We ended the academic year in style with not one, but two fantastic Prize Giving events that truly celebrated the spirit of St Joseph’s College.
The day began with our Senior Prize Giving, featuring our much-loved guest speaker, Mrs Mandy Kesel. Prizes were awarded to students across the Senior School and Sixth Form for the core St Joseph’s values of Collaboration, Commitment, Communication, Confidence and Compassion. Subject prizes for GCSE and A Level achievements were also handed out, alongside special honours for a range of categorises, including Sporting Excellence, Services to the Community, the Perseverance Award.
Both our Prep and Senior audiences were treated to an inspiring speech from Mrs Kesel, marking her incredible 43-year career at the College. She was introduced by our Chair of Governors, Mrs Hilary Buckle, who described Mandy as “quite simply a legend” – a sentiment echoed throughout the day. Mandy’s words were heartfelt, humorous and deeply moving as we celebrated her legacy and wished her the very best in retirement.
There were also lots of special performances from both Prep and Senior pupils. Every year group in Prep took to the stage to perform either a song or a re-enactment, while the Senior School enjoyed a range of creative pieces including poetry, drama recitals and singing – a true celebration of talent across the College.
A real highlight of the day came when our Prep School pupils performed a special version of Thank You for the Music, changing the iconic line to Thank you Mrs Kesel for giving it to me — a truly touching tribute.
Wishing all our families a joyful summer break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in September!
