It is amazing to think
that last week’s hot weather was only six weeks after we closed the school to
heavy snow and extreme cold temperatures!
The students coped well with the heat, but fortunately we now have much more
realistic weather for this time of year.
It was nice while it lasted though.
This week we have two
main events. Tomorrow is the Year 6
Induction Evening where we welcome to the school the boys and their parents who
will be joining MGS in September.
Excitement will be mixed with anxiety, but it is hoped that they all
have a positive experience and that they are looking forward to becoming a
Maidstonian. This event also marks the end of the current senior prefect team’s
tenure and the start of the new one.
Kristian and Lex, the 2017-18 school captain and school vice-captain,
will be allowed to ring the ship’s bell that hangs in the main lobby, and at
that point their term of office ends and Henry’s and Dan’s begin. At this point I would like to thank the both
of them for their leadership and service they have given to MGS.
And Friday is the last of
the four House charity days and this time it is Barton’s turn. Led by Mr Highsted, the Head of House, and
the House Prefect Team, a number of events will be taking place raising money
and awareness for their charity, which this year is the NSPCC. I hope everyone enjoys the day. Sadly, I will be missing most of the morning
as I will be attending the Kent Schools’ Funding Forum April meeting: a forum
of representatives from all Kent schools that work collaboratively looking at
how our schools are funded.
At the end of last week I
was able to present a number of students with their School Colour ties. Back at Christmas and at Easter I awarded
these students with their School Colour certificates in the final assemblies
but had to apologise to them because the ties had yet to arrive in school. They arrived on Wednesday last week, so now
many of the students are proudly wearing their ties around school. Congratulations to all of them again.
Finally, congratulations
to Sgt Maj Saumtally, SSgt Gautam, Sgt Skinner, Sgt Hulme, Cpl Pearson, Cpl
Owen, LCpl Taylor and LCpl Jessell. Over
the weekend these army cadets competed in the Cadet Cambria Patrol in the
Brecon Beacons. The patrol is the most challenging army cadet competition in
the UK. Reveille was at 4am, with the last cooked meal provided by the field
kitchen at 4.45am. The section was dropped off at the starting checkpoint at
6.30am. Over the next 12 hours the cadets navigated a 40km course over the
demanding terrain of the Sennybridge Training Area. At various checkpoints they
also had to demonstrate their military skills on stands for first aid,
observation, fire and movement and military knowledge. After cleaning the rifles,
the section had to prepare their overnight accommodation in the forest, before
making a model of the next day's exercise and delivering orders for the next
two phases. After a cosy night on the forest floor the team had to navigate to
the range to show their target shooting skills with the cadet rifle. The
competition finished with a very welcome brunch in the field kitchen!
Presentation time arrived, all the teams had assembled, the Colonel was waiting
for the announcement from the RSM 'Maidstone Grammar School, silver
medal'. Well done boys, and many, many
thanks to Major Highway and WO2 Rai for accompanying them.
