HM Blog - Friday 6th October 2023
When we send our Form 8s off into the wider world of senior school, we hope that they will go on to be happy, thrive and extend all their talents and best traits at the next ever-complex stage of their development. We believe we enhance their chances by providing a preparatory education purpose built to give them a long-lasting momentum, wherever they go onto beyond.
How delightful then it was, to witness our 2019 Head of School Lara Jeffrey stand at the lectern in Monday morning’s assembly, with staff, pupils and parents eating out of her hand, as she spoke of her charity work experiences at Fettes College. More specifically, Lara was describing her week in the summer holiday, participating in ‘Supertroop’, an initiative where Fettes Sixth Formers run a residential camp for disabled youngsters.
Not that Lara needed any assistance whatsoever, she was joined by great friend and Governor of St. Mary’s Mr Ally Armstrong, who teaches History and Politics at Fettes College. Mr Armstrong could have left the entire presentation to Lara who interacted with her audience and spoke with genuine passion about the initiative and heartfelt affection for Brook, a teenager with Down Syndrome whom Lara looked after over the course of a week.
Staff in the Morrison Hall looked on with a sense of pride as Lara taught us all how signing was used for communication purposes, at which point I picked out Mrs Jeffrey who was holding back tears of very justified pride as her daughter wowed us all. The sight of an emotional Mrs J nearly set a few of us off!
Of the six ‘C’s that underpin our values, Lara’s recollections of her experience epitomised ‘caring’, ‘connectivity’, creativity’ and ‘confidence’.
At the same time as we were learning of this wonderful Fettes College initiative, Mrs Berni’s team and their Kindergarten charges were demonstrating ‘curiosity’ when shuffling through the fallen leaves in their red wellies and boiler suits at Wooplaw Woods. We understand this is a favourite activity among the Kindergarten contingent.
‘Curriculum’ was in full flow as the rest of the week unfolded with a busy day of excellent extra-curricular fixtures on Wednesday, Dr Morgan and Miss Pugh heading to Sedbergh with an U11 academic challenge team (Hal, Magnus, Annie and Mary) on Thursday and of course, a full week of teaching and learning in and out of the classrooms as week 6 of the term has come and gone.
Orchestra practice, Squad singing rehearsals, auditions for the middle school show, and hockey and rugby trials have ensured there has been no lull in intensity, but perhaps the week is to be bookended by two very special and extraordinary performances. Lara impressed us on Monday, and this afternoon our exceptionally talented peripatetic music tutor Mrs Helen Leach is putting on a performance with her chamber concert in the Morrison Hall, as part of a project to showcase music she has composed.
One week our pupils are treated to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in Galashiels, the next we have the privilege of hearing a chamber concert performing music composed by our very own understated Helen Leach!
We wish our U11 and U13 teams all the very best for Sunday’s Loretto hockey and 7s rugby tournaments. Before then, do have a good rest at the end of what has been a hectic spell in the first half of term. One week to go before a well-deserved half-term holiday is upon us!