Thought For The Day – Thursday March 6th 2025
Read Your Way
Today is World Book Day.
Please bring a reading book for the superb “Drop Everything And Read” initiative. Once again at TBSHS, thanks to the absolutely brilliant English and Library staff, we celebrate this very special day and all that books, literature, reading generally give, both for our learning and wider life, health, wellbeing, heart and soul.
All departments, and areas of the school, both staff and students, have a responsibility for good literacy and oracy. Carers, guardians and parents also.
We pay warm tribute to all who create, write and publish books and literature, and to the various libraries which are designs for life. This very much includes Bishop’s Stortford Public Library and local libraries around the country and world.
As it does our TBSHS’ Library.
The library is the heart of a school, a college, a university, a place of learning, a community. “Libraries gave us power”, wrote the music band Manic Street Preachers of their upbringing in South Wales. And still.
We give thanks for our fantastic library, inspirationally and wonderfully led by Ms. Mac and Mrs. Miles, and all who staff, over many years, who give of their precious time to help.
At this moment, we very fondly remember our former librarian, Mrs. Helen Fletcher, who served the school for 31 years. Mrs. Fletcher passed away five years ago on the 3rd March 2020. Before her passing from this life, Mrs. Fletcher was immortalized in fiction, a character in our former student Greg James’ “Kid Normal” series of books.
Mrs. Barbara Shaw, the wife of our former Headteacher, Mr. Ian Shaw, played a vital role in the establishment of the Library of TBSHS as the school went from success to success. Library success and school success were absolutely and inextricably linked.
Ms. Bishop and Ms. Mac have outstandingly continued this tradition.
We remember all in the U.K., and around the world, who have reading challenges, whether through personal stories or social and global inequality. We must not only close any gaps, but eliminate them. We are so very blessed to have, and be in, our school and use, and fully appreciate, that platform for others.
A book, or an extended piece of writing, if we are lucky enough to have such art, is a wonderful gift. It opens up another world and is a reminder, a symbol, an inspiration and a treasure.
And it is ultimately by reading appropriate, extended, qualitative and truthful literature on what engages us that we ultimately become better communicators, and people, ourselves. Reading improves us as people.
Recently, tributes were made to greatly respected sports author and journalist Patrick Barclay, who passed away from this life recently. Patrick Barclay visited our school a number of years ago and was as eloquent, generous, kind and polite and thoughtful as he was wise.
Today podcasts, radio and “talking books” open up a complimentary dimension to language and story. Reading a story to someone has always been life-changing from our very earliest years. “To imagine a language is to imagine a form of life”, said the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. In his later philosophy, Wittgenstein sought to empathise, listen to and understand others.
As we prepare for examinations, and life, we focus on the importance of communication.
Words are so very impactful. They make a positive, and negative, difference and should not be used without great attention, care and thought. Once again the ultimate measure for us all is The Golden Rule – “How would we feel if…” We must pay attention to the words to we use and say of others and ourselves at all times. This is key to integrity and respect.
These days, to an extent, we have a library in our pocket. Technology can appropriately assist, so long as used legally, safely and with integrity. But in this process, nothing is more valuable than our authentic and personal voice and story. This encourages others to tell their truth.
The theme of World Book Day 2025 is: “Read Your Way”. A motto for life. And beyond.
Life-changing stories are told every day. An excellent recent publication is below:
