Dear <<Salutation>>

I hope you are all well. 

I have written to all of you to outline our plans if schools re-open on 1st June with Y6. There will be further specific information for Y6 parents and boys which will be sent next week. I hope this will pre-empt any questions or concerns, but please do get in touch, via your tutor in the first instance, with any burning issues. My letter is copied here.

In the meantime, I hope the boys enjoy a well-earned rest over half-term - they have been truly outstanding in their response to the current challenges. I hope you don’t mind me recommending as little screen-time as possible for the boys (although I know it has become a great way of communicating with friends) and as much time outdoors, reading, enjoying company of immediate family  (playing board games?) as possible in your respective circumstances. 

I realise that many families will continue to face difficult issues over the next few weeks, and we would like to know how we can help in any way. For my part, I will be working for most of the half-term, so please do get in touch if you need to.

I would like to draw your attention to a number of competitions and opportunities for boys, contained in the newsletter. I would also like to thank teachers for their brilliant response to online learning. It takes much longer to plan, deliver, feedback on work than normal, so it has to be said that they are working really hard and doing an excellent job. 

In the Islamic tradition the great festival of Eid-al-Fitr, marking the end of the month of Ramadan, begins this evening: Eid Mubarak to all breaking their fast tonight.

Thank you so much to parents too for your continued support, and for the humbling, touching emails which come in. It truly is a privilege to be part of this community. 

Online Safety at Home
Please see the guidelines here (11-13s) for online safety at home to ensure that all our boys are completely safe during these times of higher use. 

Philosophy and Ethics Competition
We are excited to announce our Year 7 and Year 8 Philosophy and Ethics competition: 'Responding to a Moral Dilemma in a Philosophical Way'.  Boys are invited to draw on their recent studies in Philosophy to reflect on a 'juicy' moral dilemma.  There are many creative ways of doing this, and some fantastic prizes up for grabs!  Further information can be obtained here.  Entries should be submitted to Miss Williams (lwilliams@bedfordschool.org.uk) by 5th June.

Maths Equipment
Please may we remind boys to have their equipment with them ready for their Maths lessons. They need a pen, pencil, ruler, rubber, compasses, protractor and calculator please.

Bedford Prep School Maths Challenge
Mrs Lee would like to remind the boys who won a medal in the Bedford Prep School Maths Challenge to send in a photo please of them holding their certificates. The instructions to print the certificate and upload are on Google Classroom. Any issues please email klee@bedfordprepschool.org.uk. Thank you.

French Film Club, Tuesday Evenings
The Chaplain, working with the French department, is offering a French film (with English subtitles) each Tuesday at 7.30pm. Details of the series may be found on the attached poster. The next film being screened on Tuesday 4 June (joint with the Adrian Boult Society) is Les Choristes (rating 12A, 97 minutes), the story of a burnt-out musician who arrives at a reform school as the new housemaster only to find that the headmaster's methods are abusive, the teachers are uncaring and the boys have lost all hope and happiness. In a school where children may be seen but not heard, can music provide transformation, hope, and a future for these lost souls? As the film has a 12A rating, please email the Chaplain (nmccleery@bedfordschool.org.uk) as parental permission is required.

Please find attached a letter which gives details about special arrangements in place this year with regards to purchasing uniform prior to the start of the new school year.
 
Digital Archive
A Coronavirus digital archive has now been set up and all boys are invited to share their experiences of living in lockdown by either adding to the blog or creating an audio or video file which can be uploaded to Planet eStream. An instruction sheet on how to add content can be found here. Files can also be sent by email to Mrs Harrison at lharrison@bedfordschool.org.uk.
 
Bedtime Stories
This week we have two more stories for you to share. One read by Mr Silk, The Inquisitive Wife and the other read by The Chaplain, UFD. 
 
Thought for the Day
To access the Thoughts for the Day for the week gone by, including one by Harry Clifton Y8, please click here.