Pupils Encouraged To Take A Deep Breath Ahead Of An Action-Packed Summer Term!

Mrs Taylor then awarded half colours to two pupils who have shown real sporting excellence over a number of years and who have shone among their peers in terms of their personal skills but also in terms of their contribution to their senior teams. They are Abdul Alothman and Jiwan Rana. Our congratulations to them both.

A large number of pupils took music examinations last term and it is great to see such a high level of achievement in this area. These include:

• Rhodri Thornber, who passed his Grade 2 singing; Jessica Rayner who passed her Grade 2 piano with distinction; and Ben Masters who passed his Grade 3 singing with Merit.
• Harry Peach passed his Grade 4 clarinet; Angharad Hill passed her Grade 4 singing; and Phoebe Sussman, Martha Skibniewski-Woods and Nancy Doyle all passed Grade 4 singing with Merit.
• Alice Lilley passed her Grade 4 flute with Merit; AislingTarpey achieved a double, passing her Grade 5 piano and her Grade 5 singing with Merit; Cai Williams passed his Grade 5 violin with Merit; Bea Hayes passed her Grade 5 Saxophone; and Annabel James passed her Grade 5 singing with distinction.
• Holly Taylor passed Grade 5 Theory of Music; and Catie Masters and David Dai passed Grade 5 Theory with Merit.
• And finally Amy Houghton passed her Grade 6 flute; Isaac Cho passed his Grade 7 Saxophone; Sky Treasure-Jeffreys passed her Grade 7 piano; Oliver Price passed his Grade 7 singing with Merit; and Holly Gedge passed her Grade 7 cello with Merit.

Well done to you all.

Over the holidays the hispanists had a successful trip to Salamanca under the leadership of Miss Perez and Miss Evans, and the Cadet Cambrian Patrol Team trained for their upcoming competition.

There were a few pieces of staff news too.

First, we are delighted to announce that Mrs Rhiannon Goodrich, who has been looking after de Winton House temporarily for the past few months, will be the permanent appointment as Housemistress there. We congratulate Mrs Goodrich on her appointment.

On a more personal note, over the holidays Miss Hannah Evans became engaged to be married, and we congratulate her and her fiancé, Owain, too.

This term will see a number of departures, most of whom we will have a chance to say goodbye to at the end of term. Before that, though, Mr Kieran Dempsey, who has been Bursar at Christ College for the past 8 years, will be leaving us to take up a new role as Bursar at Dubai College. Mr Dempsey oversees a huge range of activities at school and has also overseen significant changes at the school from the Science Building to the Neuadd and now the development of St Nicholas House. We will have a chance to say goodbye to him more formally at the end of term when he returns for Prize Day, but he will actually be departing in two weeks, so pupils showed their thanks and appreciation to him for all he has done for the school.

Mr Dempsey’s successor will be Mr Martin Allen, currently Bursar at Wolverhampton Grammar School who will be arriving at half term.

Mrs Taylor then wished pupils every success in all their ventures, including on the sports field, with the hope for some good weather for cricket, rounders, athletics and tennis. This year’s captain of cricket, Connor Norris, was invited to come up to receive his captain’s blazer and the support of all of us as the cricket season begins.

Before the assembly ended, Mrs Taylor asked the school to stand for a minute’s silence in memory of the five servicemen killed in this week’s helicopter crash in Afghanistan, and in particular of Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas of the Intelligence Corps, from Brecon, who worked for our local MP, Roger Williams and was known to a number of us in the community. Prayers were led by the Chaplain.

Mrs Taylor then concluded: “We are going to head off shortly to begin the work of the term; it is a short term and there is no time to be lost. I’d like to wish you all every success in all your ventures!”