Odd Socks and Backpacks

Odd socks

Odd socks were obligatory throughout the Prep on one November Thursday. In her latest blog, Mrs O'Neill explains why 

Our first goal for children early in the school year is to make sure they know how to organise themselves and build solid foundations for progress in the Prep. Two months on, with pupils settled in and the Christmas season approaching it's also a good time to start encouraging them to think about others as well as themselves.

That's why as part of our PSHE work for Anti-Bullying Week last Thursday everyone in Prep – teachers and pupils – were asked to wear odd socks for the day. It was clear from the massed ranks of spectacularly mismatched feet in assembly that prep pupils were relishing the opportunity to do their own thing and, thanks to Miss Morrow's investigations, we learnt a great deal about how doing it made teachers feel. Mr Hardie felt uncomfortable to be odd; Mr O'Shea liked it (his brother insists on ALWAYS wearing odd ones); while for Miss Morrow herself the experience was a happy one. 'I have enjoyed comparing my socks to my class and the other teachers and celebrating my uniqueness,' she told us all adding, in explanation of the sock metaphor,  'It's good to be unique and to be different from your friends.'

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Miss Morrow then went on to outline the dangers of taking the opposite path by attacking the differences that make each of us unique instead of celebrating them.  'Words can hurt us; people saying unkind things over and over again can hurt us,' she told pupils. 'We are taking a stand against bullying.' 

Taking a stand, she explained to children meant not suffering in silence but telling teachers, parents and friends if you were the victim of bullying or if you witnessed it.  'Please choose respect.' Miss Morrow concluded. 'Be proud of who you are and accept one another.'

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If socks were the odd but meaningful symbol of this Prep assembly then rucksacks ran them a close second. The charity Mary's Meals which provides a school meal to children in developing countries all over the world, also runs the Backpack Project which provides recipients of its meals with a Backpack full of learning essentials from pencils and rubbers to a toothbrush and toothpaste.  Mrs Lisa Jackson, parent and Mary's Meals supporter came in to explain the project to children and to ask them to contribute a Backpack and its contents to children in Malawi as a Christmas gift – 'Probably the first one they have ever received,' as Mrs Jackson put it. If you would like to take part in this special Harrodian Prep appeal, please have a look at the suggested content information on the Backpack Project site. Form teachers also have more information. The date for delivery of contributions to Harrodian is 5th December.