A Message from the Head, 17 December

Dear Parents and Guardians

As we come to the end of a long and demanding term I hope that you will agree that there has been much to celebrate, not only in individual achievements, but also in the spirit of determination and optimism with which your daughters have embraced the opportunities available. From Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions and Remove Camp, to History and Physical Education trips, I am proud that we have been able to sustain much of the normal richness of the wider school experience that we value. St George’s is one of the few schools that I know of that staged a school play this term. The final performance of Sister Act ended as Storm Arwen was just gathering strength, but the energy and passion of the cast were more than a match for the elements outside. This week the Junior School nativity rehearsals and the Senior Concert recordings have all been able to go ahead, in a covid-safe fashion, and I congratulate all the performers in our Young Singer and Young Musician of St George’s competitions, which were recorded in the last few weeks. Our greatest regret is that we have not been able to share these events with you face to face. Sixth Form students planned and led an outstanding conference on the theme ‘How to change Climate Change’ for Lower School a few weeks ago, which I hope has inspired our younger age groups not only to think about what they might be able to do for the future of our environment, but also to embrace the opportunities for leadership that school life will offer them. Last week Lower School also enjoyed a very successful afternoon of outdoor carols. I would like to congratulate the boarding community and Houldsworth staff for their wonderful carol singing on Wednesday night which raised £668 for HopScotch Children’s Charity, which provides respite breaks for some of Scotland’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

You will no doubt have read the news that Mrs Carol Chandler-Thompson has been appointed to be the next Head of St George’s, from August 2022. I am delighted that I shall be handing over the baton to such an experienced Head, and look forward to working with Carol over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition for her. St George’s will be in extremely good hands.

I hope very much that we will return to school face to face in January, and as yet there have not been any indications from the Scottish Government that this is not the plan. If there is any change we will be in contact over the holidays to confirm arrangements, including for mock examinations. Teachers and students alike are adept at using Teams, OneNote etc now, so I am confident that if we have to make this transition, we can do so quickly and effectively at the start of term.

I wish you and your families a peaceful, restful and healthy holiday and look forward to seeing everyone back in school on 11th January.

Mrs Alex Hems MA Oxon
Head, St George's School, Edinburgh