Welcome to the final blog of the academic year. Whilst we don’t finish school until Tuesday, there will be little to add and so I will make this the last one of the year (much to the relief of my dad).
For those who were on ‘pick up’ duty last Friday, I hope you enjoyed our little ‘proms on the playground’ with members of Hitchin Brass Band. They entertained the school whilst the Friends’ Association served up ice creams. Details have already been sent out highlighting their incredibly generous offer if people wanted to learn an instrument through their scheme.
Last weekend, the carpet fitters were in, and we now have a brand-new carpet in our library. This is the first part of the refit and repurposing of the original library and we are very pleased with the way it has turned out. Mrs Vernon can now get her new furniture ordered and get to work making an exciting space ready for the start of the new year. We can’t wait.
Monday morning this week was spent looking at weather forecasts wondering why the only wet day for what felt like forever, was scheduled for the only day we needed it to stay dry. With no change to the fifteen different apps and websites I was using, the decision was made to switch to Wednesday. As it happened, although we didn’t get the thunder and persistent downpours, we did win, and it did rain (honestly) which justified our decision.
In between the weather watching, I popped up to Highbury to see some of their sports day on Monday morning. I got to chat to some parents and cheer on some of our incoming Year 3s. The two sports days are very different affairs with space being one of the key factors in this. To get all their pupils competing in a range of different activities, surrounded by parents, in a tiny space is challenging, but there were plenty of smiles and that is the main objective.
The weather was also perfect on Monday morning when the Year 6s ventured into town to enjoy a morning at Hitchin Swimming Pool and then a visit to Fabios afterwards. As expected, the feedback from the Year 6 team was lovely and commended the behaviour of the pupils. I was slightly disappointed that Mr Mills Jnr didn’t bring an ice-cream back for me – I’ll remember!
Although I wasn’t able to see for myself the amazing work done in Voyager Class on Monday, using coding to make their fairground rides move, seeing them later on social media was very impressive. I made sure I had a chat with some of the pupils to get them to explain to me how the ‘Crumbles’ work and how they integrated them into their models.
We hosted the district cricket finals night on Monday after school. I wasn’t able to watch the whole thing but did pop out to watch some of the semi-final against William Ransom. Well done to the players who have represented the school this year and made it through to the finals’ night.
Year 6s were out again on Tuesday morning, when Wilde Class took their sketch books up to Windmill Hill for one last art lesson. It was a very chilled session, producing some lovely results and hopefully a few lasting memories. As one parent commented on social media, ‘It is [their] favourite thing to do in Hitchin.’
I enjoyed seeing the Year 5s painting their pots on Tuesday afternoon. There were some very intricate designs being executed very well indeed. Isabella’s was very impressive as she thought about how the colours were blended.
Sports day proved to be another great success. It takes weeks of planning to get to the point where sports day ‘just works’ and that is another reason why we want to it to be on a decent day. Miss Gooderham has got it down to a fine art now and in her final year with us, she has passed on that knowledge to Mr Ciepiela and Miss King. The complex spreadsheets and documents will be kept safe until next year. I don’t think Miss G will need the rules to the ‘water carrying relay’ at Hitchin Girls’ School, do you?
Across the morning, the pupils all took part in various field events from Boccia to tug of war, archery to lacrosse skills. Points from these were kept a closely guarded secret and added to the points from the track events in the afternoon.
One other event during a packed day was an impromptu race where I was challenged by a number of pupils to a sprint race. Having just turned 56, my body was saying no, but then I am suddenly on the start line, waiting for the ‘gun’. My body was right, especially my hamstring but I wasn’t going to give up and my day was made when I finished second, and I can now proudly say, I beat a Kealey! When the twins are winning an Olympic medal in the future, I am bringing this story out again!
Thank you to all who were able to join us for the afternoon. Despite the change in day, the bank appeared full and there was much cheering and support for the Houses and individual pupils. For those of you watching a Whitehill sports day for the first time, how was it? Quite different from Highbury’s, isn’t it? Well done to all of the pupils who competed with such enthusiasm, competitiveness but most of all, a sense of fun. The photographs I have been looking through, including many from parents who have sent them in to me reveal plenty of smiles.
The results at the end of the day were very close but there was a story to be written with Water House and Mr Ciepiela, and it was only fitting that at his first sports day as a member of staff, Water House won for the first time since Mr Ciepiela was their Sports Captain as a Year 6 in 2017. And, thanks to crew from Hitchin Fire Station being in attendance for the obligatory ‘lap of honour,’ his dad was there to see him lift the trophy.
We are slowly getting through the hundreds of photographs which were taken by school and by others. These will appear in various places in the coming days and weeks, including the school website and my office wall. One source of photos which you may want to have a look at comes courtesy of parent and photographer, Mrs Chown. Here is a link to the sports day gallery she has set up for us.
As you would expect, Thursday was a slightly quieter day. A much needed, quieter day. That being said, after I returned from a meeting at Highbury, I did find most of Upper School had joined in with Lower School’s PE lesson and were performing YMCA having just finished a 200+ person ‘conga’ around the school field.
One other task this week was a chance for Mrs Burniston and I to talk with the current Year 5s about the positions of responsibility when they get into Year 6. I already know they are a great cohort and I look forward to working with them from September.
On Friday morning, we enjoyed our usual Achievers’ Assembly, although we didn’t present the usual school awards, as these were saved for our final assembly on Tuesday.
Our music this week was provided by Kira, Sophia, Willow, Mya, Joni and Jasmine (Year 6). As pupils came in, Kira played the flute for us, and I have to comment on the progress she has made since she started playing. Her tone is beautiful, and she plays so well. At the end, all six girls sang a concert version of one of the songs from Beauty and the Beast and again, smashed it!
We celebrated climbing awards, Crufts qualifying awards, football awards, swimming awards and netball awards as well as presenting three school diamond awards, coincidentally to three pupils in Fire House. I wonder what impact that will have on the House Cup on Tuesday?
One other thing we did do, was to say ‘au revoir’ to Madame Skinner, who leaves Whitehill after teaching French here for eight years. She has been a wonderful member of the Whitehill teaching team, coming in every Friday to deliver the modern foreign language element of our curriculum. Pupils and staff alike have learned a great deal from Madam Skinner and are ready to take over from her in September. Merci, Madame Skinner.
In a few hours, our Year 6 pupils will be returning for their leavers’ party. As has become tradition, we have arranged for some bouncy castle type fun as well as food and music. I am sure they will have a great time, and the weather looks perfect for them.
As I said in last week’s blog, although we still have the best part of two more days at school, finishing as we do at 1.30pm on Tuesday, there will be very little to report in the form of a blog next week. We do present our Core Purpose Awards as well as a few other awards in our final assembly on Tuesday morning and so look out on Instagram for updates.
For that reason, and already referenced in the opening paragraph, this will be my final blog of another academic year. For the record, this is blog number 480! I would like to thank all of you for your support over the course of another very successful and productive year. For those of you leaving Whitehill, I wish you all the very best moving forward. For those staying with us, I will see you back on the playground on Wednesday 3rd September.
Have a fantastic summer break (when we get there – there are still two days to go, remember!).
Best wishes,
Steve Mills
Headteacher
It was very long
Merci beaucoup to everyone at Whitehill, for the flowers, presents, cards and kind words – I love all of them. I’m sad to be leaving, but very happy with my 8 wonderful years at Whitehill. I send my best wishes to all of you. Please say “Bonjour” if you see me out and about!