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A Magical Evening at Hercules: The Musical
On Wednesday evening, a very excited group of students set off for London to see Hercules: The Musical at the iconic Royal Drury Lane Theatre. From the moment we arrived, it was clear this was going to be a truly special trip.
Before even stepping inside the theatre, we were treated to a magical surprise: Covent Garden had just lit up for Christmas. The whole area sparkled to life around us, and the enormous Christmas tree glowing beautifully in the square created a festive atmosphere that made the evening feel even more memorable. Students stopped for photos, chatted excitedly and soaked up the scene before heading in.
Inside the theatre, the performance did not disappoint. Hercules was bright, bold and breathtaking—full of energy, humour, beautiful music and stunning staging. Our students were completely absorbed, and afterwards they were eager to share their thoughts:
“Hercules was very gorgeous and wonderful. My favourite part (of course) was the ending, when they all came out in the gold sparkly dresses. Those gold sparkly dresses were spectacular, and I loved seeing the whole cast together on stage.”
– Year 10 Student“I think Hercules is amazing, and I really enjoyed the show. My favourite characters were the Muses (the Beautiful five), because they were funny and really interesting to watch. I also enjoyed the one hour of free time before the show, and I loved the Christmas Markets – they were amazing!”
– Year 10 Student“It’s amazing, and I think everything was perfect. Their voices were so beautiful, and I loved the lights, the sound and the movement on stage. My favourite part was just how it all came together, because everything looked and felt so magical.”
– Year 10 StudentBy the end of the night, everyone returned to school buzzing with excitement. Experiences like this not only enrich our students’ cultural lives, but also create memories that they will carry with them for years to come.
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Boardington Bear Adventures: A Week of Paws, Poppies & Positivity
Hello Everyone,
It’s me, Boardington Bear, reporting for duty with another cosy update from my very busy bear week. My paws have hardly touched the ground!
We began this week with a very special occasion: Remembrance Sunday. I spent a peaceful few hours knitting poppies – though I must admit, knitting with paws is quite the challenge. Still, I persevered, and by the end I had created a rather lovely poppy that made me feel both proud and thoughtful.
On Monday, the College was full of colour as we celebrated Odd Socks Day to begin Anti-Bullying Week. Everywhere I looked, I saw bright patterns, mismatched stripes and socks that definitely did not belong together. It was wonderful! A perfect reminder that our differences make us unique – and as a bear of very distinctive fashion choices, I fully approve.
Tuesday brought Remembrance Day, and I wore the poppy I had knitted with great pride. I joined the entire school for the two-minute silence. Even the smallest rustle stopped. It was a moving moment, and I felt honoured to be there.
On Wednesday, I had such a tremendous adventure that I had to give it its own blog post! Yes indeed – our big theatre trip. You can read all about my heroic night at Hercules in the other entry, where I share every dazzling detail of that magical evening.
Then came Thursday, which was World Kindness Day. Now, kindness is something I take very seriously. I made sure to give out extra smiles, hold open doors with my fluffy paws, and tell at least three people that they were doing brilliantly. (One of them was the photocopier, which had been working VERY hard.)
Finally, Friday arrived, bringing with it Children in Need Day. The whole school was buzzing with excitement, and I even made a brand-new friend! Over in the Prep Department, the celebrations were in full swing – some of the staff wore truly brilliant outfits. I even spotted someone in Pudsey pyjamas, which absolutely made my day. (If only they made bear-sized ones!) We all had a marvellous time raising money and spreading cheer.
And so, after poppies, odd socks, silence, singing, kindness and new friendships, this bear is ready for a little rest… but only a little one. Adventures are always waiting!
Bear hugs and soft paws until next time,
“Paws on the ground, news all around!”
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Welcome to the Boardington Bear Blog!
Hello everyone!
I’m Boardington Bear, the official Boarding Bear of St Francis’ College, and I’m very excited to welcome you to my brand-new blog as part of the St Francis’ College Boarding House Blog.
Every week, I’ll be sharing updates about my adventures in and out of the boarding house. Whether I’m helping students with activities, joining trips, exploring new places, or simply enjoying everyday life with my boarding friends, I’ll be here to report all the latest news from our wonderful boarding community.
From big events to small moments, from festive fun to heroic missions, I’ll make sure you don’t miss a thing. So get ready for stories, snapshots and plenty of bear-sized excitement as we celebrate everything happening in boarding at St Francis’ College.
Bear hugs and big adventures ahead,
“Paws on the ground, news all around!”
#BoardingtonBear #BoardingLife #StFrancisCollege -
Welcome Back to the Boarding House Blog!
It has been a while
After a little time away, we are delighted to announce that our Boarding House Blog is officially back. We will once again be sharing regular updates, celebrating the wonderful events and activities happening in our boarding community, and giving families a window into daily life here at St. Francis’.
Alongside our usual write-ups of trips, celebrations and special moments, we are thrilled to reintroduce the adventures of our beloved boarding mascot, Boardington Bear. He will be offering his own unique perspective on our outings and experiences, complete with his trademark charm, curiosity and occasional heroic moment.
We look forward to bringing you stories, smiles and snapshots from boarding life once again. Stay tuned for plenty of exciting posts to come!
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Paddle-boarding in Bedford
The boarders had an exciting Saturday trip to Box End water park in Bedford. It was a beautiful day and proved to be a very enjoyable trip. The lesson was an hour. The students appeared to have a really good time. They all learnt a new skill, it was definitely a good way to spend an afternoon.
Here is what some of our boarders had to say:
‘It was a very fun trip to go on a summer weekend. The weather was very good. The instructor was really nice and kind on helping us learning how to paddle.’ – Year 10 Student
‘We went on Saturday for a trip of paddle boarding. It was really fun and I think everybody enjoy it. The travel was really good in the bus, I prefer it to travel in bus.’ – Year 10 Student
‘I went paddle boarding, the travel was really good, and beautiful, but it was to long for me. My favourite part (of course) was when we did paddle boarding, it was really fun, because I was whit my friends and I enjoy it a lot.‘ – Year 8 Student
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What is it like to be a short stay student during the exam period?
Throughout the school internal exam period, some of our short stay students took part in a special education program which included putting on a charity bake sale. They did an excellent job. This is what they had to say about their experience.
‘I am a short stay student and during Year 10 exam week we had a special programme. We have done lots of things but the especially good ones for me were Music and Charity.
In Music we played the song “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa (feat. Charlie Purth). I played the piano part. Another classmate played the piano with me and the third student played her flute. We played very well and created a beautiful melody.
In Charity we made cakes and cupcakes and sold them. However, that day was exam day for some students and the weather was not so good so there were not lots of people who came to the charity sale. But we tried to call customers to come to the charity. That was a very good experience for me.
I had a very good opportunity and experience this week. We did lots of things. I am very appreciative to the teachers who gave me these wonderful opportunities.’
By Year 10 Boarder
I am a Year 10 boarder. I have been at St Francis’ College for 6 weeks and I am here for the Summer Term to learn some English.
This week I had a special programme of learning because all the Year 10 students were doing end-of-year exams and I did some different and entertaining activities.
Some of the activities of this week were, for example, a cake stall. On Wednesday we sold cakes and people who bought them donated money to charity. The charity’s name is Kanyike Project. I enjoyed selling the cakes a lot, but I also very much liked making them. During a Food and Nutrition lesson we baked a lot of cupcakes and the boarding staff also helped us a lot.
Another activity was a PE walk. I had a great time and the place we walked in was beautiful.
We also had an amazing Music class. I learned how to play a new song on the piano called “See You Again” with two classmates: one was also playing the piano and the other played the flute.
On Thursday we had a History lesson which I found really interesting and we learned about the English history of 1066. After that we did two experiments in a Psychology class.
Finally I also enjoyed a Photography lesson a lot in which we took photos of each other with different lights and with different colours and then we printed them out.
It has been a great week, I have enjoyed all the activities and I had the opportunity to meet a lot of teachers.
By Year 10 Boarder
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Ice Skating at Ally Pally
A group of our boarding students went ice skating at Alexandra Palace. They all seemed to have an excellent time. This is what they thought of the trip:
‘We went on the train and then the bus to Alexandra Palace. We walked around the gardens and some people decided to take a boat ride for Half an hour and the rest of us sat and enjoyed the sun. After this we went to the ice skates booth and gave in our shoes so we could get our ice skates. We all put them on and started the ice-skating at 1:00. I think we all found it fun even if it was a bit difficult to get started! After the ice skating ended at 2:30, we sat in the café in the hall and ate our sandwiches and we could buy some food if we wanted. Then we went outside and some of us went on a walk around for 20 mins while everyone else sat down, tired out.
After this we went back on the bus and went on the train where we got back to school a short while later.
The trip was great fun and I’m sure most of us would want to go on it again if they could.‘ – Year 8 Student
‘We were to Alexandra Palace, we arrived early so we went to walk in the park beside it. There were a lot of activities and we saw one that was near a café, about paddling in a cute boat and we saw ducks swimming past out boat, it was fun. After that, we went to ice skating and I wasn’t good at it so I spent a lot of time trying, but it was fun. We also went to the Alexandra Palace Park, we could see the view from there, it was beautiful. I hope next time we can go again, but not before exams so more students can join.‘ – Year 9 Student
‘We went on the boat after that we went to ice skating. It’s very tiring but it’s very enjoyable.’ – Year 11 Student
‘Over the weekend I went on a ice skating trip in London while we were there, we went ice skating and on a boat ride which was really fun‘ -Year 6 Student
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Boarders’ Sponsored Walk
The Boarding House decided to do a sponsored walk for charity on the Bank Holiday Monday. Our aim was to help Action Aid raise money for the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis. We are very proud of all of our boarders who took part in the event, raising an impressive £395 (£95 over our target). We thank everyone who supported and sponsored us.
The Charity walk was held on Bank Holiday Monday it was very meaningful. Although it is hot and tiring that day, I am glad that I can raise money by walking to support Ukraine. The walk also makes me realised that there are many beautiful scenery near our school. – Year 10 Boarder
We walked for nearly two hours. I think it was a bit tiring, but meaningful, that we could raise money for people in need. – Year 10 Boarder
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Spring time at Cambridge Botanical Gardens
I’d like to say that being in Cambridge is an awesome idea and the Botanical Gardens is wonderful. It’s a great place for me, because I have some interests in botany (it’s like only a hobby because I don’t major science). The place is wonderful, I have learned so much from the gardens. Besides, the place is also very aesthetic, the beauty of the plants under the sunshine cannot be simply expressed. I have enjoyed the experience at the Botanical Garden.
There is only one suggestion: aside from the Botanical Garden, can we also maybe arrange some trips to other destinations in Cambridge as well? Like the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Whipple Museum, Museum of Archaeology, Sedgwick Museum of Earth Science….. etc. or maybe some others like King’s College chapel or just a random college in Cambridge, I think some of them are open to public but some of them aren’t due to COVID or other restrictions like their students.
But please do not get me wrong I still love the trip to the Botanical Gardens and it’s both fun and educational – Written by Year 11 Boarder
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Welcome to our Boarding House
Welcome to our wonderful Boarding House Blog. The Boarding House in St Francis’ College is like a big family, we create happiness and love. We would like to tell you about the many opportunities we offer to help students from overseas to understand and discover new cultures. Daily activities take place after school such as, sports, baking and movie night. Trips to London and Cambridge take place frequently, as both places are nearby. Thorpe Park is the most popular destination, and a wide range of other choices from ice-skating to Pots of Art. We would like to share these experiences through the Boarders’ own words.
I was 11 when I was first joined, with the support from all the Boarding Staff I became more independent and thoughtful and what I have learnt is not only the knowledge in the book but also life lessons on how to take care of myself, make majority of the decisions on my own and think more before I act.
I welcome you to the Boarding House and look forward to sharing our Boarding Life with you.
Year 13 Boarder
About the Blog
Welcome to the Boarding House Blog, your inside guide to life in our vibrant boarding community. Join us as we share stories, adventures, and the everyday magic that makes boarding life so special.
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