By Whitmore High School head teacher, Innes Robinson
IT’S difficult to effectively convey the drama that unfolded this week when Gryff lost his first tooth in the woods. Utter bedlam.
Mums frantically searching the ground for the precious tooth, knowing the seminal nature of this moment.
Children huddled around a sage and wizened older girl as she began her doom-filled sermon, warning that the Tooth Fairy only pays up if there is a tooth under the pillow. They looked crestfallen.
And in the middle was Gryff, trying to console his younger brother who was hysterical for some reason. I like to think he was worried about his brother. In reality I think he just wanted to share the money.
Happily, the story has a positive ending. Gryff drew a map for the Tooth Fairy and she managed to find it, leaving him with a shiny £2 coin. He bought some sweets and gave some to Vaughn…everyone was delighted.
It reminds me just how important it is for children to experience these life moments and not have them affected by the pandemic. There are countless stories of kids missing out. Birthday parties, football matches, dance recitals, etc…all cancelled due to Covid, robbing children of life-defining experiences.
At Whitmore, we have made it our focus to get things back to normal. Hundreds are staying after school at a wide range of clubs and sports fixtures, others are arriving at 7.45am for our ‘aspire’ learning curriculum whilst many more are involved with our full programme of concerts and theatre productions. These activities will provide countless opportunities for pupils to experience moments that will define them.
I still remember wearing my school football kit to bed the night before our first game and woodenly delivering my lines in the school play in Year 9. These experiences are as big as losing your first tooth or riding your bike for the first time. We have to make sure that despite the challenges of the pandemic, our young people do not miss out.
