The first half of the term here at St Chris has been a bustling and exciting period, marked by various activities and initiatives across our Junior and Senior School. Continuing to provide educational excellence in the UK, St Chris’ approach to education is holistic and looks to engage pupils in every possible way. With this in mind, here’s a short summary of ten exciting things that have happened this term, with plenty more available to read about in our school News.
- Sports Extravaganza: The term kicked off with a flurry of sporting events, with students engaging in a wide range of sports including football, swimming, basketball, netball, and table tennis, both at home and away. Pupils excelled, of course, in these matches, with St Chris’ basketball team remaining unbeaten for the entire half-term thanks to a last-minute buzzer-beater in the most recent game.
- New Faces and Friendships: St Chris welcomed new students across all year levels, including the nursery, where these newcomers quickly formed strong friendships with their peers. It was a joy to see these new friendships form as friends caught up about their summers. These friendships have progressed across years in after-school enrichment programmes, which many new pupils have uptaken.
- Thursday Options Success: The Thursday Options program got off to a flying start, with students exploring a diverse range of activities, including skateboarding, cardboard engineering, debating, and the exciting “Fire, Fizz and Fun Science.” The first Options block has now been completed and pupils are enjoying their new rotations, anticipating their continuation into the next half term.
- Apple Week: This term, St Chris introduced its first-ever Apple Week as a spin-off from the traditional St Chris Apple Day, with Earth Education Senior School students assisting the Junior School in gathering hard-to-reach apples with apple grabbers and the advantage of height!
- Earth Education: Speaking of Earth Education, this new addition to the curriculum for Senior School students offers students the chance to connect with nature in the Arunwood Ecocentre. Pupils enjoyed using grid squares to investigate the area’s biodiversity. The curriculum serves as a natural progression from the Junior School’s Forest School curriculum, an integral part of learning at St Chris.
- Swimming Adventures: Typically, the St Chris swimming pool was abuzz with activity this term, with numerous sessions available to the school community both during and after school hours. Notably, Junior and Senior School students embarked on an exciting swim trip to Jersey this week.
- Open Day Welcomes: St Chris opened its doors to Open Day season, hosting prospective parents and students in both the Nursery/Junior School and Senior School/Sixth Form, providing a glimpse of the vibrant St Chris community. Parents remarked on how happy the pupils and staff were simply to be at school – with some amazed at this concept. Pupils enjoyed being tour guides to a huge selection of parents, giving their insights into life at St Chris.
- Creative Explorations: The art department was a hive of activity, organizing trips to the Knitting and Stitching Show and the Tate Modern, while the CDT department ran Saturday SHED sessions for pupils to focus on their large-scale GSCE practical work, sparking students’ creativity and innovation. Art-integrated learning expanded into lessons, where I Group (Year 7) enjoyed illustrating their personalities through artistic impressions of their minds.
- Reunion in the Orchard: After the summer break, friends from across the school reunited to bask in the warm sunshine. In particular, pupils enjoyed getting together in the Junior School’s orchard and I Group (Year 7) enjoyed bonding in school and on trips.
- We Are the World Junior School Concert: The term concluded with a heartwarming celebration of Black music and artists, highlighting the school’s commitment to developing a more inclusive Junior School curriculum. The concert certainly was a student-teacher collaboration!
The first half of the term has been marked by a rich blend of academic, creative, and sports-related activities, fostering both personal growth and community spirit at St Chris. The small class sizes allow every aspect of education to be uncovered, and we aren’t stopping there!
We look forward to welcoming pupils back to school on Monday 6 November to continue the academic year and achieve so much more!
