The art of paying it forward
As a society, it has begun to feel that we are more than ever preoccupied with the present and only the most imminent of futures. This may sound like a strange thing to remark on; isn’t focusing on the present a good thing? On an individual basis, psychologists and movements like mindfulness promote the importance of being in the moment, point existence, rather than ruminating over the past or overthinking what might happen. I happen to agree that we could all benefit from planting our feet firmly on the ground, breathing in slowly and physically embodying the now.
However, when it comes to priorities on a global scale, in School we offer the children the opportunity to challenge the zeitgeist of success of the individual and shift to viewing ourselves as an active partner in shaping the future. Perhaps we can draw our inspiration from the Haudenosaunee, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy in North America, who consider decisions based on the impact it will have on the 7th generation to come. Or from the cathedral builders who often did not live to see the completion of these beautiful sacred spaces that we could so easily take for granted.
This summer, I took my family to Barcelona and enjoyed the beguiling vision of the Basilica of the Sagrada Família, completed this year in time for the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death. Gaudi led the construction for 43 years before he died, perhaps knowing all along that he would never see his design come to full fruition. How many examples can you think of now of people beginning something, something arduous and multifaceted, that they won’t see realised and instead will do this not for recognition in their lifetimes, but for what their work will do for people they will never meet? Those examples are out there; they are just not grabbing headlines.
So our work with the children in the Prep is swimming against the latest societal obsession of instant superstars, doomsday politics and an AI narrative that is a blend of Minority Report and the Matrix.
This half-term our children have been engaged in a range of longview, real-world, focus-stretching inquiries. As a shining example, Year 2 have been delving into the interdependence of human and natural worlds and, in particular, how we can find pathways to just, peaceful, and reimagined futures.
They are only 6 years old, but they can tackle ideas such as finding the balance between meeting human needs and the use of limited resources. Yes, the hooks and stimulus are fun – Mr Partridge, Deputy Head Academic, is the comedy villain for this unit as he plays the role of a water waster. The children watch videos in horror as he fails to turn off the sink tap and then jokes about it. We are not trivialising the issue of water shortages; we’re finding a way into a tough topic that captures the imagination of children. They are then galvanised to analyse the water usage in their household and to study ways to conserve and reuse water. In another strand of this unit, they have been collecting broken toys and items from home and bringing them in to create their own art, based on the work of artist Jane Perkins, who creates beautiful art from recycled and found objects.
Until this year’s art is completed, please marvel at the lion portrait from last year’s Year 2 pupils.
It can be hard to picture our children’s great-great-grandchildren, but we must – establishing a way to live for today and for all the tomorrows.
The temperature may be dipping, but the afternoons are still full of the sun’s warmth.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Alice Goodfellow
