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Headmaster's Newsletter
17 May 2013
Dear Parents
Half term is almost upon us. It has been a fulfilling and busy term thus far, and we have a full week ahead.
Open Evening
As many of you know we have our Open Evening this Wednesday 22 May 5.30 – 7.30pm. We are strongly encouraging all our Junior and Senior pupils to support us on the evening. Mrs Hepworth is liaising directly with the Junior parents and as such, I would ask parents with pupils in the Senior Department to fill in the attached form (link below) so that we know who will be available to us on Wednesday. It is the first time that we have held an Open Evening and it will be interesting to see the effectiveness of it. Please do help us publicise it by letting your friends and family know about the Evening.
Sports Days
We have our Infants Sports Day coming up on Thursday 23 May at 2pm. I do hope that those of you with children in the department will be able to join us – the parents’ race is always a highlight, particularly the dilemma of balancing the desire to win with the determination to be gracious!
On Friday 24 May there is the Junior and Senior Sports Day, starting at 2pm. Parents are warmly invited to come and watch – although history would suggest that you do dress warmly.
Half Term
As we break up for half term on Friday 24 May, please note that the Infants finish at 3.30pm (after School Care is available until 5.00pm) and the Junior and Senior Departments break up at 4.15pm, so there will be no after school activities.
Cricket Wicket
It has been fantastic to have our astro cricket wicket installed. Many thanks to all of you who have supported the Friends of Kingsmead events, most especially the Fireworks Night and the Spring Ball, that have funded this excellent facility. We are delighted with the outcome and the children have benefitted enormously from it already, both in terms of its consistency and true bounce enabling them to improve their cricket skills as well as our ability to increasingly have cricket matches with more variable weather. My thanks to all on the Friends of Kingsmead committee who have organised and coordinated this so well, especially Rachel Beedles, Clare Kyle and Anthony Austin.
First Aid
Congratulations to our Junior and Senior First Aiders who did so well in their regional competition in Manchester. The Senior team convincingly won their section and are through to the National Competition and the Juniors did themselves proud, coming fifth. Mr Schanck, Mrs Thomas and Miss Davies were particularly proud of the students’ manners and teamwork.
Governors
Mr Turvey, our Chairman of Governors, has asked me to inform you that there will be three additions to the board with effect from 1 September 2013. Mr Murray Watts, a well-known author , film maker and grandson of our Founder, Mrs Anikhphe Oyedeji, a parent and medical practitioner and Mrs Elaine Murray, an Inspector focusing on Early Years provision will be joining us. We are very grateful for their time, energy and commitment to us.
Old Kingsmeadian Reunion and Thanksgiving Service
Saturday 11 May saw 200 Old Kingsmeadians, their friends and families join us in giving thanks for the life of Mr David Watts, Headmaster from 1949 until 1979. Four generations of the Watts family were able to be with us on Saturday, which was a wonderful celebratory day. During the service our Kingsmead Community Choir gave their inaugural performance of “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt, wonderfully lead and initiated by Mrs Smith. After the service some of our Junior School children entertained us with singing, dancing and an ESB performance. My thanks to the Junior Department and their teachers for the heart-warming performances.
End of Term
I hope that you have noted in our calendars that our Summer term is ending on Friday 12 July. Our Thanksgiving Service will be at 2.00pm on that day, followed by Refreshments and then Prize giving at approximately 3.30pm. We will be holding the traditional parents versus pupils cricket and rounders matches at 4.30pm, please do bring your picnics to enjoy what, I am sure, will be a lovely Summer’s evening. Our guest speakers at the Thanksgiving Service are Matt and Jenny Guilder, local youth workers, and our Prize giving Guest speaker is Murray Watts.
Finally… I do hope that you enjoy the half term break, where ever you spend it. Good luck to Mr and Mrs Hepworth and our Silver Duke of Edinburgh students as they head off to the Yorkshire Dales. I hope that the weather is kind to them.
Yours sincerely
M G Gibbons
Headmaster
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