As I write, there is a feature on the news showing that snow stopped play at Headingley Cricket Ground. In this country it is not uncommon for us to experience four seasons in one day and we did just that on Tuesday, as we returned for the summer term. However despite the later chill, it was great to see the Prep children so sunny at our first assembly of term. Pre-Prep were also on fine form on Friday morning, with their beautiful singing making my day.
Returning to School, we were all delighted to see the dining room looking fresh after the refurbishment. Please pop in and take a look. Many thanks to the Estates team for their hard work. Our new catering company, Holroyd Howe, have certainly come up trumps – the children have been singing their praises, relishing their sensational snacks and healthy, nourishing lunches.
Year 6 started their final term working on a major STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) project with Hi Impact Consultancy. Aiming to launch a balloon into space, they have used a wide variety of skills that made them think outside the box. They have engaged with Dr Croft, an astronomer, speaking all the way from California, obtained flight permission from Air Traffic Control and travelled to Welshpool for the launch. We look forward to sharing the video of the whole space journey celebrating this ground-breaking event with you shortly. In the meantime I hope you have enjoyed our posts on Twitter and our new Facebook page.
The Blue Coat School is one of the first independent schools in the country to achieve such a feat! I would like to commend our staff, Hi Impact Consultants and our forward-thinking pupils for their hard work.
Over the course of the week I have enjoyed visiting the classes in Prep and Pre-Prep. The children are certainly back into the swing of things. One child in Pre-Prep greeted me with, “It’s great to be back!”
“Did you have good holiday?” I enquired.
“Yes,” he said cheerily, “but I need a break from my family,” he replied, before jogging off.
Brilliant!
Short though it is, this term is packed with assessments and many other events. Please check the calendar and support your children, whether it is in Chapel, at music events, sports matches or house matches. Please can I encourage children in Prep to join us for our Open Morning on the 6th May. It’s going to be another busy day, so all help would be appreciated. Please click here to sign up.
Tonight I am off to join parents for a golf event at Edgbaston Golf Club. It’s been a while since I handled those clubs. No pressure then! I used to be able to play the game, and now just have to fall back on apocryphal stories attaching to the legends of the game. One such story relates to South African icon Gary Player, who shared the Sixties limelight with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, and was possessed of an extraordinary work ethic. On one occasion, trapped in a greenside bunker, Player produced a miraculous recovery shot, chipping nonchalantly into the hole, direct. From the gallery some hapless fan had the audacity to suggest that it had been a lucky shot.
“You know it’s a funny thing,“ quipped Player. “The harder I practise, the luckier I get.”
There’s a moral there: not just for Blue Coat children, but for all of us. I’m just off to roll a few putts down the sitting room carpet…
NOEL NEESON | HEADMASTER
