KONNECTIONS SUMMER 11
From The Head Master The beginning of the term was marked by heat and dust providing perfect conditions, at least for our cricketers on sub-continental style pitches as they have prepared for their tour in Sri Lanka. As I write our students are all heads down in the middle of examinations and the School has the atmosphere of a ghost town. However, this never lasts for long and, as the end of term approaches the noise levels will increase again as the Arts Festival, Sports Day, Activities Day and the Swimming Gala provide a focus as the summer holidays approach. We are gearing up for some important improvements to the School over July and August with the refurbishment of our English and modern foreign languages area, further landscape work on the Hill Lane site and even the excitement of a new boiler at Wellington. KESSoc has been exceptionally busy organising the biennial ball and funding a range of initiatives including the eco-garden which was opened by the Mayor, Councillor Matthews, on June 28th. The number of trips we organise continues to take an enormous amount of time and energy but it is always worthwhile when you see just how much our students learn from what is on offer. Over a third of the School were involved in these activities over the spring holiday and many of these are reported in this issue including a very successful ski trip to France, an activities holiday at Beam House, a netball tour of Holland, classics visit to Greece, hispanicists in Cordoba and various treks across the New Forest and Dartmoor. All managed to avoid the latest round of volcanic ash as did the language trips over half term to Mutterstadt and Catalonia. Our charity work remains very active with significant numbers involved in Summer Camp and South Africa this summer as well as a new project at Lovaton. Other students will be spending the summer holiday in southern France with the water sports trip, travelling on expedition to Alaska and on our Sixth Form student exchange in North Carolina. Reports of these activities and various individual achievements are given in detail in this edition. The summer term tends to rush by with a touch of nostalgia as we see another generation of students move on to higher education. It has also been farewell to Mr Winter after 36 years teaching at King Edward’s. We thank him and the other staff who are retiring or moving to other posts and wish them all well.
AJ Thould Head Master King Edward VI School Wilton Road . Southampton . Hampshire SO15 5UQ Telephone: 023 8070 4561 Founded 1553
www.kes.hants.sch.uk