I am used to St Christopher’s being alive with action and sounds, with laughter on the playground, activities in lessons, choirs rehearsing, and music coming from the practice rooms upstairs. Even the sound of feet in the corridor is comforting in its regular rhythm between lessons. But school has been very empty for much of this week, and strangely quiet as a result.
Each year, in order to give our Year 8 Common Entrance class a calm and quiet environment as they sit their final exams, we arrange as many trips as possible for the other year groups, and this explains the silences. Everyone else was off somewhere off site having fun! At one stage, only Year 8 were actually on the school sites, as Pre-Prep took a trip to the beach whilst other year groups were on their residential or day visits. Trips away from school are a vital part of learning new skills, and include plenty of time for fun and interacting together in new environments. Everyone comes back having done something new, learnt something about themself, and with memories to look back on with great fondness.
By the time this Newsletter goes live, Year 7 will hopefully be back this side of the Channel, and making their way home from their adventures at the Chateau du Broutel. They have already shared lots of pictures and news of their adventures and there will be a full report next week. Years 5 and 6 departed for Oakwood Outdoor Centre on Wednesday, and arrived back earlier this afternoon, again with more detail to follow next week. With all of their exams finally over, Year 8 headed off first thing this morning for their Leavers’ Camping Trip to Dorset, with a chance to create some more great memories of their time at St Christopher’s as they prepare to move on to senior school.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, with lots of stories from the trips and adventures this week.
Ms Elizabeth Lyle, Head