Axe Throwing, Geotagging, Marshmallows and a Campfire
The title of the weekly newsletter this week sounds like something out of “The Famous Five” and if you are anything like me, you grew up on those books with fantastic adventures that were set in a rural and coastal landscape. Last week our Year 7 students had their very own outdoor team-building experience which started off with putting up their own tents, an essential and underrated life skill.
After supper with our boarders, they enjoyed an evening that included roasting marshmallows on the campfire along with a number of fun activities before retiring to their beautifully constructed tents. The following day they were joined by our Year 8 students for axe throwing, archery, team-building activities and geotagging run by East Coast Adventures; a hugely positive event where the students worked so well together, formed new friendships, and learnt new skills. Everything that we want for our students as they prepare not just for school but for life.
This week, the preparations for House Shout have continued and I wanted to take this opportunity to flag this wonderful whole school event in advance; on the evening of Thursday 16th October, all four houses will once again compete for the much-heralded trophy with the theme being “Movies” this year. Staff are jostling to take on the MC position with the retirement of Ms Hardcastle and the students are beginning to fine tune their routines and songs. An evening not to be missed! The same will be true of the annual Fireworks Evening which will take place on Friday 7th November (please see the attached flyer) building on the hugely successful event of last year; we hope to see even more students, parents, friends of Saint Felix and local community members attending to make it a real spectacle to kick-off the second half of the term. We are also holding our termly Open Morning on Friday October 3rd having moved this from its traditional Saturday morning timing to ensure that all students are able to enjoy a proper weekend. Our Refer a Friend Scheme is still in place (please see the attached flyer), and many parents have already availed themselves of this offer; your continued help and support in growing the school is hugely appreciated.
As is always the case at the start of a new academic year, we have welcomed a number of new staff to Saint Felix. They have all made an immediate impact in their respective fields and we are thrilled that they have joined us as we continue to build on all of the changes that we have introduced over the last two years. I know that each and every one of them will play an invaluable role in our journey to excellence in all that we do. Mr Baker has joined as Head of Maths, and Mr Temple-Cox will also be in this department teaching across both Prep and Senior. Mrs Collier is our new Head of Music joined by Mr Garner in the same department, whilst Mrs Webb will be teaching Drama with our new Head of Drama, Mrs Valentine, starting after half-term. In addition, Mrs Ling is teaching Criminology and Psychology in the Sixth Form, Mr Thomas-Ower is teaching both History and PSHE, and Mrs Weldon has joined the English Department on a part-time basis. We wish all of them the very best as they start their Saint Felix adventure.
The weather has been glorious today as a busy week draws to a close; I fear that it will not be lasting for long! Have an enjoyable weekend.
Yours sincerely,
Matthew Oakman
Head