Welcome to the final ‘regular’ Headmaster’s newsletter piece of the term! There is still so much activity and excitement still to come in these final days – please do make sure you’ve had a very, very careful look at Mr Duncan’s ‘End of term letter’ which came out a week ago, and his helpful reminder message yesterday.
As this newsletter arrives in your inbox, I hope many of you have enjoyed the fantastic Art and D&T Exhibition that has just taken place – a real highlight of the year and the culmination of so much creative endeavour and time invested from both the boys and from Mr Walters and Mr Armstrong.
If you are a dayboy parent, please ensure your boys are well prepared for the logistics (and kit requirements) of tomorrow’s Inter-Set Athletics Day.
Could I politely insist that all parents attending the Inter-Set Athletics Day come fully prepared for having a fantastic family celebratory day of vociferous support (for every boy!), sporting spirit and bonhomie… Bring the picnic rugs, the summer hampers, the camping chairs, the bunting, the good humour, the Pimm’s (dare I say?), the Sports Day glad rags and anything else that might enhance the quintessential British summer ‘atmos’! (Although, sadly I must remind parents of our ‘no dogs’ policy, particularly with picnics and lots of ground-level food around. Can we also ask that all children, including siblings, do not touch or climb on the historic walls. There have been some dangerous incidents in the past.)
Please do all that you can to make sure that your boys are going to be looking very neat and smart for Prize Giving on Thursday, to help us finish the year on a real high. Following our Summer Concerts on Tuesday, we know that the boys will be jolly tired – but hopefully elated! – by Thursday and I know parents and staff will work to keep them going right through to the end.
At this point, I will hand over to my co-author, Mr Zhong, Monday’s Headmaster, who has written a little about running the school on Monday.
Tim Butcher
Headmaster
A Day to Remember
by Master Zhong, Headmaster for the Day
Once upon a time in my prep school, I had the most unforgettable day. This Monday was special not just because it was the start of the week, but because it was my first Monday as a double-digit boy! My birthday was on Saturday, the 22nd of June, and turning ten is a big deal. Life in double digits is dramatic, full of surprises, and sometimes tough but also prosperous. Being the Headmaster for a day was the best birthday ever!
My day as Headmaster was huge. I enjoyed introducing assembly and listening to my guest, Melina Persson from Adobe. Then I was asked to make some decisions at the meeting later with the Director of Finance. Decision-making is hard, but I showed resilience. Mr Jensen Huang from Nvidia once said, “People with very high expectations have very low resilience because they are not accustomed to, or prepared for, failure. Unfortunately, resilience matters in success.” So, learning to be resilient was an important lesson for me today.
Food is essential to life, and the fruit carving and ice cream were delightful, thanks to my parents’ support. Thank you, mummy and daddy! It was great to be able to welcome all the boys to the ice cream van that visited and parked in The Yard. This day’s experience is something I will remember for a lifetime. Winning the charity auction was cool. My very special thanks to my amazing PA, Mrs Pacey, the kitchen manager, Ms Birks, Chef Mr Ouyang, Steve’s Ice Cream Van, and of course, my mentor, Mr Butcher. And not to forget my big brother Nathan who helped me enjoy the day. Last but not least, the mufti day – thank you to all the boys who supported the theme of wearing blue. Blue is my favourite colour. It was indeed a day to remember.
Adults often ask me what I want to be when I grow up. After this experience, I might consider being a headmaster. It is a very hard job but interesting.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my day as Headmaster. It was a fantastic experience, and I learned a lot!
Bible Quote: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13