Thank you to Miss Pollard, our resident tutor, for the Friday Flyer this week.

Hello all! My name is Alice and I am this year's resident tutor in Pimlico. As an Old Dunelmian, albeit of MacLeod, I am grateful I have had the opportunity to come back and experience what life is like in a different house.

So far, this term has been packed with many exciting experiences for the boarding girls including trips to the Christmas markets in York, go-karting and bowling. I have loved getting to know the girls as they settle in, learning about their home countries and culture, and also how many languages they can speak (four is the highest I have found so far!). They have thrown themselves in to all the activities the house has offered, the most important event being house music. The girls looked amazing and both part song and the whole house song were sung beautifully and, in the cathedral, too! It is not every day you get to participate in an event like that; I can only imagine what it would have been like to perform on that stage.

This weekend the boarding girls will attend the Cathedral's advent service to watch and support the Choristers as this is one of the highlights of the Choristers' year. It marks the beginning of feeling festive for us and the girls will return to the house to drink hot chocolate with boys from the other boarding houses, a lovely event for all. Later this term before the Christmas break, the girls will have house suppers. This has to have been one of my favourite events from when I was a pupil and one of the most memorable. Coming together as a house, eating a Christmas dinner and playing party games kick starts the festive mood and creates long lasting memories for all. This is an occasion that all years will enjoy.

In other events, there has been plenty of baking happening in the house. Some attempts may have failed, nonetheless they still tasted good but there have been many triumphs too as the girls helped to bake cakes for a bake sale and to raise money for the house's chosen charity, Grace House.

I am excited for what the rest of the year will bring and to support the girls in the upcoming events. I believe one of the next is the Dunelm run, everyone's favourite in the new year.

I will add to Miss Pollard's reflections by also looking forwards.

Next term will see a Pimlico House charity concert in aid of Grace House on Monday 27th January from 4.45pm – 5.30pm (£5 a ticket for adults; £2 for students) and February Fizz for Pimlico parents and guardians on Thursday 13th February from 4.45pm -6.15pm. 

More details to come on both these events, but please save the dates. It is so important to support our girls in their efforts to raise money for charity and I would love to celebrate the slightly lighter days and the end of dry January with you over some fizz.

Fast-approaching, as I'm sure you are well aware, is the last week of term.

Please note that Junior House suppers for years 7-10 take place on Wednesday 11th December. Girls will be required to wear uniform but may also wear their Christmas jumpers. 

The party will finish at 4.20pm and day girls must be collected at this point. Please note there will be no after school activities that day, but school transport will run as normal. Those requiring school transport may wait in the House. 

Senior House suppers for years 11-13 are held on Thursday 12th December. The dress code for this is formal, black tie. I have already told girls that this means "chic, classy" as opposed to "skimpy, night club" and, in case this wasn't clear, spelt out that this means a longer dress and that shoulders should be covered at dinner. I certainly know how to make myself popular! Thank you for echoing my sentiments at home. 

On Thursday 12th December, all day girls in years 7-10 must be collected at 4.20pm. If they stay in school for transport, provision will be made for them elsewhere on site. Day girls in years 11-13 must be collected at 10pm when the day part of the House will close.

Finally, our carol service on Friday 13th December takes place in Durham Cathedral between 5.30pm-6.30pm. Girls' final belongings can be collected from Pimlico House between 4.30pm – 5.00pm or directly after the cathedral service. 

If you would like to depart with your daughter directly from cathedral then please could you let me or Mrs. Pollard know? Thank you. Pimlico House shuts at 6.45pm on December 13th for the Christmas break.