Head’s Blog 14th December 2018 Friday 14th December 2018

After the extraordinary celebratory week of performances in Pre-Prep and Prep last week and the spectacular, delicious and fun Christmas lunch, prepared with great joy and skill by Mark and the catering team, this week we prepared for our carol service on Thursday. I congratulate all the children who were involved, the community choir, Gordon Baird and his brilliant peri team. It was an incredible privilege to be a part of it. At that service we were invited to focus on the essential reasons for celebrating Christmas.

It’s very easy in our busy lives to cohabit with our family without actually connecting much. Christmas is a time when hopefully you and your families will be able to get together, whether in church, around the dinner table, in silly games or on Skype or FaceTime. Of course there is a balancing act between rushing around in order to see people, and having the space and time to talk deeply and understand the lives of our families and friends. For some, Christmas marks a period of tension or sadness, remembering people who have died this year and are missed or who through distance cannot join in, or people who are separated where the family unit is changing, breaking down or perhaps adding new members. Whatever your experience of Christmas will be, I hold each and every family at St Michael’s in my prayers this season.

It is easy for parents to feel a sense of obligation to fulfil the expectations of society, TV adverts and perhaps indeed your own children. I would encourage you to construct and define a proportionate response to what can become a “silly season”.

Listening, connecting, sharing, walking, caring for one another and the world, learning, taking notice, exchanging, these are some of the important activities which I hope you will enjoy.

As we gathered together on Thursday evening to enjoy some remarkable, moving and glorious music, learn about customs and traditions from around the world and remember the tiny baby Jesus who sparks this whole celebration, I hope we also rejoiced in the gift of our own children and those we work with at school. Precious lives who with the right nurturing and education, will grow up and make the world a better place.

Jill Aisher

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Pupils give magical performances in music concerts

Prep pupils treated classmates and music teachers to a variety of musical performances this week in their half termly concert.

Performed in three instalments within their bubbles, the musicians showcased a variety of pieces, varying in both genre and instrument.

And although parents were unable to attend the concerts due to Covid-19 restrictions, the pupils’ families received a recording of the event.

Gordon Baird, Director of Music, said “We were delighted by how these first concerts of the academic year went despite the absence of the children’s parents. It was a lovely intimate experience for the children to play or sing to their friends and we heard some confident, accomplished performances.

Mr Baird added: “For some, it was their first time playing in a concert in the Prep school and we look forward to organising many more opportunities for them to perform throughout the year.”

A montage of the three music concerts can be found on the St Michael’s YouTube page at https://youtu.be/Bj_Wx4P9heg.

Pupils make a spooky guess

Spooky spiders and plump pumpkins sparked Halloween fun at St Michael’s this week.

Supported by the school’s Parents and Friends association, pupils enjoyed two games which offered great prizes to winners.

Coordinator of the Halloween competitions and P & F committee member, Kelly Downey said: “Given the restrictions currently in place, the P&F are focusing on strengthening the school community for parents and children this year.

“The competitions are a simple way for the children to have some fun in the week before half term, while raising some funds for the P&F.”

Children in Pre-Prep were tasked with guessing the number of spooky spiders in the jar, while Prep children were asked to guess the weight of a pumpkin. Pupils made a donations to the P & F in exchange for each guess they made.

And the winners of the games, Herbie W (Pre-Prep) A Ward, M Little, L Lutzow and H Owen (Prep), were awarded Halloween hampers which will help them celebrate this year’s festival in spooktacular style.

Kelly added: “The funds raised for the P&F will go towards funding activities and facilities for the children to enrich their time at the school.”

For more information about St Michael’s P & F association visit stmichaels.kent.sch.uk/parents-friends

Pupils give thanks in harvest celebrations

Strawberries and sunflowers were just some of the items celebrated in last week’s harvest assemblies.

The annual Pre-Prep event, performed as three instalments this year, saw Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils sing, dance and give prayer for the harvest while learning about the festival from their music teacher, Mrs Raveyeh.

Reflecting on the success of the events, Louise Raveyeh said: “I am quite moved by the children’s enthusiastic singing in our harvest celebration.

“It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to realise that there is joy in giving and sharing what we have and happiness for those who gratefully receive it.

“Their singing and eagerness to share with others was heartwarming.”

During the assemblies pupils sung songs about harvest time, nature and the variety of fruit and vegetables grown in this country.

Louise said: “I wanted the children to be thankful for what they have by realising what an amazing rainbow variety of food we have, created with individual characteristics just like them.

“I wanted them to realise the sense of joy that there is in sharing what we have.

“The songs reflect our celebration of what we have and realisation of the process of planting, harvesting and sharing.”

And it wasn’t just songs that helped the children express their thanks. Helped by their generous parents, Pre-Prep donated hundreds of food items and household essentials to the Swanley branch of Trussell Trust food bank.

Head of Pre-Prep at St Michael’s, Zerrin Leech, said: “We had tables, cupboards and bags festooned with food last week as our families gave very kind donations of food and other items.

“A huge thank you must go to the pupils’ parents for their wonderful generosity once again this year which will be gratefully received by the Trussell Trust.

“Thank you also to Mrs Ravayeh for leading our three harvest assemblies. They have been lovely with lots of new songs as well as my all-time favourite, Cauliflowers Fluffy.”

Year 7 celebrate start of term with sunset BBQ

Sunsets and sizzling sausages set the tone for the new term last Friday as Year 7 pupils celebrated the start of their senior education journey.

The annual event, traditionally held as a Camp Out, was delivered as a fun-filled barbecue night which the children enjoyed with teachers including St Michael’s Acting Head, Mrs Bridges.

Throughout the evening pupils tucked into dinner cooked by Deputy Head Mr Wiseman, and toasted marshmallows on an open fire.

And to make use of their new term energy, games and group bonding activites were carried out, followed by a walk up the school’s famous Warren where the sunset was relished in all of its glory.

Reflecting on the sucess of the event, Head of Year 7 and 8, Mrs Shield, said: “Unfortunately, we were unable to camp this year, but that did not dampen anybody’s spirits.

“One of the highlights of the evening was our twilight walk to the top of the Warren where we marvelled at the beautiful site that our school occupies.

“We viewed the bats swirling the skies in the dusk of late summer and ended the evening with a well-deserved hot chocolate – not forgetting the squirty cream and yet more marshmallows.

“Life-long friendships were made and re-established after the long summer break.”