“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” ― Confucius
Despite the fact that Confucius was born in c.551 BC, his words could not be more relevant today. He remains one of the greatest philosophers of all-time, and it is quite remarkable how powerful his ideas and thoughts are today in our digital world where Spotify dominates the world of music. Earlier this week, I had the great joy and pleasure of attending the Prep Department Winter Musical Showcase; what a marvellous event with so many different students playing a wide array of instruments from the cello, violin, piano, to the drums and acoustic guitar.
This was interspersed with some quite beautiful singing with tunes from musicals, carols and traditional favourites. With performances from Year 1 all the way through to Year 6, the future musical talent coming through Saint Felix means that we all have much to look forward to. And indeed tomorrow (Saturday November 30th) at the Southwold Xmas Lights Switch On, there is an opportunity to hear our Saint Felix Choirs (Prep and Senior) in action at 2.30 p.m.; please do come along and support them if you can.
The brand-new Saint Felix service programme is now fully up and running with students helping to develop the allotment at the Old Hospital in Southwold. As Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. One can serve in many different ways and two of our students have now had their first meeting as Saint Felix representatives at the East Suffolk Youth Council; after the familiarisation process, Harley C and Charles S pledged their commitment to their new roles understanding the expectations and obligations that come with it. They discussed and debated possible areas to prioritise within the region and will now focus on creating a motion on supporting young people in the area to thrive and flourish creating broader opportunities for those that need it the most. To serve can also be to lead and influence. Over the rest of this academic year and beyond, this will increasingly become an integral part of the Saint Felix curriculum; an opportunity not just to give back but to learn by doing so whilst reflecting the values that we have chosen as a community.
On Monday, our Year 11 students will be having their Sixth Form Taster Day; an opportunity to experience the broad array of subjects that are available at A Level. From those that they are already familiar with to some that will be completely new such as Psychology, Criminology, Economics, Business and Philosophy, it is always an exciting time for them as they look forward to what is ahead and their future planning. They have chosen four subjects each to experience and in addition, they will have a panel session with Year 12 and Year 13 students to find out the realities of Sixth Form. It is our role to guide them, inform them and ensure that they have chosen the options that will keep the right doors open whilst also enabling them to access the best possible grades. In the evening, we will be running a session for Year 11 parents to help them navigate these decisions so that we can work collaboratively and collectively.
As the school looks to advance its digital technology and usage in the classroom, we have now instigated Digital Champions (Miss Harlock, Mr Fletcher, Mr Williams, Ms Allington, Mr Trigg and Mrs Harlock) across the staffing body to lead in their different areas of school life. Their roles are to ensure that we use the technology available to enhance and advance the educational experience as well as helping staff in their respective areas to embrace new ideas. This is all supplemented by the next stage of training for Tablet Academy which will enable greater breadth and depth of knowledge and mastery across the staffing body. There will be more detailed information on this area next term as we continue to implement our Digital Strategy!
In other news, we hosted internal qualifying for the National Schools Biathlon Championships, an event we look forward to opening to athletes from across the region next year following the completion of the new changing rooms and grass pitches. Letters have now gone out for the World Challenge Trip to Morocco in July 2026; there will be an information evening for parents on Thursday 5th December at 6 p.m.; in addition, we are looking at other educational visits and trips for this and next year with more details to come. For children who are eligible to start Reception in September 2025, we are hosting a wonderful Christmassy “Little Elves’ Workshop” on Wednesday 11th December from 8.45-10.15 a.m.; please do spread the word locally (poster below). Next Friday is the now annual PTA Xmas Cracker from 3-4:30 p.m. (replacing the final lesson of the day); more details to follow but please do look to attend if you are available (poster below).
Have a lovely weekend!
Yours sincerely,
Matthew Oakman
Head
