JANUARY 2014 FORMER PUPIL NEWS FROM BABLAKE SCHOOL
Old Wheatleyans Winter Newsletter
Welcome to the Winter edition of the former pupils’ newsletter... Dear Old Wheatleayan, On behalf of all of us at Bablake, I wish you a healthy and happy 2014! We all know that bad news sells papers, and there are always plenty of stories which assert the depravity of humankind, or which tell of the unthinkable hardship or calamities which befall people in various parts of the world. I was therefore heartened to read a columnist who urged readers to celebrate 2013: “We’re not going to hell in a handcart, Britons are thinner and safer – and the young are leading the way.” She went on to talk about: the nation’s “shrinking waistline”; the fact that we are now collectively drinking about a third less beer, wine and spirits than a decade ago; the decrease in drug-consumption; the drop in teenage pregnancy; and the “collapse” in crime, especially violent offences and burglary. Of course, there are several plausible reasons for this encouraging news: for example, technology has made it more difficult to steal things and we have less money to indulge in excess than a few years ago. She concluded with an optimistic interpretation: “The country binged for a while, felt rather ill and decided to cut back and take the dog for a walk more often.”
January 2014
Whatever your feelings on the matter, I hope you can embark on the new year with a sense of optimism. Our pupils certainly give us ample cause to celebrate the goodness and promise in all of us! With our parents, we aim to give our young people a moral compass for life: although they may make mistakes along the way – some of them painful - we hope that they are guided and equipped to make the right choices and to learn the values which will mould them as generous and responsible members of society. Certainly, I am always delighted and impressed to see them talking to our guests at our senior citizens’ parties – just one example of positive nature and nurture, as reflected in a thank-you note from one of our guests: “The children were a delight and a credit to the school. They all loved being at Bablake and said how lucky they were.” So, we celebrate our pupils’ enormous potential to lead fulfilled and enriching lives this year, and we hope that this newsletter not only brings back happy memories of Bablake days, but makes you proud to be an ongoing member of our vibrant community! Our annual record of achievements and successes in 2012-13, The Wheatleyan, can be accessed via this link: http://bablake.com/publications_item.php?item=1 Best wishes, John Watson Headmaster 1