Dear Wessex Community, 

Welcome back to all members of the Wessex community. It has been wonderful to return to the familiar rhythm of school life after the trimester break and to see our pupils once again filling the campus with energy, enthusiasm and purpose.

A particularly warm welcome back goes to our Senior 4 pupils who have returned safely from their UK tour. Having had the privilege of accompanying them for much of the journey, I can say firsthand that the trip was an outstanding success in so many ways. The pupils embraced every opportunity presented to them, represented both themselves and the school exceptionally well, and were excellent ambassadors throughout. We are very proud of them and the manner in which they conducted themselves.

During the holidays, a number of our pupils also participated in Science Sim Fiction. It is encouraging to see both participants and spectators contributing to what is becoming a vibrant and positive learning community event. Opportunities such as these allow young people to engage with ideas beyond the classroom, develop their curiosity, and celebrate a shared love of learning.

This week also saw the successful introduction of our enhanced site security measures. All adults working on or visiting the campus are now expected to wear an identification badge appropriate to their role. This initiative strengthens our safeguarding practices and helps ensure that every adult on site can be easily identified by pupils, staff and visitors. Thank you to everyone for supporting the smooth implementation of this important measure.

Our value focus for June is Tolerance. I spoke to the Senior School earlier this week about the importance of tolerance as one of the values that binds a community together. A strong community is not built because everyone thinks the same, behaves the same, or shares the same interests. Rather, it is built when people learn to respect differences, listen to one another, and recognise the value that each individual brings. Tolerance encourages empathy, understanding and mutual respect, and these qualities are essential in any thriving school community. As we move through the month, I encourage all members of our community to reflect on how they can demonstrate tolerance in their daily interactions.

I am also pleased to advise that our official school calendar has now been updated and is accurate through to the end of the academic year. I encourage families to make regular use of the website to stay informed about upcoming events, alongside our weekly Friday communications. In addition, all community communications issued so far this year have now been uploaded to the website, creating a convenient reference point for families who may wish to revisit previous announcements and updates.

Finally, I would like to extend a warm welcome back to Eloisa Contreras, our Risk Assessment Officer, who returns from maternity leave. We are delighted to have her back as part of the team. I would also like to share that our Hockey coach – Michael Muñoz – has been invited by the National Field Hockey Federation to join the coaching staff as Assistant Coach of the Chilean Junior National Team. We congratulate Sir Michael on his achievement. 

Thank you for your continued support of the school. I wish all members of our community a restful and enjoyable weekend.