We are well and truly back into full swing across the school. The Year 3s continue to settle and I must admit, I look at some and think that they have been here for years. I continue to enjoy my conversations with them and listening to their enthusiasm about their first three weeks at Whitehill. Long may this continue.
The Year 6s continue to impress and I referenced this last week with the JLT hustings. On Friday morning, we presented a few more badges to those taking on a House role or a sports role across the school. Again, it was a really difficult decision as so many present as leaders and demonstrate the aptitude for these positions of responsibility. I feel it is going to be a good year in Year 6. I wonder if I can get on the residential next May – it sounds like it could be great fun.
Whilst not being a member of staff any longer, Whitehill still sponsors Miss Gooderham when she plays for Stevenage Women, and I am delighted to highlight her player of the match performance on Sunday. In the last two games she has three assists and a goal and has started the season exceptionally well. Those who follow the Stevenage Women socials, should look out for their player of the month awards and even if you can’t get to watch a match, please take it from me that Miss G deserves your vote for this month’s award!
It was an early start on Monday as we took this year’s individual and sibling photos. Our regular photographer has the process down to a fine art and we were done by mid-morning. He will be returning in a couple of weeks to take our class photos.
Our clubs are nearly all up and running again. It was a pleasant evening after school on Monday and so I ventured outside to watch the first netball practice of the season. I was impressed with some of the play, already and there is definitely a lot of potential for Mrs Bryan and Miss Payne to work with. It was also lovely to catch up with Leo – now Year 7 at HBS – and hear about his start to the year at his new ‘big’ school. He was just as cheerful as ever!
Talking of former students, I also caught up with Dimitris (Year 7) and Jacob (Year 8) on Thursday morning, again hearing about what they have been getting up to and what they are finding enjoyable.
Just to name drop a little but also to highlight the possibilities for our current pupils’ futures, Mrs Mills and I went to see 2:22 A Ghost Story on Wednesday evening, as it tours around the country. We were so excited by the fact that two out of the four-person cast were former Mills students. I taught Stacey Dooley in the mid-1990s, and Mrs Mills had Shvorne Marks in her form at HGS, again in the last century! Yes, we are old! I wonder who, out of our current crop of talented actors and musicians, we will be talking about in a similar way in the future?
One particularly talented pupil I spoke with this week was Reya (Year 3). Reya had worked at home with her dad on compiling and filming a diary highlighting the growth of caterpillars they had come across. Not only was the diary so well made and really interesting to watch, when questioned, Reya knew exactly what she was talking about, using words such as ‘metamorphosis’ in her responses. If you have a few minutes, I really urge you to have a look, and with permission, I have included the link here.
I was out of school on Wednesday, at a regional meeting of my professional association. It was one of the last I will attend in this capacity and contributed very little. It wasn’t because I wasn’t interested, it was simply down to the location. We had booked a meeting room at Duxford with our particular room overlooking the Lancaster bomber that was in for repair. How cool is that. I kept excusing myself and disappearing to have a look around the museum whilst at the same time sending Mr Denney photographs of what I had found.
Whilst I was out, Mr Denney led an assembly for me looking at one particular aspect of e-safety. Something that features in many aspects of the curriculum at this time of the year. I understand the pupils really took the messages to heart and some needed reassuring that the examples he used were made up for the assembly. If pupils understand the harm a message may cause, then clearly the objective worked.
The library is really taking shape. It won’t be long now until we can have an official opening. Mrs Vernon and Mrs Winter have been doing their best to prevent pupils taking a look before it is ready but it is challenging, as they are all very excited about the transformation. The ‘plan’ was out again on Thursday as the next delivery of shelving was positioned. Look out for updates and invites to see it for yourselves next week.
As I visited classrooms on Thursday, I wasn’t sure if I was seeing science or magic in Apollo Class. They were looking at friction but as you migt have seen on social media, Mrs Bailey was certainly emphasising the awe and wonder a subject like this can provide. I did have to pick her up on Friday, however, when I noticed that my favoutite mug may have become collaterel damage.
Achievers’ Assembly was enjoyable on Friday morning. Well done to Everest who won Class of the Week and to Water who won the House Cup.
We also celebrated Emily B (Year 3) who, like Daisy (Year 5) last week, was awarded a distinction in her LAMDA Exam. And, like Daisy, I put her on the spot, and she performed one of her poems for us. Charlotte (Year 3) showed us her sailing award which we earned over the recent holidays.
At break on Friday, I held my first ‘Biscuits with the Boss’ of the year. My plan was to get started with the Year 3s but was rightly informed that I missed a few of last year’s Year 3s and so I started with a group of Year 4s. William, Imogen, Penelope, Ada, Hudson and Molly were wonderful company, meaning we actually ran over the allotted time. The topic of conversation included our holidays, things we were looking forward to and ‘how can we get more biscuits without Mr Mills finding out?’ William was particularly good at this.
Looking ahead to next week, I have a prospective parent tour in the diary for Tuesday morning. We have our first sports fixture of the year on Wednesday after school with a rugby team travelling to Purwell. We also have another on Friday after school with the first outing for one of our football teams. I think I might be involved in that one.
Phase are in on Thursday to work with our Year 6s for the first time this year. On Friday, I am at our Friends’ Association AGM at Highbury starting at 9.30am followed by a consortium meeting straight after. The end of the week is certainly busier for me that the start.
That is it from me for another week. Have a wonderful weekend.
Best wishes,
Steve Mills
Headteacher
Did you teach at Stopsley High?! I am now wondering if you ever taught me 😱 As I went to Stopsley High from 1993-1998!