Tuesday 5th September 2017
Welcome back to Maidstone Grammar School. I hope you all had a wonderful summer holiday
and are well-rested ready for the start of a new academic year. A particular welcome goes to all our new
members of the MGS Community: the students, the staff and to the parents. I hope you all settle in and enjoy your first
few weeks and that you develop a strong allegiance with the School. The summer holiday has been incredibly busy: we have seen
the completion of the new performing arts building, the demolition of the old
music block, the completion of all of the ground works in preparation for the
new pavilion, the installation of a new glass roof over the boys’ entrance,
numerous areas of the school being painted and the beginnings of the
remodelling of the staff toilets. On top
of all of this we have also received and issued, like every year, the GCE A Level
and GCSE examination results to the out-going Year 13 and to the former year 11
students. At this point I wish to thank
all those members of staff who have continued their work over the summer
supporting the School in preparation for the start of the new term. A couple of pieces of student news to share: On the weekend of the 26-27 August,
Simon Coppard of Corpus Christi House participated in the UK Athletics
Championships at Bedford International Stadium in the U17 800m. On
the Saturday he ran the heat and qualified in second place with a time of
1:59.89 which meant he progressed into the final the following day. In
the final on the Sunday he ran in a very quick final against the 15 year old
world record holder Max Burgin and finished with a silver medal with a new PB
of 1:51.97 which he was delighted with. Congratulations Simon and well
done. And well done to William
Bitz of College House who passed his Grade 5 Cornet Trinity Music Exam which he
took at the end of the summer term. This week, despite it only being Week 2, is a busy one.
Yesterday after school the first Extended Leadership Team meeting of the year
took place. With a new deputy head and
assistant head, and four new heads of house this year it is important that we
develop into a strong team early on. In
addition to this meeting the first Parents' Association meeting of the year
took place, and as always have a packed programme of events to support the
School. Tomorrow we invite year 12 students and their parents
into school to attend the Year 12 Information Evening. Year 12 is an important year and so it is
vital to meet with the year group early to share with them what is to come
during the next couple of years. And on Friday we have our Beginning of Year Service and
Upper School Speech Day, the latter being the occasion when we recognise the
achievements of the older students from last year. It is also a time when many outgoing students
meet once more before going off to university and the world of work. We keep our fingers crossed for good weather.
