Welcome back! The summer term has started at pace – so much so the weather has not caught up yet. Despite this, the field has been used at lunchtimes and as far as the pupils are concerned, that is all that matters. Let’s hope we can get some warmer and less wet weather in the coming 56½ days!
I have spent too much time in my office or off site in other meetings this week. That is not right. It has been necessary and actually, the meeting on Thursday morning in Cambridge with my NAHT colleagues was very interesting. Nevertheless, I do want to spend a little more time next week popping into the classes and seeing what and how the pupils are learning. The start of the term will mean the start of some new topics and I look forward to hearing about them.
It was lovely to chat to the pupils in my assembly on Monday about their break. Some pupils shared what they had got up to and we explored how far pupils had travelled in relation to the four cardinal directions. We also looked at some events closer to home. We thought about all that we need to achieve this term which is very scary and decided it was probably better to take one day at a time.
After settling back to it on Monday, we were at full pace on Tuesday. In the afternoon we managed to get the postponed, lower school interhouse football competition played, much to the delight of the Year 3 and Year 4 pupils. I did manage to pop out briefly and saw some very enthusiastic pupils. Amelie (Year 3) in goal was totally focussed and even managed a little ‘happy dance’ when her team scored at the other end. The winners of the afternoon were Earth House.
Straight after school, we played a Year 4 girls’ football match beating a very determined Ickleford team 4 – 2. Whilst mentioning football, the final match of the year took place after school on Thursday with a Year 5 team traveling to St Chris. The game was arranged so that the boys could play against their friend and former Whitehill pupil, Ethan. Miss Gooderham fed back that it was a lovely game finishing in a 1 – 0 win for Whitehill. The match report delivered by Connor and Kieran (Year 5) in Achievers’ Assembly was well written but brutal! They made sure those who missed open goals were exposed!
I watched a wonderful assembly on Wednesday morning led by Mr Lord. I have to admit, I wasn’t in the hall but did observe from the balcony and, as you can see from the photo below, it was the best place to be. The activity – a metaphor for helping others to find happiness – was illustrated very well with 241 screwed up pieces of paper, each with a pupil’s name on. If the pupils only spent time looking for their own, then it was an almost impossible task. If they helped each other, then it wasn’t long before all pupils found their name.
Having narrowly missed out on winning the netball league this year, the ‘A’ Team took part in the end of season competition on Wednesday afternoon. Despite drawing the first game against St Ippolyts, they went on to win each of the subsequent matches, including the final against St Andrew’s. Well done to all who took part and well done for bringing the trophy back home! There are two more competitions next week and so fingers crossed we can make it three out of three.
It was a slightly hectic time for Mrs Bryan who, as well as coaching the team at the rally, had also booked for the Year 6 Isle of Wight meeting to take place at the same time! We managed to make things work and she did get out to see the second half of the final. As you can see from the photo below, she was quite happy!
With me not really being in a position to talk about what has been happening in class this week (I will do better next week), I will take this opportunity to thank the staff team who give up their time to ensure the opportunities the pupils get to represent the school in a sports fixture are maximised. Miss Gooderham does keep track of who has represented the school and I can confirm that as of today 71% have put on a kit and taken part in a fixture.
This is one of the reasons we were so grateful when Crystal Bathrooms, a local company with links to the school, responded to my recent request to sponsor some more kit. This kit – 15 sets in total – is currently with the printers and I am sure you would agree looks lovely.
It isn’t just sport that features on the extra-curricular timetable and as we put together this term’s list, I can see flying club makes a return, together with favourites such as bonkers for books and BSL running again. Our pupils are very lucky.
After school on Thursday, I put on one of my other hats, that of music trustee at Hitchin Girls’ School and watched their Spring Concert (named due to weather perhaps?) and it was lovely to see so many former Whitehill students taking part and enjoying performing.
We did have an Achievers’ Assembly on Friday morning and had plenty to celebrate. The regular awards were handed out as follows: Air won the House Cup; Mayan won the Wombles and Apollo received the Class of the Week trophy.
We celebrated Sophie’s (Year 5) piano exam result which saw her achieve a distinction, an outstanding result. We shared Ben, Logan (Year 3) and Jacob’s (Year 6) rugby medals from their recent tour with Hitchin Hedgehogs to Weymouth. Arthur (Year 4) spoke about his recent match for Stevenage against Brentford. Lottie (Year 5) spoke about her skiing trip and Lottie (Year 4) shared her experience from her recent sailing course.
Tomorrow, we have thirty pupils taking part in the London Mini Marathon. This is such an exciting opportunity and a first for the school. Several staff (including me, hopefully) will be there to cheer the pupils on and take a few photos. Look out for updates on our Instagram page. Having run the full marathon in 2017 it will be lovely to see the pupils take part in their version. Are any parents running the full 26.2 miles on Sunday? If you are, good luck and enjoy it!
Also taking place on Saturday, more locally, is a spot of fundraising by some Whitehill families for their local initiative, ‘Beds for Children’. They will be in the old market square and should be easy to spot by the bed and perhaps some of them sporting a pair of pyjamas. If you are in the town centre, they would love you to pop over and say hello. I am sure you may recognise a few faces.
Looking further ahead, we have the two other netball competitions, I have already mentioned, on Tuesday and Thursday. We have our second cricket fixture of the season away at Weston on Wednesday.
On Thursday afterschool, parents of pupils in Year 4 have their residential trip meeting with Mrs Davies, Miss Payne and the staff team in the hall.
That will do for this week. Enjoy your weekend and I will see you on the playground on Monday.
Best wishes,
Steve Mills
Headteacher
Love the new kit!
I love the new kit MORE!
Madame Skinner will be at the Beds for Children gazebo in the Market Square from 11.30 – 12.15, with Monsieur Skinner too. Please come and say hello – or even “Bonjour!”