No current pupil or parent at St Michael’s can be unaware of the fantastic news of Lizzy Yarnold’s second gold at the Winter Olympics. We tweeted a congratulatory video message for her and have been delighted that parents have joined in and liked our tweets.
We keep everything crossed for Tom Bosworth this weekend as he takes part in the IAAF Glasgow Indoor Championships race walk on Sunday afternoon. Coverage is on BBC2 at 2.45pm. Everyone at St Michael’s is wishing him the very best of luck.
This week has been extremely busy and I’m sorry if there are those among you awaiting a response to an email from me. It will happen!
I enjoyed meeting Year 6 for lunch on Tuesday. They were reflective and positive and honest and open; all qualities we strive to encourage here. Meeting the Year 6 Parent Reps on Thursday was also enjoyable and helpful.
In Prep this week I talked to the children about different forms of online attention. We thought about different scenarios, where children receive attention online, in order to distinguish between healthy attention and “bad” attention. Some children may choose to take up my challenge to write a poem, that might help other children to remember what behaviours encourage good attention online. Do ask them to tell you what they learnt.
The digital leaders’ trip to the Apple Store this week was a great success and they came back enthused from their training session with the Apple educators.
Next week we are holding an information evening on Wednesday for anyone interested in learning more about our plans to change the Year 7 & 8 curriculum, now that Common Entrance is no longer a requirement for entry into the top schools.
We had a good clutch of scholarship announcements from senior schools just before half term and whilst not all of these will be accepted we very much look forward to publishing our scholarship results when acceptances are confirmed later this month.
In Pre-Prep this morning we looked at the symbolism of our school crest and its relationship to the name of the school. Well done to Millie and Priya for asking for this assembly when they were in Reception.
There has been a good deal of talk about guns in schools, inevitably fuelled by President Trump’s suggestions this week. Arthur in Year 4 engaged me in some great debate on the subject yesterday at lunch with his friends and earnestly told me that in the States children get shot in schools because anyone can buy a gun. However, English children don’t get shot in schools because we have strict gun laws; he drew his strong and well-argued conclusion from these facts. I was surprised and pleased at the level of debate, justification, interest and insight and frankly very impressed. All our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this terrible tragedy which we all believe could and should have been prevented. Our own lockdown procedures are now almost ready to share and to hold a drill for and I am only sad that we live in times where preparation for such events is now a part of every school calendar.
Excitement is building as the weekend approaches for many children in Prep, who will be attending the disco tonight. As a child myself, the Christmas party dance was my favourite day of the year and I look forward to our young people letting their hair down and having a lot of fun. This weekend, while Miss Booth has her Aerobathon at school, Mrs Bridges and I and I’m sure many of you will be attending the Dance Act show at the Stag theatre in which many St Michael’s pupils will be performing.
Whatever you are doing this weekend have fun and enjoy the sunshine before the big freeze next week.
Jill Aisher