14 March 2025
Dear Parents,
With the Grade 5 classroom upgrade well underway the children are familiar with a building site on campus. So it was appropriate that the assembly message on Monday concerned builders and bulldozers, but builders and bulldozers of people. Do we thank, praise and include people or are we critical, unkind and exclusive in our words and actions. The interns who acted as a builder and bulldozer added interest, fun and focus to the message, hopefully embedding it in to the young minds of our boys and girls.
More than a hundred indigenous trees have been planted on the slopes below the Junior Primary and in the fields. In just a few years this will be the most wonderful forest glade. The stream and the variety of birds and animals which the area will attract and support will make this valley quite different from Top Woods and an amazing legacy for Clifton. The Pre-School children will be able to see the changes as they grow with these trees over the next 10 years to Grade 7. Grade 6, with Mrs Nicola Worrall have also taken the opportunity to plant trees in this forest and the rest of the school will plant more trees during Arbor Week later in the year. In years to come when current children return to Clifton as Alumni, they will be able to reminisce about their happy times here, hopefully find their class trees and celebrate their contribution to this project.
The final match against Howick Prep ended in a tight but exciting win and marked the changing of the sport season. The Estates team were quick to install the rugby posts and hockey and rugby training is already well under way soon to be followed by cross country running. The little ones have their last mini cricket fixture at Laddsworth and then the JP gala next week, before their focus changes.
On the academic front, the Grade 7 exams have started, and the levels of attention and focus have definitely increased in the evening prep sessions.
As I pen this note, the Grade 2s are heading to choir practice, dressed as birds for Bird Day, with Mrs Moor leading by example.
The Grade 4s have added four hens to their farming programme. These are already a lovely addition to the campus and are making friends with the children, who take turns to carry them around. These chicks are also learning to read and one has already laid her first egg! They all have names starting with ‘M’ so none are allocated “Sunday Lunch”. However, I’m told that Matilda is the angry chicken, so perhaps her name will change!
