As we embark on the final stretch of the academic year, there are still many special occasions to look forward to, so please do keep a close eye on the school calendar over the next few weeks. In this week alone, we have had a mock general election (won by the Green Party), Pre Prep Sports Day, a Speech and Drama showcase, a limerick competition, the Junior Concert, the Eastern Region Athletics Championships and the first race of the season for the Green Goblin Racing Car Team. To be honest, I think the event that created the most excitement was the Eco Committee’s ice cream sale on Wednesday, even though the weather wasn’t particularly conducive to eating ice creams, but that didn’t seem to bother anyone.
Pre Prep Sports Day
It is at this point that I feel like apologising for the weather. As you know, Tuesday was a wash-out so to our great disappointment, and the inconvenience of many families, Pre Prep Sports Day was postponed to Wednesday morning when the sun had reappeared. Despite this, mass participation, coordinated cheering and a host of ingenious races made for a most entertaining and convivial occasion. It was lovely to see everyone smiling and clapping on a sunny morning full of sprints and fun activities, including a new 200m race around the whole track for the Year 2s, which the children completed with great gusto. As usual, the mothers’ and fathers’ relay races attracted a splendid number of entrants with a wonderful array of sprinting styles and random baton changes, creating a flourishing finalé to a morning supremely well organised by the Pre Prep staff. As I watched the races I talked to many of the Year 8 helpers, who spoke fondly of their Pre Prep Sports Days. All of them could remember the team they were in and the events they took part in, including one young man who thought the highlight of his athletics career, so far, was being appointed as captain of the Flying Fish team, when he was in Year 2. My sincere thanks to Mrs Smith and the Pre Prep staff and specifically Mrs Gaastra and Mrs North for all their work in organising this lovely occasion.
A reminder that Sports Day for Years 3-8 is at the Cambridge University Athletics Track, Wilberforce Road, next Friday. Parents of pupils in these year groups were sent a schoolcoms message that provides details of the event, and will be sent a programme of events on Wednesday. As usual, we will have our fingers crossed for fine weather so that all the children can enjoy a great day of athletics.
Green Goblins
On Wednesday, we took two cars to Norwich for the first Green Goblin race day of the season. As usual, it was a full-on day of drag races and slalom events which involved over 40 cars. Our pupils were also assessed on how they made the car and how well they could explain the engineering behind the design, both verbally and through their written portfolio. It proved to be a most successful and enjoyable day and the cars are now back in our engineering workshop, ready to be fine-tuned for the next day of races.
Junior Concert
This afternoon all pupils in Years 3 and 4 performed in the Junior Concert, a most entertaining occasion with a wide range of music, from percussion, string and brass ensembles to choirs and instrumental soloists. Mr Gorick and his colleagues created a relaxed feel to the concert and it was clear that the children thoroughly enjoyed the experience of performing to their parents, grand-parents and staff. It is a big moment for a small person to play or sing in public, particularly for the soloists, but I am delighted to say that our young musicians rose to the occasion and there were plenty of proud parents and staff as we enjoyed tea afterwards.
Sport and SFPA
This weekend our pupils will be competing in the IAPS Triathlon Championships at Dulwich College and an inter-school gym competition hosted by Mr and Mrs North here at St Faith’s. I wish our competitors every success.
I look forward to seeing many of you at the SFPA Summer Party at the Doubletree by Hilton on Saturday evening. We are expecting over 200 people so it should be a great night and a chance to let our hair down, so to speak, away from the school campus.
With all good wishes,
Nigel Helliwell
