Dear Parents,
If any of you ever met me while you were taking a tour of the school you may have heard one of my favourite sayings - which actually comes from my Mum a woman that I admire greatly. It is this: "There's no point in being clever, if you can't also be kind."
That expression was bouncing around in my head this week, both as the reflective period of Lent continues and thanks to the lovely Assembly from Year 5. They were talking about communication, about the ways that we speak to each other, where we don't necessarily use words. Whether it's passing the ball in the playground to a player who isn't always brave enough to shout for attention, a nice smile to someone new or a little pick me up like a cup of tea or a chocolate bar for someone who seems down, these small actions can mean a lot.
In fact, this week I wanted to make sure I recognised all the wonderful women in our school, for International Women's Day on 8th March. I was only giving them a little KitKat and a quick hello, but I hope that the gesture meant something to my wonderful team of strong women!
It got me thinking more generally about communication and word of mouth. According to a 2021 report by PowerReviews, nearly 100% of customers read reviews when they shop online, and on top of that, 96% of customers look for negative reviews specifically. This is also true when people come to visit us. They're using the Internet and our social media channels to find out all about us and what we do. It's an extension of good old 'word of mouth' communication - and thanks to many of you our reputation out there is flourishing.
As such, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who supports St Bernard's Prep, whether it's by liking or sharing our posts, or mentioning us to your neighbours, who might be looking for a school or nursery. If you are reading or contributing to this newsletter, I love that too. Knowing that you like what we do and want to celebrate with us, means a lot to me.
Next week we have our Open Evening and Open Mornings for new prospective families, and again I very much appreciate you lending us your wonderful children for the twilight session, where they will give up their free time to act as guides and sit in extra lessons so that we can really show off what we do. In fact, more on that below, as it's been a week of amazing adventures for our children - from Maths to Science to Stone Age Banquets! Read on, to find out more.
