Pompe and Circumstance

Dear Parent
I trust that your sons had a good half term and that, if you had time off work, you did too. I received a number of emails from parents over the holiday extoling the virtues of RGS. Below are a couple, paraphrased for brevity.

GREAT FEEDBACK In one, with a photo of three RGS boys who had, coincidentally, arrived at the same holiday destination with their respective families, the proud Mum wrote ‘I recognise I am biased, but I have to say that the boys have stood out this week with the camaraderie between them, their sporting prowess, their kindness towards younger children and their interpersonal skills with all generations. Real ambassadors for RGS’. I’m sure the parents should take some of the credit too, but always good to hear. Another parent of a new Year 7 boy, herself a teacher, wrote (and pointed out that she could, therefore, compare) ‘I wanted to pass on my gratitude and congratulations to all your staff, as it has been the most impressive start to my son’s grammar school career. The boundaries and rules are clear and my son knows who to go to for help. I love the regular communication, and the emails sent out routinely. The achievement point system has sent my son into a new, driven way of working! I am so impressed with your entire team and how well the boys are ’looked after’. Thank you.’

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE It was super to attend the Presentation of Awards by HM’s Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Sir Henry AubreyFletcher. During the superbly run evening, one of our Sixth Formers, Cadet Serjeant (sic) Dominic Holland was invested as Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet. This is a very prestigious role in which Dom will have the opportunity to support Sir Henry at ceremonial events and for royal visits. I was joined by Captain Rose, Head of our Army Section of the CCF.

LEST WE FORGET We will be holding our annual outdoor Service of Remembrance next Monday at 1045 in the Quadrangle. We will be joined by a member of the armed forces, who will present the poppy wreath at our memorial to OWs. It is an unashamedly traditional service with readings, prayers, a hymn (Abide with Me, if you wish to practise!) and a two - minute silence. There is coffee in the Queen’s Hall following the service. Please do come along if you can. We’d like all boys to wear a poppy for the occasion. Our CCF are also ‘on parade’ for the Civic March and Service at All Saints’, High Wycombe this Sunday.

BETTER TO GIVE… Following our revamp of the Benevolent Fund, I am proud and pleased to tell you that we raised £3,022.43 last half term for Jeans for Genes. This is a very impressive response and indicative of the values we hold at RGS. I hope that we can repeat this for other charities throughout the year. As I said in a recent Headmaster’s Letter, benevolence is voluntary and students should not be embarrassed if they cannot participate. We are raising money for Oxfam during this half term.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT - CAN YOU HELP? As you may know, we are at the planning permission stage of our new Sixth Form Centre and require a project manager to oversee the development and implementation of the build. Whilst a professional project management qualification is not required, knowledge and experience of overseeing the procurement and construction phases of a capital project of this size would be essential. I am aware that there is a wealth of expertise within the parent community and would be delighted to hear from any parents who have the skills and time to be involved in this exciting initiative (dmc@rgshw.com).

GREENPOWER Greenpower is a charity that inspires young people around the world to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths through a unique challenge: to design, build and race an electric car. We have had great success through our own Greenpower Club which has included races at Goodwood and Castle Combe. The Club has their own page on the website - click here to read more information.
CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to the boys in the photograph who were presented with their D of E awards, in a short ceremony, by the Deputy Headmaster, Mr Wallace. And to the Music Department – many of our musicians were involved with the Chiltern Music Academy ‘Big Noise’ event supporting younger players from local prep and primary schools. There are a couple of short film clips on our twitter feed @RGSHW. We have also had a visit from the Royal College of Organists, who were very pleased to hear that we have a thriving ‘organ scene’ at RGS. The Chief Executive and Regional Director enjoyed a short recital from three of our students and have invited us to become an RCO Accredited School. A bit ‘niche’, I know, but it is a feather in the cap of a state school Music Department as organ scholarship is largely the preserve of the independent sector.

REMINDERS Parents of Years 11, 12 and 13 will have received the January mock exam timetables together with a letter outlining some of the key facts. The importance of these exams should not be underestimated by our boys, in the knowledge that they need to continue to make good progress in the coming months to achieve their potential. There is a Year 13 Parents’ Meeting on Thursday 14 November and a Sixth Form Open Evening for Year 11 boys on Wednesday 20 November. The Musical Showcase is the following night on Thursday 21 November. Sport and our many other activities continue.

Best wishes

Philip Wayne