For our World Book Day celebrations, we welcomed back the author and storyteller Adam Bushnell, an old friend of the school. Adam is best described as a force of nature, and utterly captivated every group he worked with, from our very youngest to our oldest pupils. The celebrations culminated in a storytelling workshop for Middle and Upper School in the Hall, the first such gathering for two years. Small groups featuring pupils from the different year groups invented their own stories and acted them out, with some really imaginative results. A great way to end the week!
Mr Henderson led Thursday’s Assembly, combining World Book Day and the important topic of Diversity. He showed a video from Brighton’s Afrori bookshop, which is devoted to Black authors. He then handed over to Dorothy Koomson, best selling author and St Christopher’s parent, who talked about her inspiration and her road to becoming an author. Her key message was reading, and plenty of it!
A love of books is such an important part of growing up, and indeed of later life. Thursday was a DEAR Day, where we Drop Everything And Read at regular stages of the working day, even at Games. It is inspiring to see the array of different authors and topics popular across the school, from classic stories I remember from my own childhood to the wealth of new and exciting authors for children and teenagers. As you may have noticed from recent emails, I have asked our staff to list their current reading matter. I hope this also makes interesting reading as you learn more about all of us in the St Christopher’s community.
Elsewhere this week, Normality (remember it?) crept back into school life. Mixed groups of children played on the playground before school, the screens are down from the lunch tables, and the self service salad bar is back to much delight. Perhaps the most heartwarming return was Buddy Time, where our oldest children get to mentor (and have lots of fun with) the younger ones.
Another welcome return will be our forthcoming Spring Fair on Saturday 19th March. I hope this date is firmly in your diary as it is going to be a really fun event for all the family. The PA are looking for help on the morning so, if you can spare a bit of time, it would be wonderful. This is a whole school event and is the main PA fundraiser of the year, and they cannot do it without you! Jackie Sayers, our wonderful caretaker, is ready to receive donations of pre-loved children’s books, toys, and games at the Gate from Monday. The House Jam Jar Competition for the Children’s Tombola also gets underway from Monday.
In uncertain times elsewhere, it is wonderful to see so much of the traditional routine of school life returning, with everyone appreciating it perhaps that little bit more given the events of the past two years.
Ms Elizabeth Lyle, Head