Mr Bolderow’s Blog 18.09.20

Today started well – first thing this morning, as the boys were arriving at School, a number of last year’s leavers gathered to present an honours board as a souvenir of their time at the School.  Some have already made their way to university, others head off this weekend and a few are starting courses remotely at home.  It was lovely to see them all, to give them their Old Boys ties and to share a few memories with them.  They were a year group, and a set of parents, who did so much to support the School in its early days and although it wasn’t the event we planned, it was great to see them and hopefully the rules will let us be all in one place soon.

So, as the leavers pack their trunks, we turned our thoughts earlier this week to the future plans of our current pupils.  On Wednesday evening, Mrs Deedat and Jason Smith from UES hosted a webinar with representatives from USC, Notre Dame, NYU, Wake Forest and the university I find most fascinating, St John’s College, at which all students follow the Great Books curriculum, reading around 200 of the greatest books ever written, starting with Homer’s Iliad and finishing in the modern era.  Listening to the different speakers I find myself both envious of and excited for the boys who have such a range of opportunity today.

Sixty clubs and activities returned to School from this week, with all the boys having their first Friday session today.  The bubbles do not allow the free choice across all the clubs that the boys had last year but there is a range of options in each year group which I hope they will enjoy.  Once the sports venues reopen we will add those back in too.  As with all things, we will keep reviewing the offering and making adjustments.  The Barometer, our pupil-led publication, is the first club that will operate across all year groups via Teams and we look forward to their first edition at half term.  All boys are welcome and encouraged to contribute to it.