Beginnings at Butler

18 October 2025 - Butler

From the last warm and sunny days of summer in September to the burnished hues and crisp days of October, this first half Term of the Academic Year has been as full as ever. The Butler girls hit the ground running and have not let up!

September 2025 saw us welcome Miss Shannon (Resident Tutor) and Mrs Millard (House Tutor), alongside our LIV girls, two new UIV pupils and two new LVI (Mons). They have coped so admirably with all the demands that being new brings, and we have loved having them in House.

Tallulah (Head of House), Tracy (Deputy Head of House) and all our Mons have led the House superbly; we are grateful to them for their excellent initiatives, and support and encouragement of the younger girls. Whether it be inviting them in for hot chocolate and a chat or creating opportunities for them to note down acts of kindness that are then celebrated in House Order (our weekly House meeting), they have set a wonderful tone and are terrific examples for the rest of the House to emulate. (They usually look a tad more enthusiastic than they do here…!)

The Butler spirit is alive and well and a sense of fun and care can be felt throughout the House. The girls have made the most of their co-curricular activities and are fully involved and represented in every area of School life. A hearty “bravo” goes to those girls who devoted many hours to preparing for WACMF (Wycombe Abbey Competitive Music Festival) and performed superbly. Special congratulations go to flautist Ava and vocalist Vivienne, who won their categories, and to Elizabeth and Yuki, who were highly commended in theirs.

Activities Days saw the LIV and UV leave the House in impressive spirits (despite the 4 am start!) for their trips to France and Belgium, before the UIV and LV headed off to Leicester and a Duke of Edinburgh expedition respectively. Thankfully, the weather was kind, and the LV girls are to be warmly commended for their sense of bonhomie and joie de vivre that couldn’t but help come through in their dramatic retelling of the various hardships they had encountered!

The Butler love of competition remains undimmed and the UIV have been practising very hard for the House Dance competition (making excellent progress), and the LIV have been equally committed to the building of their guy in preparation of Bonfire Night. I have been impressed by their imagination and have high hopes for their final creation!

There is a very healthy love of food in Butler and every evening sees it celebrated in some form: Monday’s baked goods, Toastie Tuesday, Wednesday’s nachos, Thursday’s crepes (introduced by Mrs Millard) and Fruity Friday are all happily anticipated and bring the House together for all-age chats.

On a personal note, I have thoroughly enjoyed my first few weeks in Butler and am very grateful for how welcoming and friendly the girls have been. My thanks also go to you, as parents and guardians, for all your support – I have very much appreciated it and it has been lovely to meet so many of you, either at the start of term, at our House Drinks or in your informal visits to House. Your daughters can look forward to a very well-deserved break over Long Leave and we in Butler shall look forward to welcoming them back in November, joyfully looking ahead to all the fun that Bonfire Night and the Christmas festivities will bring.