Along with greying hair, an expanding waistline and more forgetfulness than I like to remember a sign of middle age is one’s ability to feel a seething inner rage over the use of language. I’ve stewed over less and fewer and please don’t allow me to delve into the ire inspiring subject of “like”. It isn’t rational or reasonable but it just seems to happen. Recently I have focused on the use of the word crescendo. Events, in all walks of human endeavour, build to a crescendo these days. I have always believed that a crescendo is a musical direction to gradually increase loudness. The word has a clear root in Latin and for me has simply meant to gain volume or perhaps momentum. Imagine my surprise when I checked in the dictionary and found, horror of horrors, that in the early Twentieth Century it became acceptable to use the word to describe a climax as well as the build up to it. The world is indeed about to go to the dogs…
Looking at the last week we are certainly seeing a crescendo in school activity. We have yet to reach the apex of activity but we are not far off. The end of a term and the end of the school year is always a flurry of excitement, a crescendo if you please. Happily when looking at all that has gone on this week and all that is still to come the word works in both senses. This week has seen a magnificent Junior School play and a Senior School sports day, two significant events in any school year. Congratulations to all who have taken part and a huge thank you to staff for making such marvellous events occur among all of the other tasks at the end of a busy school year.
It is easy to be carried along on the tide of activity that marks the end of the year. I do hope that during all of the excitement that is to come our pupils find a moment to consider all that they have achieved, all that they have done for others and all that they hope still to do. This is a bittersweet time. We will see pupils leave and as a consequence friendships interrupted but in an age of connectivity it is perhaps easier than ever to maintain contact with those we no longer see each day.
If the weather forecasters are to be believed then next week will be a scorcher. The Senior School uniform regulations will be modified to allow the wearing of school sports apparel and I recommend a hat, anything with a brim and within reason will do.
If I still have your attention can I also give a plug for the BSPS Summer Fair that will take place on Saturday 29th June? This splendid event takes place on the Senior School Lawn and promises to be a fun filled affair. Please do come along and enjoy all that is taking place. Similarly, this weekend is the national Fête de la Musique and as part of the local festivities BSP students will perform with one of our local partner schools in St. Germain this evening at 7.00pm on the marketplace and BSP community band Rouge Dog Riot will be performing with their customary crescendos outside the restaurant Les Enfants de Cœur here in Croissy at 8.00pm. I’m sure that all our musicians would appreciate your support.
Nicholas Hammond
Headmaster