Newsletter King’s College Alicante
SECONDARY
OCTOBER 2013 / FIRST TERM
Message from the Head of Secondary October has been a very busy month in the Secondary School with several popular, annual events taking place. Our new-format Sports Day was a huge success and pupils were able to demonstrate their skills in athletics or tag rugby, supported by a team of pupil officials and reporters. The unseasonable weather made the day a hot and sticky one but it was still hugely enjoyable and I was delighted to see the enthusiasm with which everybody embraced the event. Many thanks to the parents and staff who supported this important event in our school calendar and congratulations to all pupils who took part on the day. Special congratulations to Gaudí who were crowned Sports Day Champions! Swiftly on the tail of Sports Day was our October Trips Week. Sra. Guio has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to organise a varied and interesting set of trips for all pupils and both her and Miss Robinson deserve a huge thank you for ensuring everything went to plan during, what is logistically, a very complicated week. The hard work is well worth it however as Trips Week provides pupils with an important change of pace and scene following a busy six weeks of studies. These outdoor learning opportunities are important in solidifying classroom-based learning but also help our young people to understand the interplay and relationship between discrete curriculum areas, thus promoting lifelong learning and critical thinking skills. I was also very pleased to hear what excellent ambassadors for the school our pupils were when they were visiting different areas of the province; many of the people we worked with in the local community commented on the excellent behaviour and positive attitude of our pupils. Well done to you all.
Another major achievement this month was a successful trip to London organized by Ms. McGuinness and Miss Manners and which we hope will now become a regular feature on our school calendar. The Y12 and Y13 pupils who accompanied them had a great time visiting important artistic and literary sights of the U.K. capital. A big thank you to them both for making this trip so enjoyable for everyone. Finally, the Hallowe’en Disco last Friday was a shining example of what our Sixth Formers are willing to do for their community. The Sixth Form Committee spent many hours decorating the multi-purpose room, preparing music and lighting, organizing competitions, buying prizes and giving up their Friday evening to ensure the disco was a success for the Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils. Thank you to Miss Robinson, Mrs Castro, Mr Walsh, Miss Best, Mme Belna, and Mr Lazaro for all your hard work – your community spirit and willingness to give up your own time for others, acts as a great example to the rest of the student body and demonstrates what we stand for here at King’s College, Alicante.
Simon Wicks Head of Secondary