This short holiday is a great time to pause, reflect, and rest after a busy half term. I hope you have a good rest and some fun with your children. I was delighted last Friday to be at the Year 2 bench ball tournament, which was very well-organised and very well-supported by parents. It was lovely to see the teamwork and a clear understanding of how to win and play well, even if the teamwork consisted of passing from boy to boy or a girl to girl! I was impressed by their throwing and catching skills and by the extent to which they looked for a place to play.
Friday evening’s drama duologue competition was another moment of great pleasure at St Michael’s, as parents gathered to watch and frankly marvel at the achievements of the pairs competing for the winners’ crystal trophy. Again, since last year, the children’s understanding has moved on about polish and preparation. It works well for the juniors to be present at the senior competition and understand how they might still further refine what they do. Judging and deciding the winners was an unenviable task and I would like to congratulate every single pair that participated. Hats off too, to the pupils who still attended, even though their own partner was unwell and they could not compete. You can read more in Mr Powell’s article later in this newsletter.
Enjoying performance seems to be the theme of the week and we have had many enthusiastic and delighted emails from parents who attended the Year 3&4 O2 trip on Monday night. Mr Wiseman did a good job tweeting photos and film as the day went along and it was interesting to learn from the Czerkawska family that film footage from Monday night, shared on Facebook, even made the TV news in South Africa because one of the songs was about rain in Africa which is currently very much needed
On Wednesday evening, The Ten, our a cappella choir, enjoyed a trip to Cadogan Hall with more than generous staff to pupil ratios, to a concert performed by The Sixteen and Harry Christophers; a veritable baroque feast, which included Vivaldi’s Gloria, which later on this year we shall be singing in our final end of year concert. Our pupils were the only children at the concert and drew comment from surrounding concertgoers because of their focus and clear enjoyment as well as exemplary behaviour. It was delightful that the conductor came out to meet our party briefly after the concert. You can see photos on my Twitter feed.
This weekend Year 6 will be receiving offers of places from many different schools and parents are free to call me on Monday or Tuesday when I shall be at work and available to talk things through. Our own scholarship results were mailed to families yesterday too and we look forward very much to a vibrant and successful Year 7 and 8 with, we hope, many of those currently in Year 6 staying on.
It was fun to have lunch with Year 5 on Tuesday and meet parent reps the following morning for coffee. I’m always pleased to talk about life in the school and get feedback from those living it. There is a great deal of positivity amongst them about their experience here and they are challenged to find something that they think should be better. Their candour, however, can help us to tweak small things here and there and clarify expectations when these are not being met, so it’s a vital part of a reflective process of self-evaluation.
Sometimes, when I meet parents, I am told things that are being discussed in the car park that are so far removed from the reality of school that it’s very difficult to understand how these rumours started. If you do hear anything that makes you worried or anxious about St Michael’s, please do come and check out with me whether what you’ve heard is true. Real partnership with parents lies at the heart of everything we do with your children and we listen and we change if people have good ideas that will make the school better.
This week’s fable was that if you want to go to Sevenoaks you have to leave St Michael’s. It is an extraordinary thought that this is a real concern for parents. It is not true. Over the last few years approximately one third of our cohort has left St Michael’s for Sevenoaks over two entry points and we have a very strong links with the school, whose own staff often place their children here. We have a governor from Sevenoaks School at all times on governing body and Sevenoaks School recommends St Michael’s to parents looking for places at schools, which will prepare them well for entry.
Today the school is unusually quiet as you all begin your half term and I and my colleagues set out to visit other schools to exchange ideas and develop our provision. I hope that you have a wonderful break and look forward to seeing you fresh-faced and raring to go on Monday 19th.
Jill Aisher
