By Mrs MacDonald, Head of English at Junior Boys
On Monday 21st November, our Year 6 at Junior Boys celebrated International Men's Day.
The day started with an assembly about the importance of the occasion because as young men, the messages we relay are so important for their development.
Our key themes were of;
- kindness
- being proud of who they are
- breaking down stereotypes
- being confident in expressing emotions
- changing the narrative around toxic masculinity.
After returning to class, a surprise breakfast arrived alongside envelopes on their desks which contained letters from their Mums with photos, memories and all the reasons why they are so proud to call them their son. This had all been organised in secret so the boys were blown away! There were lots of happy tears and a real sense of being loved, valued and admired.
Before the day, we had contacted the boy's parents to ask the Dads to tell us who they were inspired by growing up and who their role models were. In the surprise class, the boys then spent time finding out why.
When asked to reflect on the experience, the response was wonderful. The boys were able to say that they now realise how loved they are, how they can be whoever they want to be, that it is ok to break down stereotypes, it is ok to talk about how they are feeling and also what it means/looks like to be a gentleman.
We are so proud of how the boys responded and can't wait to see them continue to grow.
We look forward to celebrating International Women's Day next year!
