Founder’s Day at The English Centre is always the closest Friday to 25th September, Mrs Linda Randell’s birthday. It is a chance to come together as a community at the start of the school year and understand our history, to connect to Mrs Randell’s vision and remember the values upon which she built our school from a small bi-lingual kindergarten to the institution it is today.
Our Founder’s Day celebrations start in the Hall with an assembly for all Junior, Senior and Sixth form pupils. Mr Randell and Mrs Gill Randell share photos, videos, quotes and paintings by Mrs Randell, this year helped by our vice prefects. The occasions starts with our school hymn and we also sing “Do-Re-Mi” from the Sound of Music, Mrs Randell’s favourite song. In the second part of our assembly we present the LMR Scholarship Awards and the pupils who have won give speeches and explain how they won and what it means to them. After the big boys and girls it is the turn of Early Years to have their assembly with the Randell family and share wonderful songs and beautiful art work with them.
After the assemblies it is time for pupils to take part in fun, interesting and inspiring activities throughout the curriculum. Highlights include our history timeline, our Tree of Purpose and games with older and younger pupils working together. It is wonderful to see peoples enjoying learning about our Founder and all of the values that she held so dear.
Every year we are joined by special guests, one an ECI Alumni and the other a former member of staff. This year we were delighted to welcome Debora Izaguirre (p84-85) and Seño Josefina. They gave talks to our Stage 7 pupils and our Lower Sixth pupils about their experience and memories in school. We know how important it is that our pupils connect with our history and with the people who build this school from the beginning.
This year we were also delighted to welcome the mayor and the counsellors for the environment and education to inaugurate our English Centre Roundabout in honour of Mrs Randell’s memory. It is a way for us to recognise her remarkable achievement in El Puerto de Santa Maria.
In the dining room we have a special menu with Mrs Randell’s favourite…shepherd’s pie and a Founder’s Day cake.
In the afternoon we had our traditional closing ceremony in the Secret garden with our prefects reading out reflections on Mrs Randell, a speech by our Head Boy and Head Girl and our guests. After the Secret Garden we move to Piccadilly and lay daffodils (hand made by Year 2) at the statue of Mrs Randell.
This year we finished an amazing day with a tea party for our ECI Alumni who are now parents at ECI.
All in all it was a wonderful day, full of history, tradition, education, values, achievement, connection, family and love.
Thank you Mrs Randell for founding this special community.
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