Well, we are almost there, and the festive fun has continued this week. I have been particularly proud of the positivity and kindness our BPS community has given to others, and the tone for this was set by the amazing Christmas Fair a week ago. It was a wonderful event in every way, with fun and excitement everywhere you looked. It was nice to have so many external stall holders join our amazing parent volunteers providing something for everyone and creating a very special atmosphere. There was an enormous amount of generosity on show and the time, energy and effort that went into organising, then setting up, running and clearing away is genuinely appreciated. Thank you to everyone who helped and donated.
If you haven’t been lucky enough to hear our school choir recently (don’t worry, many of you will hear them perform next week) then you may not be aware of what an incredible ensemble they have become. When I arrived at BPS we had a group of maybe 15 or so singers, but with the enthusiasm and guidance of Mrs Lane and Mrs Abbott, our choir currently has over 70 children from across the school, and they are in my humble opinion, fantastic! We have the slight concern that we are going to require a stage extension to accommodate them! We took all 70 of them to Banstead Community Centre last week and this week we took a more streamlined group of Year 5 and 6 members to visit Priory Place and Belvedere retirement homes to perform and bring some much-appreciated festive cheer. We also had individual performances from Harry, Rohan, Samuel, Grace and Marco, playing their instruments, and Jasper, who bravely and wonderfully performed the first solo verse of Silent Night. The children were impeccably behaved, sang and performed beautifully. I was so very proud of them.
Wednesday saw the community celebrate Christmas Jumper Day and enjoy their Christmas lunches; but it is worth remembering that the fun and enjoyment we have makes a hugely significant difference to others. The donations children have contributed will help provide Christmas lunch for the Sutton Night Watch who will be feeding homeless people on December 25th. Thank you to our brilliant catering team for the wonderful food and decorations, and for everything they do throughout the year.
The ability and inclination to make a difference is something we feel very passionate about here at BPS and it is so heartening to see our children embrace this. In a true story of inspirational giving, Oliver in Year 4 will be donating his hair to the Little Princess trust this holiday. There aren’t really words that do this amazing act of kindness justice, other than to say we are incredibly proud of you. There are more details and ways to support him elsewhere in the newsletter.
So, we look forward to the final three days of this Autumn Term and look forward to celebrating at the Magic of Christmas event on Tuesday evening. The staff and children have been working so hard on what we know will be a lovely evening to come together and celebrate the end of term.
Have a lovely weekend.
Jon Chesworth
