The Chronicle

“You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward.” 
― Conrad Hall

Dear Parents

I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who helped to make last week's annual production a huge success. Although I would love to name everyone who contributed to the preparations and performance, it would be impossible to fit them all on this page. Nonetheless, I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved, especially Mrs Olden, Mrs Widley and Mrs Paphitis. I also acknowledge the office and maintenance staff, the classroom staff, the catering staff and those who helped with the props. The talents of our pupils, including those in the younger years, never ceases to amaze me, and I am extremely proud of their outstanding performance on stage. For those who missed the live event, I strongly recommend purchasing the DVD to witness the entire spectacle. We will let you know when it is available to order. 
 
I am happy to inform you that the upcoming Head Boy and Head Girl voting is concluded. The candidates were all exceptional, making the selection process challenging. We will announce the two Head pupils at next week’s J5 and J6 prize giving. Other captains will be announced at a pupil assembly on Wednesday, with their badges being awarded at a special ceremony during the first week of the school year in September. Parents and family members will be invited to the ceremony in September. 
 
On Tuesday, at our Leavers’ Mass, we celebrated the work of Mrs Jackson-Mayne and presented her with a certificate from the Archdiocese of Birmingham in recognition for her services to Crackley Hall and to Catholic education over a number of years.  We also expressed our heartfelt gratitude to Mrs Simmonds for her dedicated time, effort, and affection for Crackley. We celebrated Mrs Buswell’s time at Crackley Hall, including all that she has done for our pupils over a number of years. Thank you to Mrs Jackson-Mayne, Mrs Simmonds and Mrs Olden for their work in preparing a wonderful Mass and concert for parents and parishioners. The pupils were outstanding in every way. 
 
Wednesday was a nervous and exciting day for the pupils as they had the opportunity to spend the morning with their new class and teacher. We warmly welcomed new pupils to Crackley Hall, as well as our two new teachers, Miss Rogers and Mr Ashley.  Miss Rogers joins us from King Henry’s, having taught in the state sector prior to that. Although able to teach throughout the school, she has a strong preference to be in Key Stage 1. Miss Rogers is very highly regarded by the pupils and parents at King Henry’s and brings with her some experience in leading ICT and PSHE, as well as having been on the senior leadership team at one of her previous schools. Mr Ashley is currently teaching at Rosemead Prep School in London, working in lower Key Stage 2. He is an Old Princethorpian and certainly displayed a very good understanding of our school ethos. Mr Ashley previously worked at an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rated school and is currently the RE Co-ordinator at Rosemead. He has an interest in sport and the performing arts, as well as being involved in his school’s Eco Team. 
 
It was a beautiful sunny Thursday when we celebrated the Nursery Graduation on the top lawn. The turnout of parents and family members supporting the children was remarkable and a joyous occasion for all. We are grateful for the blessings and the opportunity to witness such a special moment for these young ones. My thanks are extended to the Nursery team and Mrs Glen-Roots. 
 
Thursday also saw us hold our annual KS2 Sports Day which was full of excitement and much celebration. It was well supported by parents and grandparents, with the PTA also involved in selling cakes – thank you to everyone! We extend our gratitude to Mrs Vaughan (and Mr Vaughan) for meticulously organising and coordinating the event and to Amanda Brew and her catering team for providing excellent catering services. Well done to all our athletes and to Jupiter House for narrowly winning the event. 
 
During this morning’s assembly, we expressed our gratitude and said goodbye to some of our cherished staff members: Gail Buswell, Lois Thomas, Susanne Jackson-Mayne and Georgina Jeffrey are all leaving us at the end of the year. We extend our sincerest wishes for their well-being and success in their future endeavours. Their presence will be deeply missed at Crackley Hall. 
 
Excellent work, or kindness and effort from the following pupils earned them stars of the week: Seva – Nursery, Sebastian - Reception A, the whole of Reception M, Aarav - J1H, Lucas - J1G, Liana - J2B, Francesca - J3H, Elle - J3V, the whole of J4R, Evie - J4S, the whole of J5L, Arthur - J5W, Oliver - J6H, Esme - J6V.   
 
We have just received the news that Mrs Holt will leave us during the upcoming holidays. Mrs Holt has always welcomed parents and visitors at reception with a warm smile and a good sense of humour. She has also taken care of many children with love and tenderness, always ready to help with a grazed knee or any other concern. While we bid farewell to her at Crackley, Princethorpe will be extending a warm welcome, where she will assume the role of Assistant Admissions Administrator. My heartfelt congratulations are extended to Marie and we wish her the very best in her new career venture, whilst thanking her most sincerely for all that she has done. 
 
The upcoming week will be brief since the term concludes on Wednesday. Before the last school day of the year, we are holding the two prize giving ceremonies on Tuesday, as well as our leavers’ assembly on Wednesday. Parents have received details of all three events. 
 
As teachers, bidding farewell to our pupils is a challenging yet rewarding experience. Our role extends beyond the classroom as we aim to become their mentors and guides. We strive to help them overcome obstacles and unlock their full potential, not just teaching them what to learn but how to learn. Our objective is to support you, their parents, in preparing them for life outside the classroom by enabling them to think critically and make sense of the world around them. Along this journey, we learn about our pupils, their surroundings, and ourselves. We treat the children as if they were part of our own families, wanting to help them become the best versions of themselves. We are always there to support them, listen to them, and celebrate their accomplishments. Saying goodbye to our Junior 6 and other leavers is never easy, but we have faith that we have provided them with all the necessary knowledge to impact the world positively. This bittersweet moment is worth commemorating, and we express our gratitude for being a part of your child's formative years and for the opportunity to be a part of our journey. 
 
I enjoyed a wonderfully inspiring presentation in my office from a group of Junior 6 pupils this afternoon. They had all chosen to take on the challenge of presenting a piece of their learning and passion, having spent many hours researching their findings. I was so proud, humbled and privileged to have been able to receive their talks and to witness their passion, knowledge and skills in action in another way. It was certainly one of my highlights of the year. I have challenged them to go into the world one day and do something or make something that no-one else has done before! Thank you to Mrs Cowlishaw for her inspiration and congratulations to Julia, Matilda, Georgie R, Andrew, Theo, Frankie and Lucas. 
 
Congratulations to our outstanding tennis team, competing in the ISA Midlands tennis tournament for the first time. The girls won the event and the boys came second. Congratulations to Jia, Kate, Mani, Alexa, Elsie W-P, Sebastian, Isaac and Jack. 
 
I was delighted to present long service award to four Crackley Hall stalwarts. Mrs Olden received hers for over 25 years of service, Mrs Buswell, Mrs Hardwick and Mrs Lammas have all worked at Crackley Hall for over 20 years. We celebrate their contributions and thanks and salute them! Many congratulations! 
 
I wish everyone a most relaxing and enjoyable weekend. 

God Bless,

Rob Duigan