Thought For The Day – Thursday 30th January 2025
Daily Growth and Progress
We very warmly welcome Year 13 carers, parents and students to the school tonight for their consultation evening.
The focus will be academic, as recent practice and mock examinations are reflected upon for further growth, improvement, progress and positive action.
Summer success, in terms of examination results, and indeed for final yearly assessments and school reports for all year groups, is built on autumn, winter and spring diligence, focus, leadership, ownership, resilience, responsibility and sacrifice in and out of school.
And, as in anything, if we have a challenging and tricky day, we reflect and go again the next.
For progress, like life, is not a straight and simple line, but a complex, long and winding road.
Though we must fully acknowledge that some, and many, have challenges in life beyond words.
In this journey, holistic health, kindness, perspective, respect and wellbeing are important. This helps others and ourselves. It is the foundation.
In all our lives, and in all we do, we strive to be the best version of ourselves, making progress each day, one step at a time, learning from the experiences of others and ourselves, staying humble, doing good and being true to ourselves.
What are we working on in our lives, in and out of lessons? How are we breaking down that goal into smaller steps? How is what we are doing making a positive difference? Importantly, how are we being a good person by caring for, and looking after, others, and ourselves, in the process?
All those determined, humble, inclusive, kind and seemingly small steps always and will bear fruit.
These values and vision are illustrated by fable told by Aesop, a storyteller in Ancient Greece:
“A Hare was making fun of the Tortoise one day for being so slow.
“Do you ever get anywhere?” he asked with a mocking laugh.
“Yes,” replied the Tortoise, “and I get there sooner than you think. I’ll run you a race and prove it.”
The Hare was much amused at the idea of running a race with the Tortoise, but for the fun of the thing he agreed. So the Fox, who had consented to act as judge, marked the distance and started the runners off.
The Hare was soon far out of sight, and to make the Tortoise feel very deeply how ridiculous it was for him to try a race with a Hare, he lay down beside the course to take a nap until the Tortoise should catch up.
The Tortoise meanwhile kept going slowly but steadily, and, after a time, passed the place where the Hare was sleeping. But the Hare slept on very peacefully; and when at last he did wake up, the Tortoise was near the goal. The Hare now ran his swiftest, but he could not overtake the Tortoise in time.
The race is not always to the swift.