It’s not over until it’s over
An Icelandic would have called it ‘A raisin at the end of the hotdog’ situation. A Polish man would have nodded and used an idiom of his own: ‘Mustard after lunch.’ And the lady from Rome would surely have mused, ‘Well, not all doughnuts come with a hole’.
I imagine these are the expressions they would have used if they were with me at 2am this morning alongside several heroic colleagues who were frantically trying to control a small flood in the snack room of Colstocks boarding house. After a long and challenging term, having almost got to the finish line, this was a reminder that it is not over until it is over. The ‘raisin’ to an Icelandic is an unexpected surprise at the end of something; for a Pole, ‘mustard after lunch’ means it is too late to do something if it is has already happened; and, to an Italian, doughnuts without holes suggest that things do not always go as well as one would like!
And that is certainly the case this term. Things have not always turned out the way we planned them – at least, not the way we planned them initially; they did go to plan B, C, D , E etc… And everyone has made the best of the situation. Despite all the disruption of this term we have had some fantastic moments: many successes, many things learnt – academically and socially – and many, many moments of laughter.
The lovely Carol Service this morning is a perfect example. It could not be live so we adapted well in advance to create a delightful service which featured as many children in the school as possible. Mrs Adams once again prepared the readers superbly while Mr Cousins and Mrs Radley pulled rabbits out of hats to get the singers recorded in various venues over these last two weeks. And I really want to emphasise the behind the scenes contribution of Mrs Gent and Mr Rodriguez to get all of these events recorded. They have done an amazing job! If you missed it, you can still watch from this link.
Mr Rodriguez’s technical wizardry has been used elsewhere too. This year’s Nativity productions have been a bit like a blanket on a cold night: it may have been bleak and different at times this year but certain comforts in life will always persist. And seeing children dressed as angels, camels and wise men is one of them! In all cases, the children delivered their lines with clarity and sang beautifully. Well done to all the Nursery, Pre-Prep and Junior children who performed.
And congratulations to the Masterclass actors too for their short film of A Christmas Carol which was also superb. It will be a lovely memento for years to come. Again, it can be watched here if you would like to view it.
Competitive sport has not featured much this term but Dakota Kane managed to compete in the NSEA Championships last weekend where she finished 8th in strong competition. Less competitive but just as enjoyable was the Fun Run organised by Phoebe Wearne (Year 8) and Mrs Murray on Wednesday afternoon. Not only did we see pupils and staff (and Father Christmas?) running side by side (well, 2m apart of course) but we also raised over £680 for The Brain Tumour Charity. Well done everyone for a wonderful effort.
May I encourage you to read the December library newsletter. Compiled by Mrs Garrett, again this features excellent reading advice for children of all ages and this might be useful for Christmas gift ideas. The newsletter went out by ParentMail yesterday.
Although a smaller affair, it was lovely to stage a boarders’ end of term supper on Wednesday evening. Ted and his catering team once again delivered a delicious meal, as they do day in day out, and we celebrated the spirit of Colstocks, led by Mr and Mrs Tomsett, which is as strong as ever. We also used the occasion to say goodbye to two gappies, Katie and James, who have done a sterling job this term, as well as George Yates who moves on to seek new adventures. Whether it is in the classroom, on the sports pitches or in Colstocks, George has made a big contribution to the life of St Andrew’s and we thank him, plus Katie and James, and wish them well for the future.
And so to the end of term. As you read this, the final whistle echoes in the background and, to a degree, my colleagues and I can now relax a little. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who works at St Andrew’s for the way they have met the challenges of 2020 and striven to maintain the best education possible for the pupils. Anxiety levels have been high for many people at times but it just goes to show the power of pulling together. And in that vein, I’d like to say thank you to you as parents too for the support you have given to the school as it has navigated its path.
If I haven’t wished you a Merry Christmas in person then please accept it from me now. I sincerely hope that you have a lovely family time, a very happy New Year and a relaxing, fun-filled holiday. See you in January!