Assembly on Friday!

---

Much has happened since the last blog--new schools for eleven team members (hope that's going well for you all); Mr Mabbett doing his PGCE; a new Head and deputy at St. Andrew's, plus a new Head Girl and Head Chorister (congratulations, Livvy and Bella!)--but the traditional Grace Trip Assembly has not changed, and this Friday the Hall will host two of them. The first, at 8.30 for the Juniors, will be a technical rehearsal but still important as some of you first got the Grace bug at this age. I hope to have some tables set up for your souvenirs and journals on Thursday evening (amidst Gym Club) so if any of you can get things in (perhaps via a sister--Angela, Josh, Will--or brother--Charlie, Holly) that would be brilliant as it will save time on the day as well as giving the Juniors things to look at (promise to keep them safe!).

Then the Team members should aim to arrive around 4.45 for final set-up, and a run-through of the slideshow script, before the audience arrives. The show is nearly finished--150 slides so far containing about half the pictures I have (thanks to all who contributed), and we have reached the Three Rondavels! However the script is not yet written... once it is, I am thinking of emailing it out so you can have a look at it before the day. As time is short and I am not totally sure who is coming yet, I am not writing names on it so we shall decide on Friday who reads which section. If most of you are there the sections will not be very long. I have received apologies from Georgia and Robert, who have important school commitments on the day (Rob is off on a CCF camp); I don't think Mrs Davies will be able to make it either but I hope to see most of you. Please bring along (if you can't get them there on Thursday) those journals, souvenirs, letters/cards/gifts etc. for your display table and wear your team hoodie (especially Angela!).

After our visit a small team of adults from a Reading church visited The Grace and did some maintenance work--painting and fixing play equipment, an office (and maybe a classroom as well) as well as making some benches for the garden and a lean-to for boarders to shelter in. I met most of them just before term began and we shared stories. They had no power cuts but suffered water cut-outs instead, which is worse! Meanwhile we have started a pilot project of email correspondence with some sponsored children. Money has continued to come in (mainly from Olivia and family, and Josh; also Tom's mobile sales have borne fruit) so I am updating the give.net site. The latest money will go to the next project, the mini science lab. Mr Kyte, bless him, has been working hard to produce a DVD of the trip and we hope to have it on sale on Friday (probably £10 a copy). This will contain at least a lot of filmed material and photos, as well as some audio, but not the slideshow. It will be longer than the 2013 version as he says it is too interesting to cut much! He is, as you all know, creatively gifted in putting things together so it should be good value for money and well worth buying (Christmas present for grandparents?). Once the assembly is cleared up I am off to join twenty teachers who are supporting him in the show he is appearing in at The Hexagon next week--Hairspray!

Mrs Reeves, Mr Mabbett and I are really looking forward to meeting OSA Team members and hearing your news. I met Charlie the other day, and was delighted to see Holly and Rosa as I drove a school team through Bradfield after a match! Friday will be a bit of party and I am sure you will enjoy meeting each other again and seeing the photos. Till then, good wishes to you all.

---