In this week's Roundup:
Head's Welcome | The Week Ahead | Key Term Dates | Noticeboard | Photo of the Week
Nursery & Junior | Senior & Sixth Form | Submit a Story
A message from
Rich Jones, Head.
Christmas is meant to be a pause in the turning of the year - a time for merriment, for reconnecting with others and for feelings of goodwill towards all. In reality, and in most houses, it’s also become a reliable source of agitation and low-level conflict from unwanted relatives to TV vetoes. Last weekend was no exception. We survived, just about.
The older I get the more I find myself quietly enraged by an eclectic mix of things. The marital tension of correct dishwasher stacking. The existence of leaf blowers. The mispronunciation of the word ‘literally’. Overly complicated recycling bins. Cheap bin bags. Teenagers who create elaborate balancing acts with dirty plates rather than placing them in the dishwasher. I could go on.
Yet somehow, last week, I was the calm one.
The Great Christmas Tree Debate dominated the house. One faction insisted the tree could go up on Sunday. The other was morally offended because it was still November. Tempers rose, alliances formed, and I stayed out of the blast zone. A compromise eventually emerged. Tree construction on Sunday, but no Christmas music until December. Peace, of sorts.
And oddly, that was the moment I felt most Christmassy. Families launch themselves into these annual battles over traditions that no one can quite explain, and the whole thing teeters on the edge of absurdity. We are messy, inconsistent, contradictory creatures, and Christmas magnifies all of it. The pursuit of the perfect day, in the perfect order, never works. The real magic is usually found in the aftermath, when the dust settles, and the imperfections show themselves for what they are – human.
School communities aren’t that different. We sometimes talk about St Chris as a family, and there is truth in that. We’re a collection of young people, parents and staff who bring their quirks, preferences and passions into a shared space. When we hold that lightly and make room for it all, the place feels balanced and real.
Now the Jones family, only a few years ago, crossed to the dark side and got a fake tree – I know, I can hear the gasps. In my defence, the pine needle clear-up was no longer worth the wonderful smell. So, dutifully, after this weekend’s peace accord, I fetched the box from the garage.
This was meant to be the easy win.
Out came the tree. And out came a sizeable, thriving family of rats who had made the box their winter residence. Cue screaming, laughing and a family dog who promptly abandoned us, hid behind the sofa and clearly has no wolf instincts left at all.
Christmas, family and life, I guess, is meant to be messy. And sometimes the universe sends you a family of rats to remind you that if you go searching for the perfect Christmas, something will always scurry out and prove you wrong.
Wellbeing Update
Sign Up for the Wellbeing Hub
At St Chris, we’re proud to empower our staff and families to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people through The Wellbeing Hub — an online platform offering expert guidance and practical resources.
Parents and guardians are warmly invited to register for access via the button below. Once signed up, you'll find a wide range of support at your fingertips — including podcasts, online courses, live events, and Q&A sessions with leading professionals in the field.
Wednesday 15 December - Podcast
Podcast: Setting your children up for success with Alicia Drummond, Therapist and Founder of The Wellbeing Hub
Senior & Sixth Form Careers Fair - Wednesday 25 February 2026
We’re Looking for Exhibitors!
We are preparing for our upcoming Careers Fair and are inviting alumni, families and the wider St Chris community to take part. Your insight can offer valuable guidance to our Senior School and Sixth Form students as they consider their future pathways.
We welcome parents, former St Chris students, friends of the school, universities and local employers from any sector. Participants may host a small information table, speak informally with students about their career journey, or offer advice on skills, qualifications and development.
Students from Year 7 through to the Sixth Form will visit throughout the morning.
If you would like to be involved, please email lizzie.hedderson@stchris.co.uk by Monday 8 December.
Thank you for supporting our community, and please feel free to share this invitation with anyone who may be interested.
Raffle - Fundraising in memory of Oliver Lambie
Earlier this year, we were deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of former St Chris student, Oliver Lambie. Many staff members remember Oliver with great affection, and his loss has been felt profoundly throughout the wider St Chris community.
Oliver had a genuine love for nature and the natural world, a passion that shaped much of who he was. In his memory, Oliver’s family are raising funds for Ollie’s Lookout — a wildlife viewing platform designed to offer a peaceful space for reflection and a place for others to connect with the nature he cherished so much. The project is being developed at Kingfishers Bridge Nature Reserve, a local conservation site that shares Oliver’s enthusiasm for wildlife and his commitment to protecting it.
The school were lucky enough to be donated a brand-new Thermomix earlier this year and would like to raffle this in aid of Ollie's Lookout. The Thermomix TM6 is an all-in-one, multi-functional kitchen appliance that can replace many other gadgets by combining cooking, chopping, blending, and more into one device, it retails at over £1000.
If you would like to donate and be entered into the raffle then please follow this link to Pay Collectiv. Tickets for the raffle are £5 each Please do not hide your name when you pay so we can see who has contributed, and please uncheck 'support collectiv' so that the charity get the full amount!! The collection will close on Wednesday 10 December and the draw will take place before the end of term.
If you have any questions about the raffle then please contact becky.belson@stchris.co.uk.
Notices
Whole School
Christmas Lunch - 10 and 11 December
Christmas Lunch will be served for the Junior School on Wednesday, 10 December and the Senior School on Thursday 11 December.
On Thursday, for Senior School students:
- There will be no Grab & Go available
- Packed lunch will need to be provided by parents for those who don't want the Christmas Dinner.
Christmas Food Bank Collection
As we have done for many years, the entire school is gathering donations for the Letchworth food bank. The following items are needed urgently for the Christmas boxes:
- Tinned ham and salmon
- Selection box of chocolates
- Small/medium Christmas cakes
- Festive biscuits
- UHT Milk
- Long life fruit juice
- Size 6 nappies
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Deodorant (men and women)
Senior & Sixth Form Students should please bring their donations to their company room from Monday.
Nursery & Junior School Students should bring their donations to the Junior School Foyer.
At this time, more people than ever in Letchworth are relying on the food bank, so it would be amazing if the whole school community can support this.
Senior & Sixth Form
National Pool Lifeguard Qualification – December 2025
We are delighted to share that the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification course will be running at St Chris from Monday 15 to Friday 19 December 2025. This is a valuable opportunity for students who are 16 or will turn 16 on or before 19 December, and who may be interested in gaining a qualification that supports part-time and flexible work alongside their studies.
With a strong pass rate, the course equips students with the skills needed to become qualified lifeguards, and successful candidates will be able to apply to join the lifeguarding team at the St Chris Swimming Pool.
A limited number of funding options are available to support St Chris students wishing to take part.
To book email: abi.watson@stchris.co.uk
Senior Christmas Concert - Tuesday 9 December
We’re delighted to invite you to our Senior Christmas Concert featuring performances by our Senior School musicians on Tuesday, 9 December at 5:00pm in the Theatre. Our students have been working hard, and it promises to be a lovely festive celebration.
If your child would like take part with a solo, please ask them to speak to Ann-Marie or Martin, and to help the students feel confident and ready, please ensure they attend all scheduled rehearsals over the next week.
We look forward to sharing this special evening with you and welcoming the festive season together!
Homework Club; Monday - Friday
World Book Day – Book Fair – Book Purchase
We’re excited for our school Book Fair, which will take place during the week of World Book Day in March!
How it works:
- Parents first complete the opt-in form by Thursday 11 December
- Once you opt in, a £10 payment request will be added to your Evolve account.
- Please make this payment by 31 January.
- This contribution allows us to pre-purchase vouchers from Bow Books so that every participating child can select a book of their choice on the day.
- Children whose parents have opted in and paid will be able to choose a book worth up to £10.
- Bow Books will also accept additional cash or card payments if your child wishes to spend more.
How to take part:
- Scan the attached QR code or follow the link to complete the short form.
- Select whether you wish to opt in or opt out
World Book Day Fancy Dress – A Little Reminder!
We are also looking forward to seeing everyone’s wonderful World Book Day costumes again this year! Children are welcome to come to school dressed as their favourite book character on the day. We can’t wait to see all the creativity and imagination on display.
Pre-Loved Book Fair
During Literary Week, we will be hosting a Pre-Loved Book Fair. Every book will be available for £1, with all proceeds going to charity.
We would love your support in collecting books for the fair. If you have any pre-loved books you could donate, please could students bring them to E1 at school, where they will be stored safely until the week of the fair.
Nursery & Junior School
Supporting Successful Dyslexics - Parent Workshop
We are delighted to be hosting this talk alongside the North Herts Mid Beds local Patoss group. Patoss is a professional association for teachers of students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD).
We’re inviting St Chris parents to join this exciting event planned on Tuesday 20 January at 7.00pm with the brilliant Jo Rees. There is no charge for this event but booking is essential as numbers are limited.
The Week Ahead
Nursery & Junior School
- Wednesday 10 December: Junior School Christmas Party Lunch
- Thursday 11 December: Junior School Gathering 1 9:00-10:30am; Junior School Gathering 2 4:00-5:30pm
- Friday 12 December: Last day of Autumn Term 2025 - term ends at 12:00 noon
Senior School & Sixth Form
- Monday 8 December: Flu Vaccinations (catch-up session); V Group (Year 11) Practical GCSE Mock Exams
- Tuesday 9 December: V Group (Year 11) Practical GCSE Mock Exams; Senior School Christmas Concert
- Wednesday 10 December: V Group (Year 11) Practical GCSE Mock Exams; II Group (Year 8) Pantomime Trip; III Group (Year 9) Basketball vs Marriotts (home); III Group (Year 9) DTP & MenACWY Vaccinations
- Thursday 11 December: V Group (Year 11) Practical GCSE Mock Exams; I Group (Year 7) and Sixth Form (Years 12 & 13) Ice Skating; Senior Football vs KTS (away); II Group (Year 8) Football vs Barclay (home), Senior School Christmas Lunch
- Friday 12 December: V Group (Year 11) Practical GCSE Mock Exams; Last day of Autumn Term 2025 - term ends at 12:00 noon
Autumn Term Diary
| Monday 15 December to Monday 5 January | Christmas Holidays (school closed) |
| Monday 5 January | Staff INSET |
| Tuesday 6 January | First day of Spring Term |
| Wednesday 7 January | III Group (Year 9) Basketball vs Barnwell (Away) |
| Thursday 8 January |
(UVI) Year 13 Mock Examinations (IV Group (Year 10) Basketball vs TAA (Away) |
| Friday 9 January | UVI (Year 13) Mock Examinations |
| Monday 12 January | UVI (Year 13) Mock Examinations |
| Tuesday 13 January | UVI (Year 13) Mock Examinations |
| Wednesday 14 January |
UVI (Year 13) Mock Examinations Camps International Parents Information Evening (online) |
| Thursday 15 January | III Group (Year 9) Parents' Consultation |
| Tuesday 20 January | IV Group (Year 10) Basketball vs JHN (Home) |
| Wednesday 21 January |
Senior School Film and Philosophy Screening V Group (Year 11) Parents' Consultation |
| Thursday 22 January |
Junior School Open House III Group (Year 9) Basketball vs Fearnhill (Away) |
| Monday 26 January | Major Officials Training Day |
| Tuesday 27 January | Senior School Creative Careers Evening |
| Thursday 29 January | Senior Basketball vs Fearnhill (Away) |
| Friday 30 January | I Group (Year 7) Trip to British Museum |
| Saturday 31 January | (LVI) (Year 12) Gold DofE Training Day |
| Monday 2 February |
I & II Group (Years 7 & 8) Swimming Gala IV & V Group (Years 10 &11) World Challenge Training Day Senior School Assessment/Taster Week |
| Tuesday 3 February |
Senior School Assessment/Taster Week Sixth Form (Years 12 & 13) Parents' Consultation |
| Wednesday 4 February |
Senior School Assessment/Taster Week III Group (Year 9) Football vs Marriotts (away) Full Governing Board Committee |
| Thursday 5 February |
Senior School Assessment/Taster Week IV Group (Year 10) Football vs JHN (Home) II Group (Year 8) Football vs Barnwell (Home) |
| Friday 6 February | Senior School Assessment/Taster Week |
| Saturday 7 February | Garden City Gambit Robotics Competition |
| Tuesday 10 February | Safer Internet Day |
| Thursday 12 February |
D Group (Year 6) Transition Morning II Group (Year 8) Football vs Nobel (Home) |
| Friday 13 February |
Senior School Ski Trip departs Half Term |
Careers Newsletter
Edition #12
Our weekly Careers Newsletter has a different theme and excellent links to further information to help students explore careers they might be interested in. It features up-to-date Labour Market Information, an Employer Spotlight and a University Spotlight. We encourage you to explore this resource with your child to help spark careers conversations at home.
Please see Edition 12 below. If you have any further questions about Career Related Learning at St Chris, please contact Lizzie Hedderson.
Nursery & Junior
| Book Fair Update |
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A total of £528 has been raised, in which the school can use to buy books for the Junior School Library! Thankyou for all your support. |
| KS1 Nativity |
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This week, students from Year 1 and Year 2 stepped into the spotlight for two performances of their Christmas Nativity, The Magical Jigsaw. They learnt their lines and songs with great dedication, and it was wonderful to see their confidence flourish as they performed for families and friends. The Theatre was filled with smiles, singing and festive excitement, and the audience couldn’t have been more proud of the students’ achievements on stage. |
| F Group (Year 4) |
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In the lead-up to the Christmas Fair, Year 4 transformed into Santa’s workshop elves, crafting handmade decorations for families to enjoy. The classroom was full of festive creativity as students carefully made pieces ready to be sold at today's event. Today, Year 4 led their Morning Talk, sharing everything they’ve been exploring about Ancient Egypt. Students spoke with confidence as they presented facts, stories and discoveries from their topic work, bringing pharaohs, pyramids and ancient customs to life for their audience. It was wonderful to welcome parents in to see the students present their learning so thoughtfully. Their hard work in preparing lines and stepping up to speak was clear to see. |
| D Group (Year 6) Evacuee Day |
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Year 6 stepped back in time for Evacuee Day, immersing themselves in 1940s-style lessons in arithmetic, penmanship and history, guided by Mr Wheeler and Miss Mileham. Students tried their hand at wartime parlour games, stitched ‘make do and mend’ inspired Christmas decorations, and baked carrot biscuits and potato scones following authentic wartime recipes. The day finished dramatically when the air raid siren sounded, thankfully just a drill for our evacuees. |
Senior & Sixth
Year 7 - Year 10 Cross Country
This week we held our annual Cross Country event for I Group to IV Group. In true British fashion, the weather was less than kind, with most races taking place in wind and rain. Our students showed great determination, pushing on through the elements with impressive teamwork and encouragement for one another.
Congratulations to our first, second and third place finishers listed below — and well done to every student who took part and completed the course. A wonderful display of effort, spirit and resilience.
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | |
| Boys |
Harry B Toby Jake |
Reuben Marco Massimo |
Adam Rex Archie |
Tristan Heath Marin |
| Girls |
Cali Sofia Ria |
Isla Elizabeth Polly |
Coco Julie Nimmi |
Emily India Sadie |
Boarding Trip to Tottenham Stadium
Our boarders enjoyed an unforgettable adventure this week as they journeyed to Tottenham Stadium for a stadium climb experience. Students tackled the climb with great determination, taking in the impressive views from the top before celebrating their efforts with a well-earned Nando’s meal. A brilliant day out filled with challenge, teamwork and plenty of smiles.
Great Debate
The History Department hosted a local heat of the Historical Association's Great Debate on the 3rd December. We had 5 students from 3 schools competing. The winner was from Saffron Walden County High School and they will go on to the next stage of the competition.
The question they had to answer was - How important are personal and public records as evidence for explaining the story, or stories, of your local area?
Two of our students competed - Oscar Tostivin and Jasmine Hogg - and both were joint runners up!
