News from Mr Grady
Last weekend, our very own Mr Bottle ran a marathon. He had been training for the London Marathon, which of course did not go ahead this year, but, throughout lockdown has kept up his training, and was determined to make sure he achieved what he had set out to do. And so, on Saturday he ran four laps of Pitsford Water near Northampton, running the 26.2 miles of a marathon pretty much solo, with his family supporting and ably assisted by Mrs Gosling and Mr Alonzi, who joined him for the middle and end of the run. His time was a staggering 3 hours and 53 minutes, which is an absolutely incredible time for a first marathon. This single-minded, quiet determination to succeed is everything we love about RHS, and is a great testament to Mr Bottle’s hard work, and the wonderful support of his colleagues and family, and as this is the last full week of the term, I though it fitting to celebrate this achievement, but also allow this to lead into thoughts about our upcoming Foundation Day and Celebration assemblies where we celebrate the achievements of the school community, and particularly those of our outgoing Year 11 and 13 students.
Yes, there will be a celebration of grades achieved, and quite rightly: They were hard earned, in the most trying and unique of circumstances, but there will be celebration too of the efforts of students, of their commitment to the ethos of RHS and the continued values of care, kindness and respect, as we set the very highest of heights in our hearts.
Foundation Day, and our Celebration assembly are simply joyful occasions on which we say: Well done to our students and to our staff, who in every year work hard, but in this year especially have battled worries, concerns and challenges to achieve great results, and to have made such progress.
I look forward enormously to celebrating Foundation Day virtually with our community on the 14th December, and our Celebration assembly the following day. We have come to think, in the face of our continuing challenges that we should celebrate the small things, and those marginal gains, and I could not agree more. But I would also like to take the opportunity to celebrate, with our whole community, the big things we have achieved too:
The successes of our students going on to the universities of their choice, their hard-earned GCSE and A-Level Grades, the fact that students have continued to make outstanding progress through the curriculum, and the high standards we would expect of our students in supporting and maintaining the ethos of RHS that this term, have exceeded our expectations. We have continued to offer great learning opportunities whether in school or at home, and staff, students and parents have adapted quickly and with good humour and patience to whole new ways of working. These are simply massive achievements, and must not go unmarked.
In the most odd of years, we have done what RHS has always done: Treated each other with care, kindness and respect, set the highest of heights in our heart and got on with each day to the very best of our ability, and it is this that we will be celebrating at Foundation day next week.
Stay well and safe everyone,
Best wishes,
Mr Grady