I love the start of the academic year. I’ve always remembered the pristine exercise and textbooks I was given in September, the joy of seeing my friends again, the onset of crisp autumnal days and the return to learning which I loved. The myriad of colours of autumn leaves and scuffing through piles of them as I walked to school – such are my childhood memories and I hope that that is the same at Oxford High as our students return.
It’s been such a fun start to term: Year 11 ‘zorbing’ on the field and our Sixth Form in their challenge days trying new activities such as tangoing, beatboxing and chocolate tempering – all activities which we are doing for the first time as well as the age-old perennial rite of receiving brand new exercise books and writing your name on in pen. I always use the example of making a mistake on that first page and NOT ripping the page out which resonates for so many of us.
I was delighted, when in mentoring interviews with a couple of new students only this week, one student said how they were learning that at Oxford High ‘it was okay to be okay.’ I interpreted that not as a lack of ambition, but, on the contrary, a level of understanding and acceptance that doing your best really was excellence in action.
Having said that, in the age of VAT on fees it is so important that we focus on making sure every student feels appreciated for everything they do in and out of school. That’s why, this year, we are launching our ‘Place to Shine’ program where students will have time to share with their teachers their achievements over the last period of time. For some it will be a high mark in an essay, representing the school in a concert or a fixture and for some, it will be something different. As part of our quest to make sure that everyone feels that they belong here, we want to make sure that we celebrate everyone’s achievements whether that’s the accolade of a Head’s award or a celebration in House meetings or Year assemblies.
So whether it’s a new exercise book or the clubs fair where we had over 80 clubs represented – from bees to Maths, Amnesty International to quiz club, please do encourage your daughter to engage in as many as she can. The joy of learning something new is to be found in and out of the classroom and the greater goal of finding out more about oneself as well as the world around us is at the heart of our school.
For those who are joining our school for the first time you may notice that I sign off this blog with the words ‘Ad Lucem’. This is a translation of ‘towards the light’ used as a metaphor for the ‘light’ and joy of learning as well as a connection to our motto of sunflowers which grow towards and with the sun. Whether it’s running down the field playing hockey, enjoying the magic of removing the lid off a bee hive or following one’s own thread of independent curiosity – it is all part of what makes our pupils grow into resilient, independent, interested and interesting young women who will know what it is to live a life without limits.
Ad Lucem,
Mrs Gardiner Legge