Head’s Welcome

After a lovely two-week Half Term break we returned this week for the second half of term. The feel of the College gradually shifts as the nights draw in, and as I write we are eagerly anticipating the grand turning-on of the Christmas lights on Thursday evening, with the big red button to be pressed by Dunbar’s Head Girl and Head Boy for this term, Chloe Ryan and Freddie Hayward.

On Wednesday of this week we had two away fixtures for the Dunbar girls’ hockey teams, whilst the boys contested their Inter-Watch football competition, with Forward Watch emerging as the victors on this occasion.

As parents will now be aware we have two important events coming up in the College calendar - the Remembrance Day parade and service on Sunday and the Dunbar Parents’ Dinner on Saturday 30 November. The end of term is a particularly busy time for staff, parents and pupils alike and I will share the details of all the various events taking place in the last week or so in due course.

We also had the Year 7 and Year 8 Parents Meeting before Half Term, and it was lovely to see so many of you there. During my brief address on that night I mentioned our newest Divisional member - Cinnamon the Fox - and Cinnamon has just safely returned from his first adventure to Greece, accompanying Lloyd Owen in Year 7, along with some fantastic photos. If your child would like to borrow Cinnamon to accompany them on any of their trips or activities outside the College then please ask them to let me know and we can organise a series of fantastic adventures for our new fox friend!

Dr Ian Hart

SHOEBOX MISSION!

Dunbar Tutor teams are on a mission! Together, we will be looking to pack shoebox gifts for those less fortunate around the world. We will be delivering the boxes on Friday 15 November.

How you can help at home?

Please send in empty boxes, spare wrapping paper and a few gifts per pupil so Dunbar Tutor teams can get creating! Each box goes with a suggested donation of £5, so a small cash contribution per pupil will help us cross the line. Donations can be made online too: samaritans-purse.org.uk/followyourbox

The more shoeboxes the better! 

Additionally, if you wish to pack a box as a family to add to our total, please follow the instructions below:

• Start with a medium sized shoebox. If you want to wrap it, cover the box and lid separately. Place a rubber band around the shoebox - DO NOT SEAL! 

• Mark if your gift is for a boy or a girl and select an age category 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14.

• Fill your shoebox with a selection of fun toys, school supplies and personal care items. If possible, include one or two extra special items you know a child will love such as a doll, cuddly toy or deflated football with pump.

• A suggested donation of £5 is essential to cover project costs including collection, processing, shipping, project materials and training local churches to lead a safe, well-organised children's event where your shoebox will be given to a child in need.

• Please Do Not Include These Items
  Toothpaste, sweets, lotions and liquids; used or damaged items; war-related items (e.g. toy guns, model soldiers, military vehicles etc.); seeds, gum, chocolate or food items; religious or political literature; medicines, aerosol cans, knives, sharp or fragile items.

Operation Christmas Child

How to Pack a Shoebox

Dr Ian Hart

It has been really good to have everyone back after the Half Term break and we are getting back into our busy routine. Many have been active during the break, there were a number of trips and events that the boys took part in. Max represented the College at a prestigious regatta in Boston, some of the boys interested in Politics students went to Washington DC to get a feel for the election, and there was a camp in Belgium for the boys in the rowing squads.

This half of term is busy academically with Year 11 and Year 13 trials going ahead, there are also ongoing assessments for Year 9 and Year 10. The boys should be taking advantage of the supervised prep sessions now the darker nights are with us. This is a really important period in the year for learning and graft.

We have Remembrance Sunday parade this week where we expect a large turn out from OPs and friends of Harbinger and the College. The boys are aware that there is a lot of room for improvement with both our appearance and marching. Our last parade was disappointing in terms of marks awarded and we fell short of our high expectations. We know how capable the boys are and believe they can do this well with preparation and effort.

We are looking to defend our Divisional Come Dine with Me trophy in a few weeks time, the draw for which course we have to prepare will be made in assembly soon. We do have some very talented chefs in Harbinger who are eager to demonstrate their skills and talents again.

The results are in for the Harbinger prides Nando’s trip, this is based on class charts performance in the first half of term combined with pride activities and pride house points. Huge congratulations to La Hogue, Alex, Cameron, Joseph, Max, George, James, George, Harry and Ethan. We are looking to go to Nando’s one evening next week.

Andrew Sumner

In an exciting end to the first half of term Herd competition Scottish Red (George, Alex, Murray, Jack, Taha, David, Louis, Ned, Samuel, Jonty) won by two points and will be taken out for their winning meal soon.

The scores are reset for the second half of term and it is again all to play for points are earned through academic positives, room tidiness, kindness and helpfulness around the house.

Next week is Anti-Bullying week and we will have a focus in house on acts of kindness to each other.

A reminder that the boys should not bring aerosol deodorants into the division they must have roll on or stick deodorants, we have noted some pupils bringing in aerosols.

Tom Cheney

During the half-term break, I had the privilege of attending the Washington trip with Vita, Josie, and Poppy from Illawarra. It was an action-packed week in an exciting political climate, and the girls represented our school exceptionally well, engaging thoughtfully with locals. This week, we celebrated our chief Mia receiving a well-deserved handshake in front of the school for securing her place on the U21 England Hockey Squad. Her dedication is truly inspiring, and it’s wonderful to see her stepping into leadership roles. I'm also pleased to report that Illawarra narrowly achieved the highest number of positive marks on Class Charts last term! However, St. George is close on our heels, so we’ll need a bit of extra effort and initiative this term to maintain our lead.

On an administrative note, please ensure all known absences are recorded through the My School Portal. This is part of a government initiative to improve national standards, and all academic institutions are being held accountable for their attendance records. Finally, I look forward to seeing many of you on Remembrance Sunday. Mia has reminded the girls of our expectations for the highest standards of dress and conduct; let’s uphold our tradition and hold on to that parade cup lead!

Rosie Jewell

It has been good to welcome the boys back from a much needed Half Term break.

This week they have hit the ground running and, with important Trial Exams just around the corner, the next few weeks provide a great opportunity for them to put in plenty of hard work in the classroom, as well as in the multitude of other activities that fill their days.

I look forward to seeing you all at our upcoming Remembrance Sunday parade.

David Metcalfe

It’s been wonderful to have the boys return from their Half Term holidays rejuvenated and ready to go for the second half of term. Although the first half was busy, there is plenty more for them to get their teeth into during this second half of term. Ranging from Trial Exams for the key exam groups, a plethora of extra curricular activities, and of course Divisional Come Dine with Me.

Looking towards the immediate future, our first big event is this Sunday with Remembrance Sunday. The last set of parade scores were good, but there is still plenty of room for improvement, and this weekend will be a good opportunity to right some wrongs. Especially on such a poignant occasion.

I look forward to seeing how the wolf packs continue to unravel throughout this half of term, as not only are they all pushing towards the Nando’s trip at the end of the term, but also towards the bigger picture of being top of the boys’ division on Class Charts.

Steven Thompson

As I am writing this we are in the middle of a number of cup hockey matches culminating in the night game on Friday. It is always great to see so many St George girls out there representing the school.

We are looking forward to a busy parade on Sunday. Remembrance Sunday is our busiest Sunday parade of the year and we want the division looking its best. Please can you ensure that the girls have 40 denier tights and that their shirts are freshly laundered. Last parade we lost marks because a number of girls had foundation marks on their collar. Make up for parade should be minimal.

This half of term is a busy one with lots of events and competitions. If any of the girls need to board for an occasional or additional night please just let us know.

Jenny Jones