Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends,
Last night the curtain lifted for the opening performance of ‘The 39 steps.’ The whole cast and crew had an amazing opening night; Everyone involved delivered a truly professional performance worthy of the west end!
Earlier on in the day, a full dress rehearsal was performed for Year 5 students from St Paul’s School. They were a fabulous audience, their laughter, applause, and words of encouragement were very much appreciated by the team.
The Holt School has a strong sense of community. We ask all students to be kind, aim high and work hard. The performance last night truly encapsulated these values. I felt very proud of everyone involved.
Tickets for tonight and Thursday are still available through the following link: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-holt-school
Our sense of community spreads beyond the school gates. I recently visited Wokingham and Distract Association for the Elderly (WADE) with our charities’ coordinator, Mrs Sawyer. Our Year 9 students will be volunteering daily to support the lunchtime service. This is a Holt tradition dating back over fifty years… Covid restrictions caused a pause in this work and now we are absolutely delighted to be able to recommence this important tradition.
Engaging with the youngest and most elderly members of the Wokingham community truly creates special memories that our students will look back on with fondness. Students also gain valuable life and wellness skills such as connecting with others and a strong sense of gratitude.
The Magistrates Mock trial took place this weekend. Students have spent many months preparing their case. The mock trial focussed on the prosecution and defence of a scenario involving an individual who was accused of being in a public place with an offensive weapon. Students had to read the details of the case and formulate arguments for prosecution and defence. In addition to those presenting the case we had a court artist and court reporter.
Students put in an outstanding performance and placed in second position on Saturday securing a place in the regional round. Well done to the Year 9 students who took part and a big thank you to Miss Harris and Mrs Priddy for the time they have dedicated to supporting this competition. We look forward to updating you on the outcome of the regional competition in April.
Last week, GCSE technology students put on a fabulous exhibition, displaying their GCSE work. Staff, students and parents/guardians were invited to come and view the work of eighty students and give valuable feedback to help with the evaluation element of their controlled assessment. The department continues to be very busy, this week as it is the turn of the food and nutrition students who are busy cooking three course lunches for staff. Teachers are invited to sample their culinary delights and are then asked to provide feedback on the dishes sampled. This is a very popular event amongst staff!
Music students performed a piano concert. The standards were extremely high. Students performed with confidence and wowed the audience. Thank you and well done to everyone involved.
In other news, following on from the success of the Friends of The Holt Christmas auction, we are delighted to announce our Easter Extravaganza auction to offer another chance to bid on some excellent prizes and family days out! The proceeds of the auction come directly back to the school to provide additional ‘extras’ for our students; the most recent purchases being staging for the hall and audio-visual equipment for the sports hall.
The bids will open on Friday 17th March at 5pm and the final bids will be processed on Sunday 26th March at 5pm and the winners will be notified during this week. Happy bidding!
Mrs Martin