Mr Bolderow’s Blog Week 3

Dear Parents,

As ever, I hope this email finds you and your families well.  It has been a positive week at the School – lots of ‘shout outs’ from the staff recognising the achievements of the boys.  What I particularly enjoyed is that the boys in some tutor groups have started giving shout outs to the staff for lessons that they have particularly enjoyed or for recognising their efforts in some other areas.  As you can imagine this has gone down very well with the staff who have received them; mutual support and appreciation is important as we continue in lockdown.

I have been sent several examples of excellent work by the boys over the last few days.  The reports I received from Mrs Skinner that the boys wrote after their virtual Field Day were a very entertaining read; one boy had gone to four of the different sites and boys from every year group filed reports.  The most moving were those who had taken the virtual tour of Anne Frank’s house.  The boys were genuinely reflective and had learnt a lot from that experience. I am also delighted to hear of boys developing their interests or skills while in lockdown and Tommaso S now has a film review Instagram account called the_silver_screen_library.  Films reviewed so far include The Two Popes, London Has Fallen and Victoria and Abdul.

This week, however, is tinged with a little regret.  Today would have been our Leavers’ Morning for Year 13.  The morning would have been a chance for staff and our first Year 13 leavers to reminisce about their time at the School, a last moment to relax in the Sixth Form Centre before heading off to the serious business of A Level revision.  We are going to arrange something for them and the staff via Zoom at the end of next week so we can still have that moment. They have been an excellent year group in so many ways and always risen to the challenge of being the Wetherby Senior pioneers.  I hope there will be a chance to celebrate face to face before they head off to university or at the end of their first term.

Best wishes, Seth