I hope that you all had a restful week's break and are ready for what lies ahead. I had the pleasure of accompanying the Roding Valley High School Ski Trip to Switzerland at half term which was a fantastic experience. Crans Montana was the resort we stayed in which is a World Cup Ski venue and internationally renown skiing location and it was perfect for our students. I am delighted to say that the behaviour and conduct of our students was first rate and they were a pleasure to spend time with. We had students from Years 8 up to Year 11 and it was great to see the individuals from different years supporting each other and enjoying each other's company. Well done to everyone involved. It was interesting to note that much of what we drum into the students in terms of their learning was evident on the slopes. The majority of the students on the trip had either never skied previously or had only had a couple of lessons. As such it was a new experience and they had to take in a lot of information in a short space of time. The students that made the most rapid progress were those that were wholly attentive towards the instructors and showed determination and resilience. The Aspiration, Respect and Endeavour of the school's vision were evident to all. There were inevitably many tumbles along the way, as well as good natured laughter, but the students that picked themselves up and tried again and again found that they were able to learn quickly and saw a real improvement in just a few days. It is slightly unfair to pick out individuals but I would like to mention Jack Stone and Aidan Webber in Year 11, Olivia Biddle, Sophia Filaitis and Kayley McCorkell in Year 10 and Tom Compton in Year 9. This group showed superb attitudes throughout the trip and worked incredibly hard to master the skills needed to throw themselves down the mountain in a controlled manner. At the start of the week they were feeling their way down the nursery slopes but by the Friday they were able to fly down black runs with confidence which was a tremendous achievement. I would also like to thank the staff that made the trip such a success. Mrs Musker ran the trip with calm authority and was ably supported by Mr Punungwe and Ms Wybrant. It is wonderful that staff are prepared to give up their break to support the students in this way. Trips of this kind are very tiring but well worth being a part of. I would encourage as many students and staff as possible to take part in the wide variety of trips and visits that we undertake as a school as it they are invariably positive experiences. Have a good weekend. J Luck Headteacher
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