Half Term is nearly upon us, and Year 8 are aware that as the summer days grow ever longer, their time with us gets shorter. There are a number of events over the coming weeks that will enable us to celebrate this fine group of young people. The first of these takes place next Thursday, when we hold a church service at St Philip’s for Middle and Upper School, to which parents are warmly invited. Our Summer Term service has traditionally taken its message from the legend of St Christopher, who showed faith and courage making a difficult journey. There is a message for us all here, and one that I will reflect upon further at the service itself. I hope to see many of you there.
A consequence of the Year 8s preparing to move on is that we look to the Year 7s to take on the leadership roles next year. Very soon, I will be asking Year 7 children to apply in writing for positions such as Head of School, House Captain, Sports Captain, Prefect, and a number of new roles next year. This is a process that forms an important part of life, and I feel it is a valuable experience for the children to practise. Such processes come with disappointments for some, but dealing with setbacks using a growth mindset is at the heart of our ethos at St Christopher’s. Those who hesitate to apply for fear of being disappointed should see the importance of making leaps of faith in life. Year 7 parents will have received an email this week explaining the process.
This has been another splendid week for the Arts. Year 3 are in the final rehearsals for their performance of School of Rock next week; our musical soloists have been practising their pieces for church next week; and there was a glorious day on the beach for 8H creating pastel seascapes from life. In a week when exams have loomed for many of our older children, finding time to be creative is more important than ever.