Returning to School in September

We are currently planning our return to school in September. We will fully reopen HGS in a safe, cautious and measured way following all pertinent guidelines from the Department for Education and Public Health England. This is an exciting time for many. You will be looking forward to seeing your friends, your teachers, your tutor and to having some sense of normality and structure in your daily life. Sadly, for so long now this has been missing as we have had to adapt to remote learning and a different way of doing all the things we took for granted in our lives.

For some of us though, it will be an anxious time and an uncertain time. We may feel worried about coming back to school and very concerned that we may be behind in our work and will never catch up. It might feel like we are having to start again. However, the thought of returning might be scary but when we actually do it we will be ok! Do remember that some level of anxiety is good for us and is quite normal. It motivates us into a sense of fight or flight which encourages us to follow the new guidelines of social distancing and hand washing for example. That is fine and perfectly normal.

However, when anxiety and anxious thoughts become extreme we need to take action and seek help/support. When anxiety becomes extreme we lose our ability to reason, we lose our decision making skills, we lose our problem solving skills and the impact is very negative. It stops us learning effectively. Thus we may feel as if we will never catch up and we enter a vicious circle.

If that happens we should do the following:

Recognise the signs and manage it. Remember that the perception of a threat is often far greater than the reality.
Talk. Talk to someone you trust such as a teacher, friend, or parent. Remember that we are all learning in a new way and what we are going through is not normal. We have all been in the same storm but in very different boats. We are better together.
Remember that your teachers are here to support you and help you in your return to school. We understand and have been experiencing the same sorts of emotions and feelings as you. We will create a safe environment for you in school and will follow all the pertinent guidelines and advice from the Department for Education and Public Health England. We will reduce and minimise risks.
Balance your Mental health and your Physical Health. Don’t forget your basic needs. Be sure to have a regular sleep routine, plan ahead to look forward to things, have fun, take exercise on a regular basis and maintain a healthy diet avoiding too many sugary foods.
If you do feel as if you are struggling be sure to ask for help. Ask early. Be kind to each other.