Newsletters
Read below a sample of our 2024 April Term school newsletters:
Spirit of the Banda – Week 01
A very warm welcome back to school for the final term of the academic year. It has, of course, been a very wet start to the term and I am incredibly grateful to our grounds and maintenance staff who have been working incredibly hard to ensure that everything is able to operate as normally as possible in the circumstances. I do encourage you, where possible, to please contribute to our fundraising efforts to help those affected by the recent floods; more details can be found elsewhere in this newsletter.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 02
It has been extremely sobering to see and hear of the devastation to lives and property wrought by the recent heavy rainfall. Whilst our pitches here may be rather soggy, it gives us all the opportunity to reflect on how lucky we are when so many in our immediate vicinity and beyond are suffering.
The response from our community to the country-wide flooding has been extremely heartening to witness, with endless bags full of clothes and bedding being donated to those currently in desperate need – thank you to each and every one of you that has got involved. I particularly like to extend my sincere thanks to Ms Daykin for the incredible time, effort and passion that she has put into coordinating our fundraising efforts, as well as to the group of Year 7 girls (Nyambura, Isabella, Rosie, Amara and Alba) who ran a bake sale on Tuesday.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 03
I was lucky enough to be able to check out last weekend’s IAPS Chess Tournament which saw The Banda pretty much sweep the board. Our players won both the Under 11 and Under 13 categories, as well as retaining the overall trophy – huge congratulations to everyone involved.
It was fantastic to be able to present representatives from the Pokot Cultural Boma Self-Help Group in Mugie with a cheque for over KES 67 000 through funds the pupils raised last term. The group consists of about twenty women who use beehive fences to protect their farms and then harvest and sell the honey. Being able to support a smaller organisation such as this makes an enormous difference to what they’re able to achieve.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 04
Spirit of the Banda – Week 05
Be it in the class or exam room, on the stage or on the sports pitch, it’s learning and exhibiting those little niceties of life that allow our children to grow into confident, happy and kind individuals.
Half Term is already upon us and I wish you all a restful break before a very busy final five weeks of the school year.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 07
Congratulations to our Year 8 pupils who have sat their Common Entrance exams this week; we very much look forward to finding out how they have all performed in due course. They now have four weeks of activities, challenge and fun as their time at The Banda draws to a close.
Several senior schools will have representatives at the netball and we are also hosting a number of UK and South African senior schools over the course of the next week. Please do take the opportunity to speak with them and, subsequently, members of our Senior Leadership Team, if you are at this stage of the senior school decision-making process.
Spirit of the Banda – Week 08
Last weekend saw a double success on the sports field with our Under 13 girls winning the IAPS Netball Tournament and our Under 11 boys emerging victorious in the Ngini Rugby Sevens. Congratulations too to our cross-country runners who put in a sterling performance to finish third at the rearranged IAPS event at St Andrew’s Turi.
Away from the sports pitches, Year 7s have had their first experience of sitting exams in the Main Hall; the Lower School put on a very entertaining concert; Year 8 have been enjoying the first part of their post-CE programme with several days in Sagana; and Year 2 came to school on Thursday dressed as Egyptians. Just another busy and varied week at The Banda.
