Leadership Likes: Mrs Cook

January Blues? Not us…..

We are all familiar with the expression …

but at Croydon High School, January Blues just aren’t happening – despite whatever the combined forces of Boris, Gavin, Donald, COVID and the British weather decides to throw at us.

Term started on Wednesday and the mood was UP! Yes, we are all disappointed that we are not going to be together for a while, but we know that that will only make the reunion even sweeter! Yes, it’s not going to be as ‘easy’ as it was back in the spring when we could frolic outside recording videos of ourselves taking on new and exciting physical endeavours. (That Tea Bag Challenge….still one of my proudest moments…)

But we have so much to be grateful for and so much to look forward to – and that’s what we have to hold on to during these shorter, colder days. And if that’s not enough, this week Junior and Senior Schools launched our own vaccination programme against those pesky Blues; we call it Jolly January (#jollyjanuary of course).

Mrs Raja took this to a whole new level by announcing Jolly January at Croydon High Juniors to the world on Thursday morning, via the Heart Radio Breakfast show with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden. If you missed it, you can listen here. We were very proud of her on her radio debut and we are looking forward to hearing more about the general January jolliness generated by the Juniors!

Not to be outdone, our own Mrs Webb (quite the authority herself when it comes to national radio broadcasting) also launched Joy to the World (or the Senior school anyway), via her Friday

morning assembly. If you missed it, you can catch up here. Her combination of a fabulous co-curricular offer adapted beautifully for GHL, some #jollyjanuary capers and a spotlight on ARK (acts of random kindness) should help ensure we all come through January feeling warmer, happier and even more loved. And that’s not a bad start to 2021.

And of course, one of the gifts of GHL is that our whole school community, including parents and friends, gets the chance to witness and to share in the many amazing opportunities and activities usually only experienced by our pupils during the school day. So, to one and all, why not join us in our quest to share the joy?

We wish you all a very Jolly January.

Fran Cook

Director of External Relations