SJJ Calendar
September »
3 Dubai - British School
5 Bahrain - St Christopher's School
7 Quatar - Doha Conference
13 Birmingham - Anderton Park Primary School
16 Portsmouth - St Swithin's School
17 Norwich - Schools Cluster Conference
22 Kendal Cumbria - Wigan Schools Cluster
23 Brentwood, Essex - Primary Head's Conference
‘It is rare that any speaker achieves 10 out of 10 from every single delegate at conference which means that you are a rare find indeed.’ Headteacher, West Hill School.
August »
26-31 Canada - Speaking Tour
20-23 Nelson - College of FE
‘ A fantastic morning. You have no idea how much we needed to hear what you had to say. Thank you.’ Teacher, Medway.
July »
2 Wakefield - Cluster presentation
7 Nelson - FE College presentation
13 London - Leading Aspects Awards meeting
15 Bolton - School Presentation Evening
16 Harrow - Dep Heads Conference
Camden - Governors presentation
‘I feel privileged to have worked with you for two days. You have breathed life into me and reminded me of the how important the job I love doing really is. You should be very proud of your ability to communicate your ideas in such a powerful and passionate way.’ Headteacher, Cardiff.
June »
8 Wirral - Heads Conference
11 Staffs - NQT Conference
14 Tower Hamlets - Conference presentation
15 Wakefield - Heads Conference Winning the H Factor
16 London - Present at The Annual Conference of The Curriculum Foundation
17 Sandwell - NQT Conference
21 Gloucester - Middle Leaders Conference
22 Bradford - Primary School presentation
24 St Alban's - Camden Heads
25 Sandwell - Smethwick Heads
25 Winchester - Winning the H Factor School Cluster
30 Leeds - Winning the H Factor
‘The Station’ by Robert Hastings (abridged)
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are travelling by train. Out the window we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering – waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
“When we reach the station, that will be it!”, we cry. “When I’m 18.” “When I buy a new SL Mercedes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through college.” “When I have paid off the mortgage!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!”
Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip itself. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
“Relish in the moment” is a good motto... It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad, it is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.
So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along.
The station will come soon enough.