Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends
As I write, we are enjoying some unseasonably warm weather. This dry sunny spell means our students are once again allowed to use the school fields at break at lunchtime. It is lovely to see them picnicking with friends and enjoying space and fresh air. Spring has indeed sprung.
During this sunny spell, the school has been as busy as ever. Last Friday saw one of our many interhouse competitions as teams from across our year groups battled it out to show who had the most comprehensive knowledge of our world. The winners of the Geography House Quiz were Tanners, closely followed by Spinners and Weavers. Well done to all who took part and thank you to Miss McNally and Mr Mosley for running the event.
Further competitive success was enjoyed by our Year 9 team in the Mock Magistrates Competition at Reading Crown Court. Our fledgling legal eagles won after contesting cases with Windsor Girls’ School and Robert May’s School. Thank you to Miss Harris and Miss Howard for coaching the girls to victory.
I would also like to thank our PE Department who, in addition to running many clubs each week and giving up their teaching spaces for mock exams, have seen their teams take part in a wide range of matches and competitions this term. Particular congratulations to Marnie and Abbie who ran for Berkshire at the weekend in the English Schools cross country competition.
Many of you have been good enough to participate in last week’s fundraising auction held by the Friends of The Holt School. This event raised a total of £1771 to support the work of the school, and successful bidders should have received an email explaining the next steps for claiming their lots.
Our current Thought for the Week activity has the twofold aim of helping our students understand the terrible war in Ukraine and highlighting contrasts with what are referred to as Fundamental British Values. These are:
- Democracy
- Individual Liberty
- The Rule of Law
- Mutual Respect and Tolerance of Others
These values are certainly not unique to Britain nor, perhaps, are they practised uniquely well here. However, schools have a duty to actively promote them, and we do so throughout our curriculum. The current situation on the eastern fringes of Europe throws into sharp relief the reason behind this duty.
We would like to say a big thank you to all the kind donations for our Ukraine shoebox appeal. It has been a huge success. The school donated a total of 88 boxes to the appeal. There were tears on the doorstep from the lady organising the efforts, and she was very grateful for all the fabulous boxes. She says, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all these boxes – truly amazing! The boxes will bring some light relief to the Ukrainian children and thank you to everyone who has helped.”
They will now start their onward journey to Folkstone initially where they will be loaded onto Ukrainian lorries outbound to Poland then across into Ukraine to be distributed to the charities operating out there and given out at refugee shelters.
Our boxes of smiles:
I finished a blog entry last spring with a poem. Perhaps you’ll indulge me in sharing another.
Ben Adams
Assistant Headteacher
INSTRUCTIONS ON NOT GIVING UP BY ADA LIMÓN
More than the fuchsia funnels breaking out
of the crabapple tree, more than the neighbor’s
almost obscene display of cherry limbs shoving
their cotton candy-colored blossoms to the slate
sky of Spring rains, it’s the greening of the trees
that really gets to me. When all the shock of white
and taffy, the world’s baubles and trinkets, leave
the pavement strewn with the confetti of aftermath,
the leaves come. Patient, plodding, a green skin
growing over whatever winter did to us, a return
to the strange idea of continuous living despite
the mess of us, the hurt, the empty. Fine then,
I’ll take it, the tree seems to say, a new slick leaf
unfurling like a fist to an open palm, I’ll take it all.