of the war, and the defeat of Nazism, the past, present and future would have been, and were still, very challenging.
We should also not forget, as we mentioned in our Lent and Easter services, that atrocities, suffering and conflict beyond words continued globally before but also after May 8th 1945.
As the years pass, it is important we respect, and listen, to previous generations. We understand that we have a present and future because of them and their eternal legacy of love.
It is important to know, and be true to, our personal and communal history and roots.
We treasure people whilst they are still with us personally in this life, before they guide us even more poignantly, and profoundly, from Heaven.
