“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” (Tony Robbins)
Tony Robbins is a renowned motivational coach and speaker; his words are prescient and it is at this time of the academic year when the Year 13 begin to see the potential visibility of the goals that they have set with their university applications. And this year, they have already achieved some quite staggering offers across a range of different courses and universities. They have been both aspirational and realistic; they have shown wisdom and thought in their selection, and I could not be happier for them as these offers make the educational journey feel real and tangible. As we move towards February, with 65% of the decisions now in, every single one has been an offer of a place; not one single rejection. What an achievement for this fantastic year group and it has now given them renewed energy and motivation as they enter into the final phase of preparing for their A Level examinations. Their course choices display the broad range of talents and passions within this group with Paramedic Science, Journalism, Sport Management, Maritime Business, PPE, English Language and Linguistics, Maths, Acting, Product Design, Psychology, Chemical Engineering, Music, and Agricultural Management giving a sense of their diversity of qualities. We wish them all the very best in now going on to receiving further offers and ultimately making the grades that they need!
As part of their preparation for public examinations, both our Year 11 and Year 13 students had a session with Elevate Education (Home | Elevate Education) this week. Elevate Education have revolutionised the way study skills have been taught in the UK and provide a research-based approach to ensuring that students can maximise and boost their performance. With young presenters who can directly relate to the student experience having gone through it recently themselves, they have a fresh and vibrant approach to the idea of studying specifically for exams. With lots of top tips and tools for the revision process, our students thoroughly enjoyed the session and were energised at this key time of the year. Please do have a look at the packs that they have been given and how parents can help the process
As we look to broaden and extend the opportunities for our students, we are pressing on with becoming integrated into Round Square, a global family of over 280 schools across 50 different countries. With their IDEALS of internationalism, democracy, environmentalism, adventure, leadership, and service based around the importance of character education, it is an excellent match given our culture and ethos. In order to begin to define how we will fully participate and utilise this fantastic opportunity, Mr Adady represented our school at the Round Square – Europe and the Mediterranean Forum, held at The Rockport School, in Belfast from 23rd to 25th January. Here it became even clearer that these IDEALS lead students to 12 Discoveries of personal virtues and attributes: Appreciation of Diversity, Courage, Commitment to Sustainability, Communication, Compassion, Inquisitiveness, Inventiveness, Problem-Solving, Self-Awareness, Sense of Responsibility, Teamwork and Tenacity. These discoveries are very much reflected in our Saint Felix School’s Values of Creativity, Honesty, Kindness, Passion and Respect. We are proud to be a member of this excellent network of schools, and we are looking forward to taking part in a host of exciting activities and events, such as educational exchanges, collaborative learning and cultural as well as educational trips. This will be of great benefit to our students and staff during this academic year and beyond.
Educational trips and visits play a vital role in the broader learning experience for our students. Whilst the overseas trips always provide fantastic opportunities to develop greater understanding and knowledge of different areas of the curriculum, those that are more local are equally powerful. This was certainly the case for A Level Drama students who visited the Theatre Royal in Norwich earlier this week to watch 2:22, A Ghost Story. Our students were thrilled and delighted by the experience and thoroughly enjoyed this supernatural thriller and their day was topped off by meeting one of the leading actors, Grant Kilburn, as they left M & S after the production! As well as the photo opportunity, they were able to ask him some insightful questions which will only add to their depth of knowledge for their upcoming examinations. With more local trips in the pipeline and overseas visits to the Battlefields, Skiing in France, and the World Challenge in Morocco, we will look to continue to broaden the opportunities that are available to enrich and develop our students.
In sporting news, our Under 14 Boys and Girls teams competed in the Suffolk County Finals last Friday. The Under 14 Boys put in an outstanding performance winning 3 out of their 5 matches finishing 4th overall with fine margins separating 1st to 4th place, such is the nature of sport. Meanwhile, our Under 14 Girls played a phenomenal tournament winning all 5 matches and securing 1st place as well as a spot in the Regional Finals on the 2nd March in Cambridge.
In Chapel today for both Prep and Senior, Mrs Meldrum commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day which fell on Tuesday 27th January. It is a time to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered during the course of the Holocaust, as well as the millions more that were killed during the course of Nazi persecution. In addition, we also commemorate more recent examples of persecution that have taken place in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. In a poignant and moving Senior Chapel Service, Mrs Meldrum also recounted the story of going so see Schindler’s List with her peers who were all studying A Level History from her boarding school; whilst the bus journey there was full of the usual joy and happiness, the way home was full of silence and thoughtfulness. It is the most remarkable of films and is based on truth; we listened to the evocative theme music as a community and a powerful prayer that was co-written by the Chief Rabbi, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Chief Imam. The coming together of the different faiths represented the idea that commemoration and remembrance can bridge the religions sends a powerful message. In a week where Mr Grigg spoke in Assembly on Monday about Respect, one of our school values, the students have some important and powerful areas on which to reflect as they look to develop not just their academic prowess but also their deeper understanding of the world around them.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Yours sincerely,
Matthew Oakman
Head