Dear ALS Community,
A (relatively) short note to close out the term and to wish you, and your family, a happy, restful festive period.
The Autumn Term is a brilliant one as we get the chance to meet our new Reception class, new Year 7 and new Sixth Formers. It’s also the longest term and so provides the best opportunity for pupils to find their rhythm with the school year. Alongside that, the Autumn Term can also be the most challenging as the winter nights close in and I am grateful for how wonderful our pupils and staff have been throughout this term. Thank you.
Last night saw our first Carol Service since 2019 and it was wonderful. I was so very proud of each pupil who performed and I am sure, if you attended the event, that you were just as proud of our school community. If you didn’t manage to make it last night, I’d very much say that tickets for next year will be an even hotter property based on the phenomenal talent on show. I certainly came away from the event last night feeling that much more ‘Christmassy’. Congratulations to Miss Crisp, Miss Pearson and Miss Drury for the event. If you’d be interested, my brief talk (with a deliberate stumble in the middle) can be found here. A few years ago, I got into the habit of taking famous Christmas poems and making them about Arnold Lodge. I had re-worked a Dr. Seuss poem about Mr Owen to share last night but decided to go with a more traditional speech. A copy of it can be found here. I hope you like it! Mr Owen found it to be quite acceptable.
Christmas is a special time for being with family and friends and so the school will close down between Christmas and the new year (we stay open the rest of the year round). We will return to school for INSET on Tuesday 3rd January and Wednesday 4th January before welcoming pupils back on Thursday 5th January 2023. Between now and then, I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and I look forward to welcoming pupils back to school on Thursday 5th January.
Best wishes,
David Preston | Headteacher
