The year must be nearing its end; Year 6 have written their pieces for the Yearbook, and, scanning them, I noted the affection with which they recall moments or events that have taken place during their years at BCS.
Yesterday evening I watched with a watery eye as the WW2 veterans made their nostalgic return (in comfort, this time) across the Channel to the Normandy beaches from Poole. Later, I was engrossed by the programme ‘Seven Up’ which shows the development of a group of boys and girls right through their lives, with snapshots and interviews taking place every seven years.
It is a source of amazement to me that, essentially, people do not change. ‘The child is father of the man’, as William Wordsworth once said. Character is set very early on. What we as teachers and parents can do is to encourage, to broaden, and to refine. And we can give experiences which we hope children will remember until they are as old as these oh-so-admirable veterans of D-Day.
Back to the Yearbook, which will be with us by 5 July. Several of the Year 6 children have recalled as happy memories the trips that they made on the Residentials to Colomendy. Well, the current Year 4 headed to the Denbighshire Activity Centre this week for their annual residential. Like their predecessors, they had a ball, while developing their independence and resilience skills. Thank you to all the staff for supporting this event.
Talking of having a ball, as the Cricket World Cup got into full swing, we were honoured by the visit of two cricketing celebrities who have mastered the art of bowling and batting at the highest level. Stuart Broad and fellow England stalwart Ian Bell took time off from their duties with Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire to pay us a call and deliver a Masterclass.
This has been a very full return-from-half term-week, containing more than the usual levels of excitement. On Monday – and this is NOT Fake News – the whole school took part in our very own Guinness World Records ™ attempt for the most sock puppets gathered in one place. The children and staff came together to pull off this extraordinary feet. Naturally, we hope that our efforts will be ratified, and that our name will go down in history. Thank you to Mrs Wingfield and our volunteers from the local community who made this event possible. I will keep you posted about the outcome when I hear.
This week we had a wonderful Prelude and Year 3 music recital. The standard as usual was extremely high. I was delighted to see the standard of musicianship across all disciplines and age range. A big thank you to all the children and visiting music staff for their hard work and dedication.
I must give a special mention to our U10 cricketers for a great performance against Solihull. Three great wins but, more important, superb sportsmanship on display from both teams. Well done, lads. Our under 10 girls are flying. They put in a top display at an inter school cricket event this week at Leamington Cricket Club. Well done all.
Year 2 had a busy week. First, they headed off for an Enrichment Day at the National Space Centre, where, by the sounds of things, they had a marvellous time. On Friday the Year 2 children had their eagerly-awaited House Sorting Day. Excitement was fever pitch. Anybody would have thought that Donald and Melania were due. But for Y2, this event would have trumped any Presidential visit. And not only that; it supports them as they prepare for Prep, and it builds a sense of pride. Welcome to your new Houses!
Before I sign off, can I remind you about the last few remaining tickets for The Friends’ Masquerade Ball on Saturday 6th July. These can be purchased from the School Reception but time is running out, so don’t delay!
Mr Neeson | Headmaster
