I wanted to write to you to say that I am thinking of you today on what would have been your last day with us before you departed for exams. A year ago when I spoke to the Leavers of 2019, I never for a moment imagined the situation we would find ourselves in today. Over your time with us, you will have absorbed not only information, knowledge and skills but most importantly Woodbridge School’s values, culture and history. Take that experience and use it to make a difference in the world. We have seen in the last few months since lockdown the need for real intelligent adaptability. My hope for you is that you will harness your education from Woodbridge, your creativity, your courage, your voice, to make a difference to the world you are about to step into.
As a year group, staff have always been struck by your unity – how cohesive and supportive you are of one another. You have been a real beacon to your peers in the younger years and there will be a void to fill with your departure. I wish I could have thanked you for being such a brilliant year group in person; as an alternative I have created a short clip below to add some thoughts instead.
You will forever be the class that forged a new way forward. In these uncertain times I have every faith in stepping out of these hard times because of you.
With all best wishes,
Miss Norman
Ensemble performance is impossible in the current lockdown, but with the expertise of Mr Shepherd and the editing skills of Mr Turner we have managed to combine Swing Band in to the toe-tapping jazz ensemble that we all know and love.
Mr Shepherd came up with the idea and developed the arrangement. He also meticulously contacted all members of the band helping them to perfect their parts and explaining how to go about producing a recording to a click track. Slowly but surely the parts started to come in and Mr Turner set to work!
The finished result is superb and is summed up perfectly in Mr Shepherd’s post to members of Swing Band: “You have all played your parts so well, resulting in a stunning performance and something to be proud of. I hope it will become a treasured memory for you all of this highly unusual situation.”
Let’s see what Paul Simon makes of it!
