It was wonderful to see lots of prospective families here for our Open Morning on Saturday who went on to enjoy an afternoon of sport in the Valley. I was particularly impressed with the 1st VII netball girls who have been playing - and continuing to win - against some high-level opposition recently, this weekend against Queen Margaret's and St Peter's. The same is true of the U14 hockey boys who were victorious against Scarborough College, as they were against Sedburgh where the U13s were also triumphant. How proud we are that 8 members of the team don't just play hockey for us, but play for club and county too. Well done to all our coaches for developing and encouraging such high standards.
All the families who joined us at Ripon Cathedral to see the Schola join forces with the Ripon Cathedral Choir for Choral Evensong on Sunday were amazed by how well the Schola handled such a completely unfamiliar repertoire. We look forward to more opportunities like this after half term.
It was great to see the students pull together and run a very successful Time to Talk Day Cake Sale to mark Children's Mental Health Week today. To echo what Amadea (13M) said at Assembly last week, Time to Talk Day aims to inspire people to feel comfortable talking about their mental health and how important open conversations in communities are to support mental wellbeing. This is just one example of service that takes place throughout the school on a regular basis. As Dan Davison spoke about in Assembly, so many of our students are involved in fundraising through FACE-FAW for those in need or who are suffering in the world. With Lent coming up, he asked us all ‘to think not only about what you might give up, but also about what you can give of yourself in service to others’.
I think we have all been surprised by how quickly this half term has gone and I do hope you have a restful break.
Best wishes, Peter
Update from the Head