Boarders Paddle Boarding, A Rising Star or Two and School’s Out For the Summer!
I cannot believe that the school year is coming to an end with the final week having been completed and only our celebration of student achievement left to mark tomorrow. What a year it has been, and I look forward to speaking to you all tomorrow where you will both hear about and see some of the highlights. Even this week, we have had more success on the track with Cody H becoming National Champion in the 1500 metres and Megan C winning Bronze in the 800 metres. What an outstanding achievement from both of them and in addition, Cody nearly broke the National record for his age group, Megan exceeded her personal best, and also won the Eastern Athletics Regional Championship four days earlier. We are so proud of both of them and with other students competing at a high level across a range of sports over the summer and beyond, there is so much to look forward to.
It has been a week packed full of events and activities, with too many to mention them all (but I will try). We have had two wonderful swimming galas for Bronte and Clough, two superbly run and organised sports days, a cultural day, and a new initiative, the House Drama Competition, which is now set to become an annual event. The race for the House title is too close to call and will all go down to the final event to decide the winner and I am delighted that our students have participated in creating the new designs for the House Crests (which will become flags as well) as we look to bring in more events where they can compete and enjoy participating as a larger group. House spirit is a delight to witness, and we will be looking to foster an increasing sense of identity across the four houses as we move into the next academic year.
On Wednesday, Saint Felix hosted an exciting Cultural Day for Years 3 to 12, filled with activities and workshops celebrating cultures from around the world. The students participated in a range of activities, including creating Celtic art, learning the powerful Haka dance, and crafting models of famous global monuments from Lego and recycled materials. One of the highlights of the day was the energetic samba dance workshop; the children learned dance steps and practised playing samba drums. Their hard work culminated when the groups joined together in a parade around the school. Following the procession, students were treated to a delicious lunch prepared by our talented catering team, featuring dishes representing the diverse cultures of Saint Felix School. The children had a fantastic time exploring these and enjoyed the chance to integrate with peers from different year groups. It was a joyful and enriching experience for everyone.
On Sunday, it was a pleasure to see the boarders try out paddleboarding, braving the rather inclement weather to try a new activity. After the usual initial sense of teenage reluctance, it turns out that they really enjoyed the experience under the jovial stewardship of Mrs Meldrum. The opportunity to try new pursuits and stretch their range of passions is at the heart of the new co-curricular programme that will commence in September and the idea is that every student will be able to find an area that will become a lifelong joy.
Later on that same day, I was able to attend the Blyth Valley Rotary Rising Star Award where Holly R-W was runner-up for her amazing achievement of flying solo at the age of sixteen and Daisy H won for her initiative to help the homeless at Christmas with her Fill A Sock Appeal. Two wonderful students who have shown in very different ways what can be achieved when you set your mind to it.
And so, this is my final weekly newsletter of the year although you will receive an end of term letter early next week to round up any final messages. It has been a pleasure to be able to write every week highlighting some of the excellent student achievements and efforts as well as the changes that we are putting in place. I hope that you have enjoyed reading them and you feel more connected to the school as a result. They will continue next year!
I look forward to seeing you all on Saturday morning; please bring picnic blankets and chairs to enjoy the fine food that our catering team are creating for you after the prize giving has finished. The weather looks set fair, and it will be a lovely way to finish the year with a sense of celebration and farewells to our leavers.
Yours sincerely,
Matthew Oakman
Head
