June 5th 2020
The boys are back in town
‘Guess who just got back today?
Them wild-eyed boys who had been away’
It is just after 8am on Monday 1st June and, standing out on the school drive, it is not The Bangles or the Boomtown Rats* stuck in my head but the opening lines of Thin Lizzy’s ‘The boys are back in town’.
Far from all the Moulsford boys of course but, as some of the staff waited in glorious sunshine to greet boys from Bobcats, Pumas, Panthers and Year 6, the upbeat jauntiness of the song felt apt (and, of course, many of us will feel somewhat wild-eyed after the last few months!).
The next line of the song, however, reads ‘Haven’t changed that much to say’ and this is where the lyrics become far less analogous to our current circumstances. One suspects that few of us will move on from the events of 2020 without being changed in one way or another - for many, if we are to believe what we see on social media, the restrictions placed on normal life have allowed space for personal growth (new skills and learning, more baking and DIY) and reflection. Equally, it is clear that uncertainty over what the future holds, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19, will have a significant impact on the anxiety felt by lots of us around financial and job security and the loss of familiar routines and comforts.
Before half term, as we started to prepare for Year 6’s possible return to school, Mr Albon, Mr Jones and I asked the boys to write a letter. It could be addressed to us, their form, their teachers or even the whole year group and was to contain their thoughts on the things that they had missed during lockdown, what they had been up to and what they were looking forward to on our eventual return. Much of the content was perhaps not terribly surprising:
- ‘I am looking forward to playing more sport.’
- ‘I’ll miss being able to sleep in later’
- ‘I am excited because I am bored of my parents droning on about random stuff.’
- ‘I am desperate to see people outside of my family’
(Perhaps I should ask the parents to write in with their thoughts too...!)
Beyond these comments, it was hugely uplifting to see so much gratitude among the boys for both the comforts of family and home, and for the structures of school life. A number of them mentioned that they had learned to become more independent in their approach to work and there was also great appreciation for their teachers and Virtual Moulsford alongside the aspects of school life that they have missed; the food and our amazing kitchen staff, the grounds and the river.
If there was one standout running theme, it was that of community and relationships. Without fail, it was reconnecting with their friends and teachers that sat top of the boys’ lists of what they were looking forward to, alongside the reassurance of the familiar school routines and environment. I have little doubt that it was the prospect of these things too, and not actually Thin Lizzy, that lifted my mood as I waited on the drive on Monday morning - it has been so good to see the boys and make those reconnections this week!
‘That jukebox in the corner blastin' out my favorite song
The nights are getting warmer, it won't be long
Won't be long till the summer comes
Now that the boys are here again’
*‘Manic Monday’ and ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’, in case you’re wondering!
