Our Harvest Festival Assembly and following collection demonstrated this in superb fashion. Thank you for the wonderful array of goodies provided. It has been the most difficult of challenges to resist the tempting packets of jammy dodgers that have dared me throughout the week! Our boys have shown their awareness and responsibility as citizens to think, care and help others. Year 6 certainly enjoyed the chance to join in with the Harvest Samba song again. Well done to all the boys who responded so positively to Mrs Stevenson’s promptings. The One Can Trust will also be delighted with our provisions and it is good to continue to work loyally with this charity. The foundations from this relationship were established by the boys themselves. Another great example of how we involve, respond and respect our boys' opinions.

We are continuing to develop the theme of personal responsibility as one, two or ten items of clothing seem to be left behind on the playground on a daily basis. It is perhaps then a prudent time to remind boys to come to school with enough clothing for the weather. Tracksuit trousers can be worn and removed for games and a school jumper/sweatshirt (available at Goyals) is a must every day as well as a coat. The return of a hot lunch option after half term will help our centurions march onwards devouring all learning opportunities in the afternoons after half term. Our rooms though will remain well ventilated so please do have enough layers.

Pleasingly our House disk scoreboard has now got a coloured layer on each pole and further team and individual successes were celebrated this week. House disks have been awarded in both Soccer and Handwriting. The boys are always very proud of and loyal to their House and they will tell you the victors which were announced in this afternoon’s Celebration Assembly. The boys certainly played each match like a World Cup Final and the Handwriting was tackled with a developing enthusiasm! The staff competition was also keenly fought and despite the Headmaster’s best effort to guide the voting (it took me seven efforts not to make a mistake!) The House Captains’ integrity remained intact and a worthy winner was selected. Well done Mrs Nott and thank you to Mrs Vine and the Sports Department for the organisation of healthy and safe competition.

Please may I take the opportunity to thank all parents for being so respectful and responsible during collection and drop offs. I hope I have not jinxed the end of term but the new system continues to be swift, efficient and so much calmer. No bumps either! My colleagues’ work involved in the dismissal at the end of the day is also hugely appreciated. Those high vis jackets are just so stylish.

Whilst we hope that we will not see a circuit break or a local lockdown we have prepared  just in case. School will continue seamlessly using Google Classroom (Mrs Hankin will contact Reception parents via email). Their regular timetables of academic lessons will be followed with teachers preparing bespoke online material with a mixture of live and pre prepared lessons. We have sent the boys home in Year 1 and 2 with their chromebook and chargers and all the older boys should be very independent now with these. I have taken the opportunity to remind the boys today about their integrity and  staying safe when using these tools and especially mindful of always being kind. If ‘Hangouts’ become an issue we will act swiftly. Remember boys, do ask permission to use the internet first and do so with an adult present. 

I also announced in assembly today my ‘Headmaster’s Half-term Challenges’

• Five House Points are available to any boy who reads five books or more during the holiday (You have to send Mrs Flood our fantastic librarian the list of titles to qualify). 

• There will also be prizes awarded for the best photographs of them reading in an unusual place. It will make a great display as we embark on a library/4W room reshuffle.  Please send Mrs Flood the photographs DAF@clairescourt.net 

We look forward to seeing you after half term and hope that a mixture of respecting guidelines and staying responsible will see us all safe and well.

Have a sensational half term.