I am not an Arsenal fan. My team is from the East (Green) End of Glasgow. But, having seen highlights of the Gunners recently, I have to say that I have a sneaking admiration for their style and progress. Whether or not this famous club goes on to win the title is of secondary importance. What matters is the message that the club is conveying. Total commitment to a cause, a clear strategy, teamwork and, perhaps above all, a sense of fun.
I know how excited their manager Mikel Arteta must feel, and- even though he stretches the bounds of legality in doing so- I can understand the way in which he prowls beyond his remit up and down the touchline.
Blue Coat School seems to me to have the same feeling of togetherness. Witness last week’s Open Morning; the way our staff are coordinating their efforts on Inset Day; the support we have seen at recent online lectures; how, like the extraordinarily youthful Premiership leaders, we put such an emphasis on sustainability!
And so, first of all, back to that amazing Open Morning. With the feedback from visiting parents so heartwarming, why would I not feel privileged to be ‘managing’ such a warm, committed, family of a community. To you the parents, a big thank you also for allowing your children to attend and for your continuous support to BCS, it never fails to amaze me.
Following on from the excellent parental turnout for our ‘Well-being’ lecture series, which went down so well, I would remind parents to look out for further lectures on this important subject later in the academic year.
As we had scheduled our Inset Day today, the Senior School had a re-arranged Chapel Service with Fr Andrew on Monday. It was lovely to start the week in such a positive way; I congratulate the readers and the choir for performing so well.
On Wednesday, Year 4JL produced an Assembly based on Changing Water into Wine, a parable which they brought graphically to life. The focus was on showing us how in our everyday life we should put the needs of others before those of ourselves.
Enjoying a trip to the Sea Life Centre as part of their role, the BCS Eco-Committee completed a workshop about plastic pollution in our oceans. This topical issue reinforced the importance of looking after our planet. The children are now very much looking forward to hearing from our Bursar, who is leading our strategic vision on sustainability. If you feel that you may have something to offer this focus group, do please email Mr Morgan’s PA for further details at gregorycc@thebluecoatschool.com
Yesterday evening, staff enjoyed a social football match with The Pre-Prep parents. Perhaps it lacked some of the finesse that one gets at The Emirates, but this was a fun evening with some surprising skills on show. Let’s just say football was the winner. Thank you to all who supported this event.
In fact, sport has been back with a vengeance this week. Block fixtures versus Solihull School were well contested in both netball and football. It was great to see the majority of children representing the school. There were many worthy performances and, most important, spades-full of fun and enjoyment. Well done, all.
As you are all aware, the School is closed for inset this Friday. Staff will be focusing on their professional development, looking specifically at safeguarding and ways to further enhance learning and teaching. At BCS, we never stop in our search for excellence.
Happy long weekend, all!