Dear Parents,
It is always good to see the grounds team hard at work maintaining our large site, but it has been particularly good to see the Verti Drain machine encouraging drainage and to observe the huge amount of work that has gone into the woodland areas of the site, stripping them back for the children to enjoy when spring finally comes. There were days this week when it felt spring was here but the sleet this morning put paid to that! We have a new member of the maintenance team who has started work painting fences and sharpening up the look of the site.
I would like to issue a plea. The Sports Hall car park is a car park, and therefore cars will arrive and depart, and need to be able to do so safely. I want to encourage the community element of school life, and the chance to stop and talk, but please keep an eye on your children. In addition please can you drive slowly in and out, even if time is short?
Today’s assembly celebrated the amazing success of the choir this week, winning an external choir competition. Mrs Mitchell conducted a super performance of Evening Prayer from Humperdinck’s opera Hansel and Gretel with the judge pronouncing it to have been extremely mature, musical and polished.
The focus of the assembly was the Winter Olympics, their creation and the mission of the Olympic movement. I focused on both the excellence and the drama of the Winter Olympics in recent years. The children were able to watch an extract from the 1984 Torvill and Dean performance of Bolero, and were amazed by the precision and skill. I encouraged them to watch some of the more dramatic events such as the Ski Cross. I closed with a note on the controversies around the Winter Olympics and the Olympic movement at the moment, with its environmental impact and desire to bring the world together despite huge differences in societies.
Over the next week the annual parent survey will go out to all parents and I would ask that you complete it, as it will provide a clear steer to the leadership team on areas we need to focus on next term and next year. I am very keen to hear your views.
Next week is Children’s Mental Health Week. To give the children ideas for how to look after their mental health, Years 1 to 8 are having mindfulness sessions (from a trained mindfulness coach) on Monday and Tuesday. In their circle time and tutor time, pupils will be focussing on the theme for this year which is ‘Growing Together’, as well as discussing other ideas for maintaining good mental health. Tuesday also marks Safer Internet Day and Mr Jefferies and Mr White (our e-safety leads) will be hosting prep assemblies on the national theme of ‘All Fun and Games?’ which explores respect and relationships online. The week will be rounded off with assemblies on Friday where we will reflect on the importance of looking after ourselves and each other and having open and honest conversations about our mental health.
Neatly segueing onto a crucial element of our mental health I have particularly enjoyed our new Catering Manager’s food this week, her lasagne was streets on anything I normally cook! She is experimenting with the menu, with Moroccan Lamb due next week. Importantly, and following your feedback, she is going to evolve the 4.00pm snack to include toast so that those who are particularly hungry will be able to supplement the snack available. This is what would be offered at a senior school at this time of day.
Have a very good weekend
Edward Bond
Headmaster