Christmas Cheer

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It has been a privilege to be able to see the outstanding performances in last week's concerts, and I am greatly looking forward to the Carol Services in the next two days. Please do come along this evening, to house receptions at 6.30pm and then the Service in Chapel at 7.30pm. The choir has been rehearsing and is sounding fabulous, so what better way to get into the Christmas spirit?

I would also like to give my thanks to everyone who has supported our Project Christmas Cheer charity initiative this term, with well over 100 boxes of gifts being sent down to the Felsted Mission, to be distributed to families who might otherwise not have anything special for Christmas. The pupils have been impressive in getting behind this, but I know that many parents will also have been helping behind the scenes.

 

 

I am sorry that we are not able to give you a name for the next Head, but I look forward to making the news public in the New Year. We are also looking forward to giving you more information about the various new initiatives that have been under discussion in January when there will be more news about Pre-Reception, Sixth Form pathways and Key Stage 3.  

Last week, I trailed the possibility of the Under 15b rugby team completing their season with 100% wins, and I am delighted to report that they achieved this with their ninth straight win on Saturday. This is a fantastic achievement for any team, and it has been great to see the boys playing with such pride and commitment, even when they have lost a few players to illness in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the girls sport has been equally impressive with the U14 hockey side beating Stowe 6-3 to take their cup run into next year, and both U15 and U18 netball teams enjoying superb cup results in the last week. Much to look forward to next year.  

It has been a long term, and it is very important that everyone gets some rest in the weeks ahead. I have also asked the pupils to remember to be helpful at home and to focus on doing things for others. We have been talking about the Wild Dogs in the most recent David Attenborough documentary, and how the pack goes slowly to help out Flint, who lost a leg in a poacher's trap, but Flint repays their kindness by looking after the puppies while the others are out hunting (BBC One - Flint: The three-legged wild dog). I think that we could all be a bit more Flint or a bit more Wild Dog at this time of year [although there is a PG warning - the story does not end well for Flint!].

For the Upper Sixth, of course the coming weeks need to include a substantial commitment to their studies. With mock exams as soon as we get back (Tuesday for IB and Wednesday for A Level), there is a lot to do to be properly prepared. Revising well at this stage does not just mean better mock results, it also means that information is put down in long term memory, so when revision continues for the real exams, there will be a much stronger foundation to build on.  

Whatever the coming holiday brings you, I hope that it includes peace and happiness, that you can have quality time with friends and family, and that you can reflect on the message of hope that will be told to us in Chapel at the Carol Services, and has been told around the world for more than 2,000 years now.

Chris