17th November 2015
Dear Parents/ Families I think we have all been lulled into a sense of a pro-longed autumn because of the seasonally unusual weather but maybe now winter is fast approaching with those dark evenings, rain, winds and colder temperatures. For indeed, our next newsletter will be sent home on December 1st and by then Christmas will seem but a blink away! A reminder then about uniform: All students at senior level (Y7-11) must be wearing a jumper and for our boys, a long sleeved shirt with a tie. We insist upon proper coats/ jackets with no logos, no denim, leather or hoodies. Thank you too for a positive response to an insistence that girls remove nail varnish when they come to school. I think we are making some headway on that one! Last week saw the school publically remembering the armistice, with everyone standing outside in the large quad. Our Larch Centre students held their own moment of reflection at the same time. It was a moving, solemn moment, with readings by the Head Boy and Head Girl and a trumpeter. I would like to thank all students for their immaculate behavior and staff for the on the day organization- no mean feat! In particular, special thanks needs to go to Andy Grantham and Madeleine Harman (both members of my senior team) for the planning and implementation. Thanks also to Mark Taylor for the sound! A website post for Armistice Day is available to view online. Please remember that this newsletter aims to not replicate posts on the school website –front page posts can be updated as many as 3 times a day so please check frequently for the latest news from school. I recommend you find the Children In Need post, which clearly illustrates the charitable nature of Simon Balle. As we look ahead, may I remind all parents of the “peculiarities“ of the Easter holidays this coming year (2016). Easter is incredibly early and Hertfordshire took the decision to have the Easter weekend, return to school (for 4 days) and then take a full two-week holiday. Some parents have already taken advantage of this and booked a holiday for the second week, which is in some cases cheaper as many schools will have returned. Both Richard Hale and Presdales have made the holiday 3 weeks BUT we have not. This is a one off but in the light of the recent press coverage on term time holidays please do plan ahead and understand when the students are in school. I must admit that it never ceases to amaze me the number of calls the office receives each term about the date we start back!
Alison Saunders, Headteacher