Hakuna Matata – what a wonderful phrase. And I have just heard it in Kalendar Hall, where the Pre-Prep Movie Night is in full swing. The Lion King, popcorn, hot dogs, a huge fruit basket, choc ices, and lots of lovely helpful people to look after you: what a great way to see in the weekend. And it leaves me feeling very grateful – not only for the chance to reminisce over one of the great films of the early nineties or for the half-eaten choc-ice that I was handed by a member of Reception Frogs, but for the work of those who had laid this event on: FECS.
The Friends of Exeter Cathedral School are held in very high regard by all of the staff at ECS; and rightly so. To have a PTA which is so active, so engaged, so involved in the educational journey of the children – and who do so much to enrich and provide for that journey – is indeed a thing most wonderful. You’ll perhaps know that, as well as organising social events for the children – and a good number for the grown-ups, too – the FECS team, led by its Chair and Committee, work hard to fund-raise for the School. They make it their mission to find creative and inclusive ways to raise money for the ‘icing-on-the-cake’ items: things that are not essential, but which really add value, spark and sparkle to the lives of the children at ECS.
Now in my fourth year at the School, I am very mindful that FECS have brought about a great deal of good and made possible a number of ventures and projects which have enriched the learning and play experiences of all of our pupils during that time. There’s been the super-springy play surface in the Pre-Prep playground; the Apple TVs and banks of class iPads across both sites; the scooter shelter; the refurbishment of the (soon-to-be-opened) Hall House Library; the shiny new interior of the Prep School science lab; the additional IT resources for Music and Games; the installation of the Wellbeing Garden in the Chantry playground; the coding robot kits; the multi-games pool/ping pong/air hockey table for the (soon-to-be-opened) boarding house Games Room; the cakes sales; the move nights; the swimathons; the Christmas Fayres; the Summer Fêtes; the wine-tasting nights; the auctions; the Christmas Dinner and Dance; the Barn Dance; the Easter Craft Fayre; the coffee mornings; the discos. And an awful lot more.
So, herewith a public and heart-felt thank you to FECS for the very generous support, energy, dedication, child-focused approach, can-do attitude, hard work and enormous sense of fun that they bring to the School. If you’d like to find out more about the great work of the FECS Committee and how to get involved, do ask your year-group rep – and keep your eyes on the blue calendar and on the posters in the front halls of the Chantry and Hall House.
I’m heading back to see how Simba’s getting on – and to see about the other half of that choc ice.
