St. Stephen’s CofE Infant School, Tovil
It has sometimes been my pleasure to put pen to paper about the goings on at St Stephens School to share with others in the parish. It seemed therefore appropriate to do it again and for the last time.
It has been my privilege and joy to be the Acting Head of St Stephens for the last four years, and before that a class and senior teacher at the school.
Now after 164 years St Stephen’s is to cease as an individual school and become, with All Saints school, part of the new parish school – The Archbishop Courtenay Primary School. We have just sent home ready for next term, the new purple school sweat shirts with the very smart gold badge on. The children were excited to receive them, along with a new purple PE bag too. I am sure all the children will look really smart and proud in their new uniform, and I hope and pray that you will all continue to support and pray for the new school in the same way that you have supported the two old schools.
However at this end of the term we are all feeling rather fragile and also quite sad – losing our long held identity, our familiar routines, some of our colleagues and even our much loved cheery red uniform. Perhaps the greatest loss of all is the precious name.
Now as Christians we always know that whatever befalls us along the path of life, The Lord has a lesson to show us. As I have been thinking about and sometimes struggling with the changes that I and my School are facing I have been reminded of our school name sake – St Stephen. He lost everything – his life – for the sake of following His Lord, and yet his name has lived on as a reminder to others. A reminder that sometimes sacrifice is called for so that the Lord be glorified and His way be shown. So even though the name of St Stephens School ceases to exist, the remembrance will live on in past pupils, staff and in the Parish. Please remember us in your prayers as we say goodbye to the old school and hello to the new. I am sure we all want the new Archbishop Courtenay School to be a place of learning, love and excellence just as St Stephens has strived to be.
I will just add to what I had already written to tell you about the lovely day that we had on Wednesday 20th July. In the morning we had our leavers assembly when all the children in year 2 took part in a musical production called ‘Billy no-buzz’ , it was splendid and it was hard not to give way to the tears as we said good bye to the children who have been part of St Stephens family for three years. Then in the afternoon we had a wonderful afternoon of fun. We called it a ‘Street Party’, beginning with the children and staff all singing some of our favourite songs, dancing round the maypole and then sitting down to crisps, biscuits, ice-cream cornets and other nibbles. We rounded off the feast with cutting the magnificent cake made by a mum. It was a relief model of the school in sponge, jam and icing. The mum in question actually came hear as a pupil, as did her mum and her daughter does now – 3 generations of one family!!
We had many special visitors, previous staff, pupils, folk from the community we serve, the church and friends of St Stephens. We were also blest with the choir of Maidstone Girls Grammar school who sang beautifully for us whilst we ate our tea.
What more can I say – I think we went out on a high note! A musical note! And St Stephens will remain in my heart and that of many others a school of note!
Sue Allen
Acting Headteacher