Headmaster's Newsletter Friday 7th January 2022
Dear Parents,
A very warm welcome back. I hope that you and your families and friends had a very happy Christmas break, with lots of rest, reflection, fun and just a few gifts. It was gifts that I talked about in chapel on the first day of term; in fact, I took along with me three genuine gifts that have been given to me over the years: a DVD of an Italian crime drama that was given to me for Christmas by my family a year or so ago; the second gift I will keep vague (you’ll see why in a minute), only to say that it was given to me by someone outside the NCS community about twelve years ago and is quite dusty; the third gift was a mug with ‘Arsenal Football Club’ written on the side. This was given to me by a pupil as a leaving gift seven years ago. Many of you will appreciate why, as a Spurs fan, being given an Arsenal mug was an especially effective example of trolling by a thirteen-year-old. I hope you’re impressed, too, that it is still in one piece.
I asked the boys to think about the gifts’ value, and I asked a volunteer to put envelopes in front of each gift, denoting whether they thought the gift was the most valuable, least valuable, or in the middle. We then opened those envelopes to see the monetary value of each gift. From cheapest to most expensive: the Arsenal mug came first, then the DVD, then the dusty gift. You will notice that I used the words monetary value. But I wanted the boys to think about a different kind of value – the value of what something means to us emotionally. I wanted them to understand that quite often just because something costs a lot of money, that does not mean that it has a lot of value for us. And, quite often, just because something has not cost a lot of money, that does not mean that it has little value for us.
To take the examples in chapel: in many ways I should not really value the Arsenal mug. It was not the most expensive gift in the world, and it has emblazoned in bright red the logo of my football team’s lifelong arch enemy. It therefore lives in a cupboard unused. However, I value it the most because it was a bizarrely thoughtful gift – I appreciate the joke, and it brings to me a smile whenever I open the cupboard and find it. It was a kind gesture from a pupil, who I had taught for three years, as they left the school – and, as I say, it was a particularly inventive form of trolling. The middle gift stayed in the middle – a DVD of a rather obscure programme that I really enjoy, and it was very kind of the people who bought it for me to pay for it. I enjoyed watching it, and one day I will watch it again. It has also brought joy to friends of mine who have borrowed the DVD. Its monetary value, and its value of what it means to me, are pretty much in synch. The most expensive gift – the one with the most monetary value – was the one that has the least value to me. Without going into too many details, it was a gift from someone who was trying to get me to do them a favour. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was a bribe, and I didn’t do what they wanted in return anyway, but it was an example of someone putting their money towards something without a huge amount of thought.
So I asked the boys to think about the gifts they had received over the past few weeks, as well as the gifts they have given to their loved ones: the value of those gifts to them and their loved ones, not how much money those gifts cost. It is an increasingly unpleasant part of modern life that people judge the value of gifts in terms of how many pounds and pence were handed over at the cash register or on the internet. But that is not where the true value of gifts resides: their true value resides in the thought that went into them, and what they represent about the relationship between the giver of the gift and the recipient. And as we begin this new term, I asked the boys to think about how lucky we are to be able to give and receive gifts. And to think about how lucky we are that some of those gifts sometimes cost a fair amount of money. But, more importantly, I wanted them to think about how lucky we are that there are lots of people who care about us enough, who value us, to show that care and value through the thought they put into their gifts to us. That care and value does not need to be big and flashy; more often it is quiet small gestures that are more meaningful, and it is the quiet small gestures of humility that represent the values of New College School.
Have a great weekend, and a great term,
Matt Jenkinson
Many thanks indeed to those of you who have already taken the time to complete our triennial community survey. Many of the questions are based on the ISI’s parent questionnaire, so you get a sense of the kind of things that will be asked when the inspectors call. The sections at the end of the survey, with boxes for more extended prose, provide parents with the opportunity to give more detailed and subtle feedback. In case there is any confusion, ‘senior’ refers to pupils who would otherwise be in an 11+ senior school (i.e. Years 7 and 8 at NCS); ‘junior’ refers to all pupils younger than that at NCS. The survey can be accessed at https://forms.office.com/r/mDRa5LQuSG and the deadline for completion is Friday 14 January at noon.
We have recently updated our online guide to choosing and preparing for 13+ future schools, including pre-test assessments. This is available at https://www.newcollegeschool.org/page/?title=Future+Schools&pid=104 and we hope it provides detailed step-by-step information to help parents through the process. As always, if you have any questions whatsoever about future schools, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
From Mr Morrison: The latest round of guidance sent through by the Children’s Commissioner includes a new report on online sexual harrassment and how parents and carers can support children to stay safe online. The report was informed by asking a group of 16-21 years to reflect on the challenges faced by young people online and to consider what they wish their parents had spoken about when they first received a smart phone and started using social media. This report is timely, as we approach Safer Internet Day (8 February), but it’s a topic that’s always at the forefront of our minds at NCS. It’s vital we continue to pursue and adapt conversations about technology use with our young people, even though these are not always straightforward conversations to have. At school, we value listening to pupils’ experiences online, the good and the bad, and seek to establish an open channel of communication to discuss experiences and concerns. When we discuss these topics with the boys, we ask questions to help them reflect on their online activity, such as, are their online relationships respectful ones and are they acting with integrity? These are key aspects of digital literacy and responsibility, which are taught at NCS through ICT, RSE and Wellbeing lessons, with repeated reminders that there is always someone to turn to if things do go wrong online.
Thank you for your entries in this year’s library Christmas Quiz. These can still be sent to Mrs Hess in the library (Elizabeth.hess@newcollegeschool.org); the deadline is this coming Monday. There are chocolate Santas on offer for the winning families.
Parents’ Evenings: Please find below a few dates for your diary. Unless otherwise stated, parents’ evenings begin at 18.00, though a few colleagues are usually available a little earlier if you would like to make a head start. Please arrive as early as practicable (ideally by around 18.30) so we can finish the evenings by 20.00 and we can get everyone home at a sensible time. If you have any issues that you think would require longer discussion than possible in a five-ish minute meeting, especially with form tutors, please do book a separate appointment. We will be following our usual Covid-19 protocols for these events. They will take place in the sports hall, with the bi-folds open for as much ventilation as possible. Please therefore wrap up warm because it can get a little chilly. Please also take a lateral flow test (leading to a negative result) before arriving, wear face coverings, and respect social distancing, especially when sitting to chat to teachers.
Years 3 and 8S: Wednesday 12 January
Year 4: Wednesday 26 January
Year 5: Wednesday 2 March
Year 8: Wednesday 9 March (please note change from date advertised in parent handbook)
Pre-Prep: Wednesday 23 March, 17.30 (please note change from date advertised in parent handbook)
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, 12 January 2022
9.00 Chapel. Speaker: the Chaplain
8.15 School Council-Charity Meeting, library
10.30 Year 5 Zoom Presentations with Nalang Model Academy
14.00 U11 A-D Hockey v Winchester House, Away
14.00 U13 A-D Hockey v Winchester House, St Edward's
18.00 Year 3 and 8S parents' evening
Thursday, 13 January 2022
9.00 Year 8 Covid-19 Vaccinations
Saturday, 15 January 2022
9.00 MCS Pretest, current Year 6 boys (Year 9 entry)
Sunday, 16 January 2022
Start of University Term
Wednesday, 19 January 2022
9.00 Chapel. Speaker: Mr Robert Quinney, Organist, New College
8.15 Eco Committee Meeting, library
14.00 Rehearsals for scholars' concert (Holywell Music Room)
14.45 U13 A&B Hockey v Abingdon, St Edward's
14.00 U11 A-D Hockey v MCS, Away
18.00 Music scholars' concert (Holywell Music Room)