To say this has been a busy week would be an understatement. We kicked off on Sunday with a really fun and brilliantly organised day with circus and side stalls, including the very tempting stall from the International Club with cakes and desserts from around the world, traditional BBQ and other delicious food and lots of fun side stalls and inflatables, all organised by the terrific P&F, to whom many congratulations and thanks from everyone who attended.
Highlights for me were the atmosphere of the day, which was big on family fun and the wonderful duo working on the high ropes doing what can only be described as airborne ballet, which was both intimate and powerful.
With the permission of Happy’s Circus I gaily tweeted some little extracts so you can see just a glimpse of what happened.
Congratulations in particular to Oliver, Daisy, Jo, Tracey, Anna-Marie and the whole team of planners and doers and clearer uppers!
Over the weekend we were delighted to learn that E Powell, Year 7, who only started playing hockey when she joined St Michael’s in Year 6, was part of the Sevenoaks team to become National Champions. We were also really delighted to learn that a painting submitted by the school to the National IAPS art competition won first prize for E Schwark in the Year3 & 4 category. Click here to see our full articles in our News section
On Tuesday evening we celebrated in style the achievements of our scholars, present and future as they embark on the pathway towards what we hope will be scholarships into their senior schools. The combination of inspiring motivational speaking by Gavin Henry, Head of Drama at Sevenoaks School and our own leaving scholars, followed by delicious curry and cheesecake (not simultaneously!), the great company of parents, scholars and colleagues who joined us and of course the meticulous organisation of Mary Bridges made for a wonderful evening of celebration and happiness. Thank you to Mark and his team for all the extra work, to Mary, to Gavin and every child and adult who came and celebrated with us.
Tonight we have experienced the extravaganza that is the summer concert! I was proud of every performance and it is wonderful to showcase so much great ensemble work. It’s a huge thing to have such a strong team who enjoy each other’s company and who go the extra mile almost every day to help us to put on concerts like this. It certainly felt good to be a tiny part of it for the first time and I’m sure everybody who was doing that for the first time felt, as I did, something very special is happening. The repertoire, ranging from sacred to very secular and a bit cheeky, included some fine individual performances as well as much teamwork and joy. Congratulations to Gordon, Emily and Emily, Jack, Jacob, Debbie, Jackie, Rob and thanks and congratulations to every child who took part.
As we race towards half-term and the football tournaments that many children are going on over the bank holiday weekend, it was nice to be outside for much of Friday enjoying the Pre-Prep school sports day. To those of you who were able to join us, thank you for taking the time to come. It means such a lot to the children to have a supporter there with them. Congratulations to Jenni Rawlinson and all the team in Pre-Prep. It was a great occasion.
So many of the elements of this week have had the common theme that is our motto: perseverance, wisdom and gratitude. I am always moved to see the energy and commitment with which children sing, run or perform.
For some of our pupils, this half-term is the final push towards their important exams and to all our Year 8, as they face the last focus on revision, I wish you a pleasant week with a good balance of working, studying & learning and some relaxing.
Friday in Prep finished with a day’s fundraising for the charity Our Kids, working to support children and young adults in Bosnia Herzegovina https://ourkidsfoundation.org/ and a wonderfully prepared and witty assembly from 3C on all things Egyptian.
As you help your children switch off this week may the sun shine where you are. Enjoy…
Jill Aisher