Saint Nicholas School
From the Headmaster's desk
'You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.' - Dr.
Friday 15th September, 2023
Dates for your Diary
18th September
Reception Parents Coffee Morning
18th -22nd September Healthy Choices Week
20th September
Year 6 trip to Legoland (STEM activity)
21st September
Year 1 Parents Coffee Morning
25th September
Dear all,
The year has got off to a flying start and it has been wonderful to see our pupils settle back into the ebb and flow of school life so quickly My first assembly of the year was all about 'Grit', a quality which will be a theme of my assemblies throughout this academic year. I am a strong believer that good old-fashioned grit, a combination of passion and perseverance, is a key personality trait for success and during my assembly, I gave examples of a range of famous individuals who have gained success through being gritty and determined.
In my Lower School assembly, I read the pupils the story of Izzy Gizmo, a girl who often failed but persevered and was then successful, and in the seniors, I showed them an extract from a TED talk on Grit: the power of passion and perseverance, which you can view by clicking on this link .
Year 2 Parents Coffee Morning
27th September
Year 11 Geography Field Study Day
28th September
Year 3 Parents Coffee Morning
29th September
EYFS Open Morning
29th September
Year 10 MacBeth at the Globe theatre trip
Seuss
I ended both my assemblies, by encouraging the pupils to be gritty this academic year, and persevere when faced with failure and challenge, leaving them with the following quotation, 'We don't grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges.'
As you would expect, the first week and a half has been devoid of the normal cornucopia of trips and events, as we settle pupils into their new timetables and routines. We are becoming a great deal busier, starting with our Year 7 trip to the Norfolk Lakes which headed off today, with me in tow. The Year 7 pupils will be spending the weekend climbing, paddleboarding, caving and kayaking, amongst other things, and my thanks to Mrs Ridley-Warren for leading the trip and Ms Jeppesen and Mrs BranfordJackson for accompanying.
Next week, we will be marking Healthy Choices Week, and we will be encouraging pupils to think about their lifestyles and make healthy choices. There will be a range of activities throughout the week, and I would encourage families to get involved at home.
To quote English poet and essayist, Leigh Hunt, 'The groundwork of all happiness is good health.'
As we move into the weekend, it is worth noting that it is both National Gymnastics and National Dance Day on Saturday.
With rain predicted on Sunday, this weekend could prove the ideal moment to kick off Healthy Choices Week in style with a twirl, twostep, jump or pull-up so, in the word of Dr. Seuss, why not put your feet in your trainers and steer yourself in a direction you choose!
My very best wishes for an active weekend
Dates for your Diary
2nd October
Year 4 Parents Coffee Morning
3rd October
Year 4-6 ISA Regional Swimming Competition, Ipswich
5th October Year 5 Parents Coffee Morning
12th October U10 ISA Boys’ Football
14th October Open Morning
17th October Friends Halloween Disco
18th October Year 11 Parents’ Evening
19th October Reception Class trip to Hatters Farm
4th December Lower School Carol Service
6th December Middle and Upper School Carol Services