Leadership, House spirit and resilience
From prefect interviews to Sports Festival plans and the final GCSE papers, this week has been full of challenge, reflection and anticipation.
It’s been something of an intense day for me today as I have been interviewing Year 10 pupils for Prefect positions. It’s fair to say, it may have felt intense for them too, but they performed incredibly well, offering up some useful insight into the school experience and what they would like to develop. My task now is to carefully consider who will gain a position on the team, and who will be taking up the Head and Deputy positions. I look forward to revealing the results soon.
Plans have been underway this week for the whole school Hollygirt Sports Festival which will be held at David Ross next Friday. Pupils are making decisions in Houses as to who will participate in which events. We’ve a mix of traditional races and slightly more fun ones so there really is something to suit all pupils and allow them to rack up the House points. I am most looking forward to judging the House mascots and chants, I’m expecting great things after the amazing efforts of last year. Look out for emails from Ms Mester giving more details of the day.
The exam season is fast drawing to close. As of now there are only three exams remaining and many of our Year 11 pupils are already finished. Exams can be incredibly unsettling for many pupils, whether final exams, mocks, or in-class assessments. It is usual for pupils to feel anxious and like their entire future rests on what they produce in an hour. It is a shame that the design of examinations makes pupils feel this way, when the reality is that the learning process – the trial and error, the experimenting, the ‘penny-drop’ moments – is what creates and develops character and resilience. Exams and their results do not define individuals, and if things don’t go to plan that’s where the resilience comes in. There is always a next step and an opportunity to try things a different way.
Finally, a gentle reminder that Prize Giving will take place on Friday 3rd July. If you have not yet had a chance to do so, we would be very grateful if you could RSVP using this form, as this helps us greatly with planning for the event. Emails have also been sent this week to the parents of prize winners. Parents and pupils are kindly asked to make their own way to and from the venue, and if there is anything at all you are unsure about, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Ever Onward and Upward
Ms Purdy
