Newsletters
Read below a sample of our 2024 September Term school newsletters:
Spirit of the Banda – Week 01
Welcome back to the new school year! We may only have been back a few days but the school is already in full swing, even if the weather has failed to appreciate that it’s cricket season!
A great deal of hard work has been carried out on site during the holidays by our fantastic maintenance team and was looking extremely smart for the pupils’ return on Tuesday. It is, of course, the children themselves who make the school what it is so, after weeks of relative quiet, it’s been great to hear their buzz filling the air again.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 02
It was great to see our girls and boys cricket teams in all age groups and at all levels in action against Peponi during the week, reinforcing our sport for all philosophy. This was one of the key messages shared by the Sports Department in their talk to parents at the start of the week and we very much look forward to putting this into action and continuing to promote our ‘Let them play’ campaign as the year unfolds.
Our Year 8s are limbering up for their expedition to Mount Kenya next week, a challenging but fulfilling trip that they are sure to remember for years to come. Year 5 are also out on the road towards the end of the week on what promises to be a fun-filled team building trip.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 03
Very many congratulations to the Year 8s following their expedition to Mount Kenya this week (another trump card when speaking to other headteachers) – I’m sure that each and every one of them were forced out of their comfort zone at some stage, but also learnt valuable lessons about themselves along the way. My thanks go to the staff and parents who accompanied, encouraged and supported them.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 04
Many congratulations to the following on being made House Captains for the year ahead: Max (Duma), Kera (Simba), Etienne (Swara) and Marcos (Twiga), They will form our initial Year 8 prefect team, along with Alba, Nyambura, Freya and Talia, alongside our Head Girl and Head Boy, Eliana and Artemis. I very much hope to add to this team of young leaders as the year progresses.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 05
As it’s National Poetry Day
I’ll try to write in this way –
A review of the week
That’s been given a tweak,
With some tenuous rhyming at play.
There’s been plenty of fun in the sun –
Today’s Pegasus morning for one –
Plus plenty of cricket
Has been just the ticket
And the first half of term’s nearly done.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 06
Educational visits and trips are an integral part of our curriculum and it’s great that both Year 1 and Year 2 have had the chance to travel off site this week for their first excursions of the school year, the former visiting Mizizi Eco Circle, whilst the latter made the journey up to Brown’s Cheese Factory. Such first hand experiences only greatly enhance children’s learning and understanding.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 08
The longest half term of the school year has started busily with Year 6 heading off on a trip to Naivasha, the cricket season continuing apace and the orchestra heading off to St Andrew’s, Turi for this weekend’s extravaganza. It’s merely a taste of what’s to follow in the coming weeks as another full calendar of events unfurls… Very best wishes to everyone celebrating Diwali this coming Thursday and Friday.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 09
Pupils and staff were thrilled on Tuesday morning to be visited by Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, and his training partner Tyson Juma. The duo arrived early to lead our athletes’ early morning training session, before Mr Foster interviewed the ‘Beast from the East’ in a special assembly.
Ferdinand provided a fascinating insight into his life as a top class sprinter but also spoke with great passion and humility about the importance of studying hard at school and grabbing the opportunities that come your way, before embarking on a mammoth autograph signing session! Both he and Tyson were truly inspirational and I’m sure that we’ll now follow their careers with increasing interest.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 10
Our fortnightly manners drive has moved on to the importance of showing gratitude by
appropriately saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ to all members of the school community, as well as a focus on the correct use of a knife and fork. Please do help to reinforce these messages at home.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 11
A huge thank you to the many of you who came along to the Mental Health talk on Wednesday afternoon; I trust that you found Mike Crossley’s session both informative and helpful. Our children’s mental wellbeing is so important and something that is threaded through our pastoral care systems here at The Banda, not least as an integral part of our PSHE and Wellbeing programmes. At the same time, this is very much a partnership between school and home.
