The final weeks of Prep school life hold a mixture of emotions for those who are about to move on. On Monday we welcomed new staff and new pupils and shared with our existing pupils a glimpse of what next year will be like. Children met their form teachers, went to their new rooms and tasted some of the curriculum they might follow next year. Transition is such an important process and recognising the challenges and the opportunities is part of making sure that it will work brilliantly. I’m grateful to all my colleagues for the extra things they did to support this day which is a complex and vital part of the school year.
Over the last few weeks each music teacher has presented a concert by the pupils they teach. I’ve been lucky enough to have been to quite a few and there is nothing more joyful then seeing the progress made in one year by each student and the pleasure they and their parents derive from this.
Against a backdrop of a ABRSM exams, the final matches have been played, the final rehearsals for next week’s concert have almost all taken place (see you on Sunday), the final assessments and lessons in subjects have happened and the final communion service in chapel was this morning. I hope that all pupils who return to St Michael’s will gravitate to that sacred space, perhaps to collect their thoughts or remember people they knew.
Next week we shall be mailing out end of year reports to families on Tuesday. I hope you will welcome the chance to read these before we all depart for the summer holidays and if you haven’t already discussed significant content with your child’s teacher there will be an opportunity to catch them and do so before you stop and rest.
I’m very much looking forward to the three significant events that showcase what St Michael’s can do; our end of term summer concert including Vivaldi “Gloria”, the Pre-Prep production and Prize Giving with all its buzz and our end of year Prize-Giving celebration on Wednesday evening.
By the time you read this we shall have completed Prep Sports Day and we will be about to stay up all night at the annual camp out! From the number of bookings we have taken for this event it will be the biggest ever so we feel combining this with sports day has been a good decision.
I look forward to seeing all of you over the many fantastic events yet to come this term and as you clap, spare a thought for the man hours that went into them!
Have a great weekend.
Jill Aisher