From little acorns mighty oaks do grow, goes the saying, and students at Sydenham High Junior School are determined that more such beautiful trees will flourish in Sydenham in years to come.
As part of their latest Flourish and Fly activity week just before the end of term, girls from across the school planted tree saplings for the local community as part of the Earth Restoration Society project.  Each girl is now the custodian of a silver birch, an oak or a cherry tree sapling until it is mature enough to be replanted at a restoration project in the local area.
The tree planting was the flagship event in the school’s second co-curricular activity week under the Flourish and Fly banner, this time focusing on the theme: Be Principled.
Throughout the activity week, girls from Reception to Year 6 have been exploring and celebrating the natural world, working together to devise a principled approach to protecting and enhancing the local environment.  As well as tree planting, their activities included devising a campaign to raise awareness of a Fairtrade initiative and constructing a sustainable bamboo art installation for the school playground.
“Connecting with the natural world in an urban environment such as Sydenham has provided an invaluable opportunity for the girls to consider the principles by which they live,” said Head of Junior School, Claire Boyd. “Just as we can flourish and fly by building positive relationships with those around us, so we can also work together to ensure a sustainable and engaging local environment for all members of our community.”