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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…..

5th December 2018

What a marvellous Christmas Fair we had last week – can I say a huge thank you to the whole Wychwood Community who all contributed so much towards making it a success: all those who baked, gave Lucky Dip presents, bottles and jambola jars as well as those who gave to the raffle, and gave extra prizes and then everyone who came along on the day. We made over £2,600 which I think is a record. The committee have worked and worked and worked to make sure the afternoon was such a success and they are responsible for the lovely feel of the afternoon – the choir in the centre, more room to breathe and stalls that everyone could afford. The gingerbread houses were an inspired idea and gave me my stand-out memory of the afternoon: Zenobia turning disaster into triumph with a deft turn of phrase and a palpable sense of humour tinged with irony and backed by reality. My thanks go to Johanna and Camilla Stephenson from the WA who stepped up and judged the houses so well on the day.

I must also thank the staff – immediately after the Lower School assessments, we had the annual entrance tests and scholarship examinations and so there has been a great deal of marking happening alongside the normal day to day business. Next year’s Study look to be a talented lot both from inside and outside Wychwood, while the next Remove are full of ideas.

The Study have been busy in lessons and outside with Safe Drive, Stay Alive, a study skills forum, Blood Brothers at the New Theatre, maths in action and a Study I parents meeting all in the last few weeks. The councillors running the Remove and Inters social were a joy to work with – good leaders, welcoming, reassuring and friendly hosts without whom the younger girls could not have had such a good time.

The Remove and Inters have also been out and about with a group at the Kid’s Lit Quiz at Cokethorpe, the Inters at the Living Rainforest with Mr Humphreys for geography and, together with the Lower Transits they have been taking on the world at WordMania – all three year groups reached the international finals and I am eagerly awaiting those results. Well done to everyone who clicked away and improved their vocabulary on the way. Acorns took themselves to York with Dr Donald to follow up on their theme for this term of migrating peoples and had a long and fascinating day. Dr Donald and Mr Siantonas accompanied the MUN team to MUNTH (Model United Nations, Tudor Hall) where we congratulate Rebecca Smith and Sophia Guilfoyle on becoming Wychwood’s first ever commended delegation as Australia. Sophia was also commended in her committee and has gone from strength to strength in MUN. Finally, yesterday the dance club came with me to Sadler’s Wells to see Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake: a standing ovation, 7 curtain calls and a reprise of the ground-breaking new version first premiered 23 years ago later, we all streamed out to find the minibus astonished and uplifted by the athleticism and grace of those swans and wishing we could see it all over again.

Mrs Andrea Johnson
Head