Thought For The Day – Thursday 6^th February 2025

The word opportunity is derived from the Latin word opportunitas, meaning convenience, advantageousness and the right time.

Opportunitas itself is a combination of two words, ‘ob’, meaning towards, and ‘portus’. meaning port.

These words reference the arrival of a ship to its port or destination.

At TBSHS, we pride ourselves on the positive opportunities on offer to students and staff.

These opportunities occur every hour in the classroom.  Opportunities to learn about, and contribute to,  timeless subjects that shape, and have shaped, our understanding of our world and universe.  Opportunities to learn from staff; learn from one another and teach all.

Making the most of these lesson opportunities is important for their own sake, but also for the positive futures they create and inspire. Year 11 and Year 13 students are particularly working hard for their examinations which open doors of opportunity in the future. Further, Year 9, 10 and 12 students know what they do now sets the foundations, and prepares the table,  for what is to come.  Year 7, and Year 8, students,  and nursery and primary schools, equally.  For opportunities take time to create, develop and nurture.  And we do not precisely know when they may come. We must be ready for the moment.

These opportunities occur in the plethora of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities such as: the Languages, English, Drama,  Art, History and Ski visits departing in the last and next few days; “Black, Gold and Green” week next week;  the forthcoming Music Festival after half term;  the ceaseless weekly sporting fixtures; the ongoing wise careers advice in this National Apprenticeship week.

Yesterday, the Year 10 rugby team took their opportunities and qualified for the final four, the semi-final,  of the National Vase competition.  An inspirational and wonderful achievement in a match with a great school from a great town and county,  Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Otley, Yorkshire.

Opportunities are not always given.  We have to create them.  For ourselves. For others.  

And, in this process,  we have to think of our health and wellbeing and that of others.  What happens at break and lunch is vital too.  Thank you to Mr. Cooper and his team.   How we leave the school, tidy, respectfully and safely, at the end of the day, also matters.

We see opportunity all around us, especially in our new school, which we do not take for granted.

Opportunities have a very important moral aspect.   Opportunities is not for some, but for all.  Equal opportunities.  In the school. In the community.  In the world.

In meeting opportunity positively,  we stay grounded and humble, showing our values, lifting other people up, so they too get to their destination.  Just as we would wish to helped ourselves. 

In this journey, in this life,  we all strive to be lighthouses that guide other ships in to their port.  Life is often very far from plain sailing and we need to help each other through challenges that are often beyond words.

Vitally, making the most of opportunities ourselves, and giving opportunities to others,  is an important way we can “pay back” our debt of gratitude, and duty,  to those who gave us opportunities.   We are always grateful to our carers, guardians, parents, communities, neighbourhoods and roots for the opportunities we have been given and strive to pay these opportunities forward.

Every day we are given is a positive opportunity to do good. For others and ourselves.