I wanted to start this week by thanking those students who helped a member of our local community last week. As I said in assembly last week, I was incredibly proud and pleased to receive a letter which stated not only that you are well behaved outside of the College, but also that some of you had gone further, helping one of the local residents. This is a great example to all of us and something we can all do.

I’d like to start this blog by thanking you all for a very positive first week back. We have visited several lessons and have seen you working well and making good progress – let’s keep that up, please. I have added a new section in the blog on ‘notices for the week,’ which will contain information on assessments, internals and other events for the week ahead. 

 

A very happy new year to you all – I hope you all had a very good break and are feeling ready for the term and year ahead.

Last week, we visited several lessons across the College and saw you working hard and doing well. Well done to all - please make sure you keep this up for the last week and a half of this term. I received a message from a member of the local community last week who commented on your good behaviour outside of college too. It is great to have positive feedback from members of the general public. This week we are holding our Christmas carol concerts in our local church. This is an opportunity to bring our college community together and also for you to demonstrate your excellent behaviour as we walk to and from the church.

You all know our values at MRC – they were chosen by you in 2016 and it is important that we all use them as a guide in our work and interactions with each other. I know we don’t get things all the right all the time – we all make mistakes every day (students and staff), but it is important that we learn from these and try harder next time to get things right. It is also important to remember that when we make mistakes, we don’t it deliberately.

This week, I will start be thanking all of you who represent our College. We have several sports teams, including rugby, football, netball, hockey and athletics. We also have an orchestra and many other music and drama groups who perform for us; the Winter Concert this week provides an opportunity for us to appreciate the talented musicians that we have at MRC. I’d also like to thank our House Captains, who are proud to wear their house ties and support the College.

One of our values is respect. I am hugely impressed with the way you demonstrated your respect for others last week, through the amount of money you raised for BBC Children in Need. You raised over £1300, which is a great total for a great cause; the money will help young people both in this country and in others. Well done and thank you. Last year you raised well over £10000 for various charities – we are well on our way to beating that total already, with over £2500 raise already. Well done!

I am always proud of your behaviour, effort and work in College. Last week, however, I think you all showed yourselves at your very best. Our Armistice assembly and commemoration with the poppies you made were both outstanding. You demonstrated respect and empathy for those who have given their lives for us. It is important that we continue to remember them throughout the year – not just at the beginning of November.

This week, we commemorate The Armistice and remember the many millions of people who lost their lives in the World War One to give us the freedom we enjoy today. This is an important time for reflection across the World; many of you will have family members who fought and died in the War. It is right that we remember them and pay our respects to them. It is particularly significant this year, as it is 100 years since the War ended. We have a series of events in College this week and we will come together as a community for the minute’s silence on Friday at 11am. I would like to thank the students who have made the fantastic bunting which is on display in the canteen and I look forward to seeing pay your respects to the Fallen. Please make the effort to buy a poppy; these are available from student reception.

Firstly, I’d like to start by welcoming you all back to a new half-term; I hope you all had a restful break and are ready to work hard this half-term. The next few weeks will go by very quickly – we have lots to look forward and several opportunities for you to give your very best. I’d like to remind you all that we commit to doing our very best every day and that we work do better today than we did yesterday. Through doing this, we you will continue to make your College improve.