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Headmaster's Newsletter Friday 6th January 2023

Dear Parents,

Welcome back after what I hope has been a happy and restful break with your friends and family. I wish you all a fulfilled and fruitful Hilary term, as we begin to edge our way towards Spring. As we are coming out of our season of gift giving and receiving, on Wednesday I spoke to the boys in chapel about how and why we give these gifts and, perhaps less obviously, why we wrap these gifts for each another. I am sure that there are plenty of boys out there who spent at least part of the Christmas period playing in, or with, the box or packaging that their presents came in. It is an age-old tale, never skipping a generation, that a rather tired and deflated parent watches their child put a rather expensive gift to one side (at least temporarily), preferring instead to have adventures with the relatively inexpensive box in which it came. The packaging, the wrapping, clearly has its own role to play in how we give gifts to each other.

Wrapping presents is big business. Today, in the USA alone, people spend over $3 billion on gift wrapping. YouTube is now full of so-called ‘unboxing’ videos, or clips where we watch other people wrapping and unwrapping gifts that we will never receive. Gift wrapping also has a very long history. It is thought that it has its origins in Asia where the first bits of wrapping paper date back to China over two thousand years ago. In the West, elaborate gift wrapping was comparatively slow to catch on. Christmas cards, developed in the 1840s and booming by the 1860s, led to the development of decorative papers to accompany them. Improvements in printing in the late nineteenth century allowed for printing of wrapping paper on a greater scale, but relatively few people could afford it. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that modern gift wrap became really popular. In 1917, J.C. and Rollie Hall (of Hallmark fame) sold out of the red, white and green tissue paper they were using to wrap gifts. They bought some decorative paper which was normally used to line envelopes, selling it on for 10 cents per sheet. Quickly selling out, the following year they sold the paper for 25 cents per sheet. In 1919 they began producing their own wrapping paper. The rest is gift-wrapping history.

Hockey skills in Year 4 Sport; Library time in Year 2; Dodge ball in Reception Games; Investigating burning in Year 5 Science

But why do we do it? Obviously, having a gift that is wrapped up usually increases the sense of surprise: if the shape of the present is not easily discernible, the sense of anticipation and revelation is heightened through the unwrapping process. There are, believe it or not, studies on the psychology of wrapping and unwrapping gifts. One from 1979 concluded that families wrapped piles of presents to show their financial success and their affection for one another. And, of course, there was the sense of gleeful surprise that came with opening the present. The process of mystery, guessing, increasing realisation, and final discovery is an enjoyable and appealing one. Another study in 1992 tested the reactions of those who received gifts that had been wrapped and those which hadn’t. It argued, in essence, that we associate unwrapping presents with happy moments in our lives, therefore the next time we unwrap a gift, our minds are taken back to those happy memories and we are more likely to be happy again. For those who have wrapped the gift and given it to a loved one, there is of course joy to be found in watching someone unwrap the present and then show their delight at the receipt of a thoughtful and well-chosen gift – or indeed, an item for which the recipient has asked and eagerly been waiting.

Wrapping paper, through hiding and revealing something, can transform a sometimes rather boring and ordinary item into a more precious object or gift. On its own, a pack of socks is a pack of socks. When put in colourful paper, a pack of socks is (arguably) a little more interesting. It can also turn something impersonal to something much more personal: a pack of socks bought for oneself in mid-June is arguably different from a pack of socks bought for you by a loved one during a present-giving season. In Japan, tsutsumi, or ‘the art of packaging’, encourages us to focus on the way something is wrapped, boxed and protected, rather than on just the item itself. We are meant to enjoy and admire the way something is wrapped, rather than just tearing away at the packaging to see what is inside. This originates, perhaps, from the Shinto tradition of offering gifts to the gods wrapped in bamboo leaves or terracotta cases – gifts that, in fact, were never meant to be opened, but were offered in beautiful casing. By focusing on the way a gift is presented, we hopefully think a little more about the person who has lovingly given us that present. The person who has wrapped the gift has taken the care to choose it for us, and to increase our sense of mystery, suspense and enjoyment by taking the time to do so. This Christmas I even tried to disguise an NCS umbrella while wrapping it in the eco-friendly gift-wrap sold by our eco-committee (it wasn’t the only gift I got for my parents, in case you think I’ve sunk to an irremediable low); sadly it ended up looking more like a rifle, but at least I tried. So while I very much hope the boys enjoyed the gifts they were given over Christmas, I also asked them to take some time to think about how and why they were wrapped by their loved ones. And to take time to think about how and why they wrapped presents for their family and friends. There is a lot more to it than some sparkly paper that is casually tossed aside.

Have a great weekend,

Matt Jenkinson

Many congratulations to Brett Morrison and Rebecca Lane on the birth of their son, Joe, over the holidays. They are all doing very well and we can’t wait to meet Joe in person over the next few weeks!

Congratulations, too, to Cooper in Year 8 who has got the ball rolling very early in the scholarship season, having been awarded an academic scholarship to D’Overbroeck’s.

A warm welcome to Mike Jennings, who will be joining our team for Saturday Morning Music Academy. Mike was a chorister at Westminster Abbey and a music scholar at Uppingham School. He studied at the University of Edinburgh and is active as a teacher, flautist, and composer. Having previously taught at Summer Fields, Mike spent five years at King's College School, Cambridge (latterly as Assistant Director of Music) before moving to The Manor Prep.

If you have not already seen it, linked here is back to school advice from the UK Health Security Agency: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/back-to-school-advice-issued-amid-high-levels-of-flu-covid-19-and-scarlet-fever?utm_source=ASCL+Briefing%3A+3+January+2023&utm_campaign=9ab5420552-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_01_03_02_15&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-9ab5420552-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

Congratulations to all of those boys – and indeed parents, grandparents and friends – who were involved in the Chamber Choir and Choral Society concert in chapel just after the end of Michaelmas. My thanks to Tom Neal and Isobel Rose for masterminding such a joyful event. You can read more about the concert at: https://www.newcollegeschool.org/news/?pid=6&nid=1&storyid=187

Please find attached to the newsletter Parentmail a PDF copy of this term’s calendar. Please note that we very much aim for events not to change, but sometimes circumstances dictate that amendments need to be made (e.g. for fixtures). We will endeavour to keep you updated with any important changes. The calendar is also available via the NCS website: https://www.newcollegeschool.org/whats-on. The eagle-eyed among you will notice that we are making a change to our end-of-term events in Hilary. What was formerly our ‘Words and Music’ event in chapel on the last Friday of term will now be a special ‘Spring Service’ during our Wednesday chapel slot. This will be a slightly longer service than on a normal Wednesday and will be similar in format to our Michaelmas carol services, with the theme being a celebration of Spring. We will have performances from our pre-prep, junior, senior and chamber choirs; relevant readings from boys throughout the prep school; and appropriate congregational hymns. Parents, carers, grandparents and friends of the school are very welcome to attend this event on 22 March at 9.00 (finishing c.9.50). We are not expecting the same demand as for our carol services, so the service will not be ticketed. This will free up our Friday morning at the end of term for us to innovate with some new ideas – more anon!

A reminder of some dates for your diaries: Year 3 and 8S parents’ evening – Weds 11 January; Year 4 parents’ evening – Weds 25 January; Year 5 parents’ evening – Weds 1 March; Year 8 parents’ evening Weds 8 March; Pre-Prep parents’ evening – Weds 22 March at 17.30. With the exception of the pre-prep parents’ evening, all other parents’ evenings formally start at 18.00, though there are usually some colleagues happy to make an early start if parents are at a loose end and wish to arrive a little before 18.00. Parking is available from 17.15, once the playground is clear of boys heading home after their enrichment activities. Please aim to arrive before 18.30 to allow time to get around all of the teachers. If you would like to talk to a particular teacher for longer than c.5 minutes, please get in touch with that teacher to arrange a mutually convenient separate time.

From the Eco-Committee: Last year we ran a very successful photography competition and we would love to receive your photos of whatever wildlife, or aspect of nature, that you come across. Photographs should be autumn or winter related, although all photos will be welcome. All entries should be submitted to Emma Krebs by Friday 13 January 2023 (emma.krebs@newcollegeschool.org). The entries will be judged in year group based categories: Pre-Prep, Years 3-5 and Years 6-8. Prizes will be given to the top entries in each category.

A reminder, too, about the Warden’s Essay Prize, full details of which were sent via Parentmail last term. This will be of particular interest to older pupils, though the competition is open to all NCS pupils. The theme is biodiversity, inspired by the gargoyles and grotesques that have been commissioned for our new Gradel Quadrangles. The essay should be no longer than 1,000 words and the deadline (to office@newcollegeschool.org) is midday on 9 January 2023. The prize is £500, which should get a fair few boys interested!

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, 11 January 2023

8.15 School Council, library

9.00 Chapel. Speaker: Mr Robert Quinney, Organist, New College

14.30 U13 A-D Hockey vs Cranford House. Away

14.15 U11 A-C Hockey vs Cranford House. St Edward's

18.00 Year 3 and 8S parents' evening

Sunday, 15 January 2023

Start of University Term

Monday, 16 January 2023

19.00 NCSPA Meeting

Tuesday, 17 January 2023

14.15 U9 A-C Hockey vs MCS. Away

Wednesday, 18 January 2023

8.15 Eco Committee Meeting, library

9.00 Chapel. Speaker: Mr Patrick Horne, Principal, D'Overbroeck's

10.00 Rehearsals for Scholars' Concert (Holywell Music Room); Full orchestra 10.00-11.00

14.45 U13 A&B Hockey vs Abingdon. St Edward's

14.00 U11 A-D Hockey vs MCS. Away

18.00 Music Scholars' Concert (Holywell Music Room)

Thursday, 19 January 2023

9.00 IAPS Hockey Regionals. Tilsley Park

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