27 September 2016

Last night we welcomed Year 9 parents who attended the Year 9 Information Evening.  Year 9 is an important year as the boys embark on their GCSE studies.  Year 9 will be the first year group in which the boys receive the new numerical levels 9 - 1 in all of their subjects (apart from History).  Assessments throughout the year will now use these new numerical levels as opposed to the normal grades A - C in order to understand them fully by the time the boys reach Year 11.  Thank you to parents for coming along. Congratulations to the 1st and 2nd XV rugby squads who beat Simon Langton Grammar School last Wednesday in their first game of the season.  Spirits were up and so the boys went home that afternoon with a greater level of confidence for the year to come.  Sadly their fixtures against Cranbrook School at the weekend ended with two losses, but the boys should feel pleased with their quality of play and use the results to drive them on in this week's training.  Despite the excellent start for the 1st XI football squad, the team could not match their rugby peers losing 5 - 0 away against Simon Langton.  More work to be done. It is this time of year when all of the Honours Boards are taken away to be updated.  15 student names will be engraved on the School Hall boards, those students who gain straight As in their A-Levels, in addition to the names that will be engraved on the Sport and CCF boards.  The final two boards to be engraved are the School Captain and School Vice-Captain boards, and I expect Tom and Josh are looking forward to seeing their names up whilst they are still here, as sadly all the other names are names of students who left in the summer.  Major Highway, the new Contingent Commander of the CCF, attends the Lord Lieutenant's Award Ceremony tonight in Canterbury to accept an award on behalf of Lt. Col Smith, who retired from the School and the CCF in July.  Sadly Lt. Col Smith is unable to receive the award himself, marking 20 years of service to the MGS CCF, but we are incredibly proud that he is being acknowledged in this way.  Congratulations Lt. Col Smith and thank you Major Highway for attending.  This Friday is MacMillan Coffee Morning, and MGS will be joining the rest of the nation in supporting the charity over a cup of coffee and a slice of cake.  This year we are expanding the event and inviting parents, Governors and Old Maidstonians to attend.  If you are free on Friday morning between 10.30 and 11.30 and fancy a cuppa then please do visit us.  You are more than welcome.