Dear parents and carers
For many this week, it has been a time of reflection and sadness as we, as a community, said goodbye to Joe Maddy on Tuesday. Many staff and students attended his funeral, held at St Katharine’s Church on Tuesday. The service was a fitting tribute to Joe and our students and staff who were involved in the proceedings were a real credit to themselves and the community acting with grace and dignity. I would like to commend them all for their support in helping the community to remember Joe and celebrate all those great qualities and characteristics that made Joe the wonderful young man that he was.
The Brilliant Club
Each year we have students participate in the Brilliant Club and demonstrate our value of ambition.
This year is no different and we must congratulate four year 9 students.
Mr Litt writes: ‘James Latham, Romisaa Magour, Abigail Grigaitis and Georgina Richey have al graduated from The Brilliant Club with a formal graduation ceremony at Cambridge University.
The Brilliant Club is set up to develop university research and writing skills in younger students and to help them aspire to reach to the pinnacle of the academic world. This was a great experience for everyone and congratulations to them all!
Romisaa Magour was our spokesperson on the day and I can think of no better way of celebrating the achievement of the group than by publishing her inspiring speech here.
As I stand here today, I reflect on my journey through a fascinating course that shaped my academic path. I studied ‘Philosophy of Life and Death’ guided by the incredible expertise of my Cambridge University tutor, Siobhan. Her support made a significant impact on my learning experience, fostering a stimulating environment that encouraged deep thinking. Throughout this course, one revelation stood out: the intricate connection between morality and human purpose. I found this particularly interesting because it not only explained my knowledge but also sparked my curiosity about existential philosophy. It made me realise the importance of understanding our finite existence and how it drives our aspirations and values. This insight is relevant to my interest in psychology and philosophy as I aim to explore these realms further in my future
Of course, not everything was easy. I encountered several obstacles, particularly when tackling complex philosophical texts However I persevered with help from my peers and classmates This taught me how to be resilient and to persevere, even when things were tricky and I felt like giving up. Looking ahead, I am contemplating further education after graduation. I am excited by the prospect of studying. I am keen to deepen my knowledge and growth as I believe that these subjects will open up opportunities and pathways for my future.
In closing, I want to express my gratitude to everyone: my school, my tutors and my classmates. They have all enriched my mind and also prepared me for the next chapter of my life. I have learnt lots from my experience with the Brilliant Club. It has taught me how to be a better student and what university will be like. I now can’t wait to get there!’
Writing Competition Winners
This week we must also congratulate the winners of the writing competition in school – well done to all three prize winners and a big thank you to everyone who contributed and made the effort to submit entries.
1st Place – Baxter Hefferon – Frogbert’s Adventures in the Pond: The Mysterious Case of Fred the Frog
2nd Place – Amber Jacobs – The Figure in the Fog
3rd Place – Charlotte Harle – Unnamed
DoE Gold Award
I was delighted last week to be informed by Mrs Ayling that we have had some of our first pupils achieve fully their D of E Gold award. These are the first students to do so in a number of years and this is testament to Mrs Ayling’s hard work, organisation and passion for ensuring our DoE provision is exceptional.
Congratulation therefore to Zoe Graves, Emily Chapman and William Baldry who have all been invited to Buckingham Palace to receive their Gold Awards. Well done to Emily who is actually also the first at Wollaston to achieve all three awards – Bronze, Silver and Gold!
Key Dates
Thursday 20th March– Year 9 Options Evening
Tuesday 25th March – Year 11 Excellence Tie Evening
Best wishes for the week ahead.
Simon Anderson