I begin this week’s blog with two very sad pieces of news. Firstly, friend and Old Maidstonian Paul Oldham passed away last week following a long battle with cancer. Paul was a huge supporter of the School, despite leaving MGS back in 1963, and was integral in the recent redevelopment of the War Memorial Library. We send our condolences to his friends and family. The second piece of the upsetting news is the sad death of Mary Pettit, wife of former headmaster Dr Philip Pettit, who died just after Christmas from a short illness. Mrs Pettit was associated with MGS for over 50 years - since her husband became headmaster in 1972 and seeing her grandson achieve a place here a few years ago. We also send condolences to her close and wider family.
In contrast to this sad news, huge congratulations must go
to Rafferty Pedder (OM 2013 – 2018) who made his professional football 1st
team debut last Saturday for QPR in the third round of the Men’s FA Cup against
Bournemouth. Well done Rafferty. Also, following this football theme, the 1st
XI football squad beat Sir Joseph Williamson School 10 – 0 in the Kent Cup, a
team that they lost to earlier in the season in the East Kent Premier
League. Well done to the entire squad.
At the weekend the students and staff trekking to Everest Base Camp in April went on their third practice walk, this time west of Sevenoaks in the Ide Hill area. The 24km walk enjoyed the Greensands Way, Chartwell House, and the small town of Westerham. Everyone returned with no blisters and a smile!
This week we open our doors to the wider Maidstone community
and welcome prospective sixth form students to our Post 16 Open Evening. Throughout the evening there will be
opportunities to hear from key staff about life at MGS as well as speak to
current sixth form students about their experiences. We hope that everyone has an informative
evening.
Following four months of after-school rehearsals, preparations for this year’s school production have now moved into the Big Hall. The Wedding Singer takes place in the first full week of February, and so last week and this week’s all-day rehearsals are a significant step to the main event. Do come along on Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 February at 7.30pm for an enjoyable evening.
On Sunday, 24 Year 12 students, accompanied by three members
of staff, fly out to the United States to attend the Harvard Model United
Nations Conference. Following three
sight-seeing days in New York the group travels to Boston and to the Conference
to put into practise what they have been working on since September. It will be an amazing experience for the
students, and one that will become a memory they cherish for a long time.
