A New Term – Settling In
13 October 2022 - Shelburne
We are all new at some point, whether it be new to a school, a club, or a job. At the start of this term, we welcomed our LIV pupils from Junior House as they took the next step in their academic journey. It has been lovely to get to know them and he four new UIV girls, who joined us from different schools. There have been a range of fantastic initiatives both in House and in School that have been put in place to ensure girls settle in quickly, and now as we reach Long Leave they are an integral part of our community.
All new UIV pupils have benefitted from the support of their buddies, and they thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them at a pizza party early in the term. The buddy system allows new pupils to get to know the School and gain confidence among their peers, as well as how to find some of the more out of the way classrooms!. It has been lovely to see these relationships develop, and to see the skills gained in those pupils who were assigned as a buddy.
In House our Shelburne House Family Tree is growing, and pupils have appreciated the opportunity to take part in family events. The House Mother and Daughter scavenger hunt was great fun; pupils worked together to get to know the Boarding House in line with our new pupil induction checklist. The UV Heads of Dorm have offered guidance to the younger girls on House routines as well as tips for getting prep tasks completed on time. Through this role the UV are a fantastic support to the House, especially in creating a calm and homely atmosphere, we are all very grateful for their efforts. Mrs Duncan was welcomed to the House by some of our new pupils,; it was a pleasure to host her, and the girls found it really interesting to chat to her about their experiences in the House so far this term.
The LVI girls also find themselves in a new position this year, taking up their role as “Mons” and embarking on their positions of responsibility within the House. They have developed their leadership skills and worked with the staff to create a productive, respectful and caring environment within the House, fostering a really positive culture. They provided hot chocolate and biscuits for each year during the first two weeks of term, it has been lovely to see such cohesion developing across the different age groups. In their roles they have worked hard to organise House events and activities, as well as our House Chapel Service and competing in House Games. They all enjoyed the opportunity to have supper with Mr Jones as they discussed life in the Sixth Form.
It is not only the new pupils we have welcomed this term; Miss Hopper has joined us, as our Resident Tutor, and Mrs Wilson as our Day Matron; it has been a joy to work with them and I know that the girls have loved getting to know them. They have already had a huge impact on, not only the day-to-day running of the House, but also the girls’ experiences at School.
As a House community we have enjoyed coming together to celebrate some fantastic achievements; the UIV pupils’ performance in House Dance was very impressive. LIV created an exciting film as part of our Activities’ Days and are currently working on the Guy for Bonfire Night. As ever, we have a number of Shelburne Stars who we should mention – Two pupils won their categories in the Wycombe Abbey Music Festival – Adela (Senior Voice) and Belle (Junior Piano), we are very proud of their achievements and loved seeing them perform! We have some impressive athletes among us with Emily, Grace, Emily, Sophie, Valentina and Sibella being selected for the Lacrosse 1sts team. They have already had some exciting games with a win at the County Tournament. We look forward to hearing about more achievements in the coming weeks.
Whether girls are new or ‘old’, it has been a successful half term, and everyone has something to be proud of. It might be that there is pride taken in settling into a Senior House, surviving half a term of boarding for the first time, helping someone who is new, supporting the staff, or simply developing a skill. Whatever it may be, I continue to be impressed with the wonderful Shelburne community and all that they do. I am sure everyone will benefit from some time to rest and reflect over the Long Leave break as we take time to pause over the break.
