| Dear Parents
As the end of term draws near, may I
wish you and your families a very happy and enjoyable Christmas.
I have now completed two years as Head of Therfield. (It seems
only yesterday that I walked through the front door for the
first time.) During that time I have seen the school continue to
grow and develop and many of the clubs and societies are back. I
think we currently have 40 clubs running. To help these. groups
may I express my gratitude for the £2,600 donated by parents to
the School Fund.
The school has recently welcomed
parents considering secondary schools for their children next
September. The Hall was crowded out and many parents have toured
the school during the day. It seems that parents are coming from
further and further away to see what we have on offer. Most seem
to like what they see and I am confident that we will fill all
the available places with parents making Therfield their first
choice.
Listed below are items of news and
information which I hope you will find interesting and useful.
CAROL SERVICE
The school would like very much to see you at the
annual service of lessons and carols which takes place on 15th
December at St. George's Church, Ashtead at 7.30 pm.
STAFF CHANGES
At the end of this term the school will say farewell to
Mr. G. Jeeves from the CDT Department. We shall miss all that he
has contributed to the Christian Union work and the school
Hovercraft Club. A final achievement was to get the main school
hovercraft prepared for use on water and a successful trial has
just been completed.
Our thanks also are due to Miss K.
Snowden (Economics) and Mrs. C. Turner (Science) who also will
to leaving at the end of the term.
I would also like to record my thanks
to Mrs. J. Tweedale who has kept the school library going until
Mrs. Burnham, our new Chartered Librarian, joins us in January.
We are looking forward to welcoming
Mr. de Little as Head of CDT and Miss H. Tovey Head of German,
both of whom join us in January.
NOTABLE EVENTS OF THE TERM
1) Many of you will have seen the production of "The
Genesis Roadshow" and I am grateful to all the staff and pupils
who worked so hard to enable this thought-provoking play to
happen.
2) Over 80 Third Form pupils visited the World War I battlefield
sites in Belgium with the History Department,
3) Lots of money continues to be raised for charity. The Sixth
Form in house to house collections for Lepra and NSPCC collected
£350 and £1,200 respectively, and around £900 was raised in
penny races which goes to the various House Charities.
4) NEL Brittania Ltd. have generously donated 4 Apple computers
to the CPVE course and we are very grateful.
5) The Friends raised £1,000 at the school Christmas Fair, and I
wish to record my thanks for all their hard work and support.
The new computer laboratory they have funded is in heavy use.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
1) We are delighted to welcome Baroness Mary Warnock,
Mistress of Girton College, Cambridge and leader of two
government Select Committees which have reported on the
Education of Pupils with Learning Difficulties, and research an
human embryos, as guest of honour at the School's Presentation
Evening on January 7th.
2) Therfield may well feature in a series of articles to be
printed in the Sunday Times in January, following a
visit from their Education Correspondent.
3) I hope that the building of a number of music practice rooms,
offices and stores, to house the new County Music Centre, will
begin soon. Work is scheduled for February, but I will believe
it when I see it.
Negotiations continue with County
about the provision of a new Technology Laboratory and an
extension to the Library. I will let you have more details if
and when agreement is reached.
4) As part of the Certificate of
Pre-Vocational Education course for Sixth Farmers, a number of
mini-companies are being formed. These include groups selling
stationery, coffee at parents' evenings and looking after a
vending machine. Others will be reconditioning furniture and
publishing a school magazine.
I would also draw your attention to a
group who will be running a Midland Bank saving scheme far
pupils, which will offer a number of attractive gifts for pupils
saving with the Bank. This group is trained by the Midland Bank
and guaranteed by them.
5) History Trip to the First World
War Battlefields. We plan to organise another of these visits in
October 1988 for pupils in the present Second Year. Details will
be circulated early in January.
REQUESTS FOR HELP
As always we are seeking help with a number of items.
If you have any of the following we would love to hear from you.
1) A working 50cc to 100cc petrol engine for some pupils working
on a 7¼" gauge locomotive project in the Engineering Club.
2) The French Department is desperate for two overhead
projectors.
3) I have also been approached by the local Social Services
Department who are urgently looking for families who might be
willing to faster a child either on a short or longer term
basis. They have a number of youngsters for whom foster homes a
urgently required. If you would like to know more could you
please phone Ruth Bolton, the Family Placement Social Worker on
Epsom 40631.
4) The Churches in Ashtead are having a sequence of films about
Family Life, detail of which are given below.
END OF TERM ARRANGEMENTS
May I remind you that the last day of this term will be
Thursday 17th December. School traditionally finishes early that
day and pupils will finish lessons by 1.10 pm Pupils wishing to
stay for lunch may do so, others will be allowed home then and
coaches have been ordered accordingly.
Thank you far all your help, support
and suggestions over the term. I hope that this will indeed be a
season of peace and goodwill for you all.
TJ Reddin
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