This week seems to have gone extremely fast, and it's hard to believe that we are only one week away from the Easter Holidays. 

Weekly goings on 

This week has seen the conclusion of the House Netball competitions where the seniors (Yr 11, 12 and 13) took to the court. The girls, made up of the different year groups, fought valiantly against some very strong teams. MacLeod A, for example, makes up the majority of the senior school netball team and they made a tough (and fast!) competition. Our girls, who collectively are inexperienced at Netball, did a great job stepping up to the challenge and working together to get the best result. Bea and Edie (Yr 12 and 13, respectively) were notably strong, making great use of their space on court and unleashing their sense of leadership and competitive spirit. 

Edie was named Lodge House Girl of The Game, WELL DONE. 

On Wednesday, Lodge House had another Cookery Club session where the girls were guided through how to make chocolate chip cookies. The kitchen was once again busy and full of laughter and lots of mess (of the best kind!). It was great to see how eager they were to get their cookies in the oven and sample the goods. There was a lovely sense of pride amongst our budding chefs, and I think they enjoyed the results! 

Yesterday, the Spring Concert took place in Chapel, showcasing the range of talent our musicians have been working on. Well done to Hilda and Grace who are taking part. 

This morning the girls got another chance to show their competitive spirit in a game of Bingo! 

The Dunelm Run 

On Monday (31st), the famous Dunelm Run is taking place! This is our school Cross-country Run in and around the school site. There is lots of talk already about the run as it is seen as a difficult challenge and something that a lot of pupils may not look forward to... However, I just want to take the time to highlight the importance of engaging in something that is difficult and a challenge. Because if we don't challenge ourselves, we don't know what we are capable of. The special thing about the Dunelm Run is that everyone in the school takes part. Due to this, there is a unique and important sense of comradery that takes place and if taking it in your stride (excuse the pun) it can really produce a great sense of pride and achievement. My advice is to not let the comments from other pupil's shape your enjoyment of it – grasp the challenge and keep a positive mindset. Do your best, however fast that might be, to get that sense of achievement! Personally, I have completed the run each year since joining the school in 2015(!) and I genuinely will be sad to not take part this year! I will be cheering the girls on with as much gusto as I can!

 Charity Events 

To mark the end of the term and to conclude our fundraising for St Cuthbert's Hospice, the girls have organised a few more events before we break up. This includes an Easter Egg raffle where we are selling strips of tickets for £1 for the chance to win some chocolatey prizes! Raffle is drawn on Wednesday the 2nd of April. The Year 13's are organising an Easter Hunt on the school grounds on Thursday 3rd of April where pupils are to find the Easter Bunnies – 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes up for grabs! Please encourage the girls to bring in some change to support the last push for St Cuthbert's. 

After half term we are hosting a VE Day Afternoon Tea Party on Friday 9th May in Lodge House garden! This will be a fun social event for Lodge House girls, parents and staff, where tea, cake, games, music and a raffle will all be in abundance. Tickets are £5 and all proceeds go to the Zambezi Sunrise Trust; please purchase before Friday 2nd of May. 

Please could I ask for any contributions to the raffle to be handed to Lodge House staff by Friday 2nd May – Thank you! 

This will be our last big charity push for the year, and I just want to say how amazingly the girls have done will all the events and socials so far - thank you so much for your support!

House Tops 

When we began the process of opening Lodge House we said we would offer a swap system for the reversible House tops. It has taken a while, but these are now available to purchase from Grays Team Sports. If you are a parent or Guardian of a pupil who moved into Lodge from MacLeod or Pimlico we are now in a position to ask if you would like to swap your old House top for a new one. 

A form for this has been circulated via school email. Please check for this and complete it. If you can't find the email or the link does not work, please inform of the size top you would like by Friday 4th April. 

If you have any questions, then please contact Mrs Spence or Mrs Fordyce. 

End of Term Arrangements 

The term will end on Friday the 4th April after a Cathedral Service. The service will take place at 3pm and finish around 4pm, after which the House will close at 4:30pm and School Transport will depart. Between now and then, all belongings need to be taken home or locked in lockers, please help encourage your daughter to do this in good time for the end of term. 

Lady of Lodge 

This week's Lady of Lodge goes to Edie and Bea for showing great leadership, grit and determination in House Netball. Edie was determined to take part in the competition and really supported the other girls, whilst Bea used her knowledge of the sport to guide the girls during the matches. Well done on showcasing such House spirit. 

Upcoming dates

Year 8 and 9 Easter themed social! – Wednesday 2nd of April in Lodge House. £3 to either Mrs Spence/Mrs Fordyce, please.   

Year 9 Raffle draw for St Cuthbert's Hospice – Wednesday 2nd April 

Easter Hunt! – Thursday 3rd April at 1:45pm 

Friday 4th April - End of Term. 

VE Day Afternoon Tea Party – 9th of May 4:30-6:30 pupils and parents of Lodge House welcome.