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This Week at St Faith’s

St Faith’s Summer Concert – A Glorious Evening of Music and Celebration

Hot on the heals of Last Friday’s Sports Day, on Monday evening we hosted the Summer Music Concert. Mr Gorick, Director of Music writes,

“As the warm glow of an early summer’s evening bathed Ashburton Hall, St Faith’s was alive with music. Packed to the rafters, Ashburton Hall bore witness to an unforgettable evening, where happy, talented children shared their gift of music with an appreciative audience.

From the sublime harmonies and sonorities of Pergolesi’s achingly beautiful Stabat Mater to the exhilarating chaos of the Percussion Ensemble’s Drumming Mayhem, the concert was a celebration of musical brilliance in all its forms. Whether it was the soaring melodies of the Fidelian Brass, the dynamic improvised rhythms of the Jazz Band, or the delicate interplay of strings and woodwind, each performance reflected the dedication and passion of our young musicians. The evening featured an impressive programme, from classical to contemporary, each piece was performed with energy, skill, and heart.

The extraordinary success of St Faith’s Summer Concert would not have been possible without the skill, dedication, and artistry of our ensemble leaders. Brilliant teachers and professional musicians in their own right, they bring a wealth of experience, passion, and mentorship to our young performers, inspiring them to achieve excellence while nurturing their love for music. Under their expert guidance, each ensemble was shaped into a cohesive and expressive musical force. Their ability to draw out the best in every child, encouraging confidence and creativity, was evident in every note played and every harmony sung.

Music is more than just performance—it is a journey, and our ensemble leaders have been remarkable guides. Their commitment to fostering a culture of collaboration and joy ensures that music-making at St Faith’s is not just about technical skill, but about connection, expression, and shared passion. We extend our deepest gratitude to them for their unwavering support and inspiration. Their influence will undoubtedly resonate in the musical journeys of Fidelian children for years to come.

We bid a sad, but fond farewell to our departing musicians, who have become pillars of music-making at St Faith’s, and hope they take wonderful musical memories with them as they continue their journeys. We are most grateful to them for their musicianship as well as their dedication and commitment to the Music Department during their time at St Faith’s. We hope you will keep us informed of your continued musical journeys.

Music is meant to be shared—to bring joy, comfort, and connection. In a fast-paced world, it is something inherently good that deserves to be cherished, and St Faith’s ensures that this spirit remains strong. It was truly a concert to remember—a celebration of music, togetherness, and the enduring joy of making and sharing it.” For a list of the concert programme, please see the side bar.

Young Musicians Shine in ABRSM Success

Staying with music, the sound of success is ringing through our school as we celebrate the incredible achievements of our talented musicians in their recent ABRSM examinations. Mr Gorick continues:

“With success earned across various instruments, including voice, and at various grades, our pupils have demonstrated exceptional skill, dedication, and passion for their craft.

The ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) exams are recognised as a highly prestigious benchmark for musical excellence. It is truly inspiring to see our pupils rise to the challenge and perform at such a high level. These results reflect countless hours of practice, the guidance of dedicated teachers, and the unwavering support of families who encourage these young musicians every step of the way. Whether mastering intricate piano pieces, soaring through violin melodies, or bringing the joy of music to life through voice, our pupils have shown remarkable talent and perseverance. A huge congratulations to all who participated! Your hard work and commitment to music continue to make our school proud. Keep playing, keep learning, and most importantly, keep enjoying the wonderful world of music.”

Cyberbullying and Internet Safety

At St Faith’s, we are committed to nurturing not only the academic growth of our pupils but also their emotional and social wellbeing. This week in our assemblies arranged by year groups, we addressed the topic ‘Cyberbullying and online safety’. Cyberbullying is defined as the use of technology—such as phones, social media, and messaging platforms—to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. This can take many forms, including unkind or harmful texts, posts, or messages, online threats and sharing personal information, images, or videos to cause harm. The assembly encouraged pupils to reflect on how such behaviour can deeply affect someone’s life. Feelings of isolation, confusion, sadness, and anger are common, and the impact of cyberbullying can extend to physical symptoms, changes in sleep and appetite, and even academic performance.

We also discussed the warning signs that someone might be experiencing cyberbullying, which include appearing upset or withdrawn, becoming secretive about online activity, avoiding social situations, complaining of headaches or stomach aches and losing interest in hobbies or struggling to sleep.

To bring these issues to life, the older pupils watched the powerful video Let’s Fight It Together, which explores the real-world consequences of online bullying and the importance of speaking out. At St Faith’s, we believe that education is the first step in prevention. By fostering open conversations and equipping our pupils with the tools to recognise and respond to cyberbullying, we aim to create a safe and supportive environment for all, where kindness and respect—online and offline—are the expectation of every person. We encourage parents to continue these conversations at home.

Hedingham Castle

Miss King writes,

“On Tuesday, Year 1 enjoyed a fantastic trip to Hedingham Castle, where we stepped back in time to explore what life was like in medieval times. The day was packed with exciting activities and learning. We discovered the different parts of a castle, including the keep, arrow slits, and drawbridge. It was amazing to walk through such an old and important building! We also met a Knight who spoke to us about his armour. An archer at the castle taught us how bows and arrows were made. We also got to listen to the kinds of instruments medieval musicians would have played and even tried some medieval dancing. The sounds were very different from today’s music but just as fun! To top it all off, we learned the basics of jousting (pretend, of course!). Everyone enjoyed imagining what it would have been like to be a knight riding into a tournament. The children were excellent ambassadors for our school and it was a brilliant day full of fun and learning.”

Sports Day and Pre Prep Fun Day

As reported in last week’s newsletter, last Friday we held our Sports Day for pupils in Years 3-8 at the University of Cambridge athletics track on Wilberforce Road. The event is always one of the highlights of the school calendar, bringing together our school community. The weather was extremely kind to us with the races taking place under blue skies throughout the whole day. Meanwhile the Pre Prep children, who have already had their own Sports Day slightly earlier in the term, enjoyed a “Fun Day” making full use of the school campus. I do hope that you will enjoy browsing through this sample of some of the photos taken on the day.

New ‘Buddies’

Mrs Clarke writes,

“This week, our Year 2 children have had a wonderful time meeting the Year 7 pupils – soon to be their buddies! They shared story books, chatted about all things Prep, and began building the first bonds of a special friendship.”

Move-up Morning

On Thursday pupils across the school were involved in ‘Move-up’ morning, which is when the children meet their Tutor for the forthcoming academic year, as well as having the opportunity to visit their new classroom. We began our Move-up morning with an assembly in which we explored the benefits of ‘being prepared’, a phrase used by the Scouts as their motto. We considered about being prepared in mind and in body, and how this can help us to be “our best selves,” a goal to which we strive at St Faith’s. It was a pleasure to welcome many of the new pupils along with their parents and we look forward to them joining in September.

Talk from Lower Sixth pupils at The Leys

On Thursday afternoon, seven Lower Sixth pupils from The Leys came to St Faith’s to speak to our Year 8 pupils who are moving on to The Leys, about the transition. The senior school pupils talked through a range of topics, gave excellent advice about how our pupils should approach Year 9 and then answered many questions. We thoroughly enjoyed hosting The Leys students, all of whom were Old Fidelians and in turn they clearly relished the opportunity of returning to St Faith’s, meeting with our Year 8 pupils and chatting with former teachers.

Speech and Drama Tea Time Recital

Miss Tucker writes,

“A wealth of talent was on display last Tuesday as parents joined us in Ashburton hall to watch a wonderful concert of work by some of our Speech and Drama pupils.

We saw our Yr. 3’s reading fluently and animatedly from their favourite books, sharing amusing poetry recitals, talks on favourite book characters, and a variety of solo and acting scenes which culminated in thought- provoking and moving performances from our Yr. 8 pupils. Speech and Drama pupils have been working towards a variety of exams ranging from Public Speaking, Reading for Performance, Mime, Acting and Devised Drama that began last Thursday and culminate today. We wish our pupils the very best of luck and we look forward to receiving the results!”

Newton Charity Event

The importance of spending time outside and the benefits for both our mental and physical health, are well known. Promoting this the pupils from Newton House have organised various exciting outdoor events this week for pupils in Years 3-8.

Art Fun Club

Mrs Scott writes,

“In Art Fun Club our pupils made moonscape pictures depicting rabbit or hares in the night. Some of these were given to their fathers as Father’s Day gifts. We have enjoyed a great year in Art Fun.”

And Finally…

With our Year 8 pupils departing for Rome and the Bay of Naples early Saturday morning, and our Goblins racing team heading to their second event of the season at the Ford Dunton Technical Centre in Essex, it will be a busy weekend for many of our families. We wish everyone a safe journey, as we do for the Year 7 and Year 6 pupils who will depart for their residential trips to Spain and Kinver, Shropshire respectively on Monday.

Next week is our ‘Enrichment Week’, and in addition to the three residential trips scheduled, pupils staying at St Faith’s will engage in an exciting variety of wider curricular studies and activities, to broaden their experiences and expand their knowledge. It promises to be a busy and enriching time. Before then I wish you and your families a happy and relaxing weekend, enjoying this very fine summer weather, while also finding a way to stay cool!

With all best wishes,

Crispin Hyde-Dunn