Westholme NL Xmas 2010.indd - Westholme School

PRINCIPLES LETTER
Dear Reader,
Merry Christmas! As it is the season of giving and receiving gifts, it seems appropriate for me to reflect on the
numerous gifts our pupils possess. These are not the presents that are opened and discarded, but moreover the special
qualities and abilities that define each of us as an individual.
Every child has his or her own unique talent, and our real focus here at Westholme is to find that personal
gift and work hard to build it up. It is a two way process and the gifts which the pupils give in return to the staff team
are the gifts of satisfaction, pride and inspiration. Not exactly gold, frankincense and myrrh, but equally valuable! It
is (most of the time!) an incredibly rewarding job teaching our children as they are so very reciprocal. All around us
this term we have seen wonderful examples of the pupils achieving amazing things and the content of this newsletter
reflects this.
For me this term, ‘Twelfth Night’ was a particular highlight. It was a challenging text but one which the girls
took complete ownership of, making it suddenly alive and accessible for our audiences. I do believe this is a special
skill of Westholme pupils, that they take the difficult and somehow make it appear easy. Certainly that was the case
for our youngest children in Billinge House who sang, acted and danced their ways through a variety of tear-jerking
nativity performances and their hugely entertaining ‘Christmas Cracker’ in the Westholme Theatre. All of our festive
performances have been particularly good this year; the Junior Schools’ Carol Service at the Cathedral marked the real
start of Christmas as each child, a star in his or her own right, twinkled for an appreciative audience. The Senior Carol
Service followed suit and once again I marvelled at the purity of the singing voices, the clarity of the readings and of
course, the simple beauty of praising together in a holy place.
Everyone benefits from belonging to a community and this term I think we have had some wonderful
examples of pulling together to achieve great things. Children in Need, Harvest Festival at St Silas’s Church, the Rotary
toy collection and Human Trafficking in Cambodia have all benefited from the children thinking beyond themselves. A
great thank you to parents and children alike for their generous giving. In other teams we have won public speaking
awards, fell running championships and science prizes. Both in groups and as individuals we have achieved significant
successes and not always in the most obvious places. Who would have thought we would have had not one but two
professional standard golfers?
I would like to wish you all a peaceful Christmas. In the midst of rampant consumerism, the panic of having to
revise for exams or the family friction of being too close for too long, please remember that it is all about the birth of one
baby. A simple and unadorned event which brought immense joy and hope to the world. Reflect and savour the gifts
you have that will not be discarded and cannot be replaced. Enjoy every moment!
Yours sincerely,
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE:
Mrs. L. Croston, B.Sc. (Hons) Dunelm, P.G.C.E. Cantab., A.L.C.M.
Wilmar Lodge, Meins Road, Blackburn BB2 6QU. Tel: 01254 506070
Lillian Croston
Principal
Website: www.westholmeschool.com Email: principal@westholmeschool.com Fax: 01254 506080
Westholme School Ltd., a registered charity, limited by guarantee, is registered in England under the Company Reference Number 926692
PRINCIPAL’S LETTER
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