It was quite a challenge writing my piece this time last week, as I knew something very exciting that I wasn’t allowed to tell you! Last Friday evening saw our Exhibition and Prize Giving for the first year of the Junior Leonardo Creative Competition, which saw us compete against Brighton College Prep School and Handcross Park. I am delighted to be able to open my final Newsletter of the academic year with the news that St Christopher’s placed 1st and 3rd across the twelve Houses of the three schools! We won two of the five creative categories, with a good show of 2nd and 3rds, and saw the prestigious Mitchell Prize awarded to Lucy.
As if there wasn’t enough to celebrate on this page already, we also end the year with the Flag Days for three Academic Scholarships to Brighton College. These are incredibly prestigious awards, and have become more competitive with each passing year. I am so proud of Emanuel, Leon, and Emily, who have taken our total Scholarships for the year to an impressive total of fourteen.
It was great to see so many of you at The Barn Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday this week for our Upper School production of Legally Blonde. It was possibly the best yet of Mrs J Griffiths’ megashows, and I can’t even begin to imagine how tired everybody was this morning! I was delighted to see so many families from Pre-Prep and Middle School there, coming to see where the St Christopher’s journey in the Performing Arts ends up.
Speaking of journeys, my speech to Year 8 Leavers’ Assembly this morning borrowed a line from our School Hymn. “From smallest acorns grow great trees”, as it opens, is clearly a metaphor for your children’s journey at St Christopher’s. In my speech, I asked our Leavers to consider how much they have grown in their time with us, using trees as an analogy. I’ve spoken a lot about resilience this year; we all need our bark to protect us from wind and weather, even though it can get nibbled at from time to time. Twigs become branches which become boughs; we build up our strengths slowly over time, but they can become truly mighty. As we wave goodbye to our 2024 Leavers, the Year 7s grow and turn their leaves to the sun, ready to be next year’s Heads of School, Prefects, House Captains, Sports Captains, and all round role models to the rest of our community. The new school year, of course, will see the next intake of tiny seeds down at our Reception site at Glebe Villas.
It has been an outstanding year in the life of our school, but now is the time for a well earned rest. I wish you and your families a wonderful and restful Summer Holiday.
Elizabeth Lyle, Head
