The wonderful Jelly Babies stole the show in Monmouth School Girls’ Prep’s annual Speech Day and Prize-Giving.
The creative pupils reprised their eye-catching dance routine which caught the imagination during their outstanding Winnie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory production last month.
Head of Dance at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools, Miss Rhyan Parry, was delighted with the girls’ end-of-term performance on Friday 28th June.
Miss Parry first created the dance in 2001 when she, and her then pupils at Monmouth School for Girls, featured on BBC Television’s Generation Game hosted by Jim Davidson.
Prizes for outstanding achievements in academia, leadership, music, sports, charity and the arts were awarded to hardworking pupils from each year.
And Governor, Mrs Sharon Clayton, paid tribute to Headmistress, Mrs Hilary Phillips, who is leaving in the summer after six years to take up a new role.
She thanked Mrs Phillips for her endless energy, infectious enthusiasm and commitment to making Monmouth School Girls’ Prep such a vibrant learning environment.
“Thank-you for giving us so much,” said Mrs Clayton.
“We have cared, we have shared and we have dared and wish you the best of luck in your new venture.”
There was wonderful entertainment provided by dedicated musicians, including the orchestra, and pianist Eleanor, the school’s Blue Riband winner, who played The Reef (Carroll).
Under the direction of music teacher, Mr Mike Steer, the small choir sang Give Me Wings (Rutter) and the lower school choir delivered Song of Peace (Donnelly) and Sing with Me (Huff).
Lily and Emily, with support from Ellie, Joana, Beatrix (Vln), Mrs Ruth Friend (Vla), Connie (cello), Olivia (harp) performed Pie Jesu from Requiem (Andrew Lloyd-Webber).
Headmistress at Monmouth School for Girls, Mrs Jessica Miles, spoke about the importance of being kind, caring and prepared to help others.
“I believe the richest people are those who are rich and beautiful on the inside,” she said.
“It’s not the packaging that counts but the value of what’s underneath.
“In my opinion, the richest people are those who are kind, those who care and those who are prepared to help others.
“What a person looks like or has doesn’t tell us what that person is really like; it’s the inside that matters.
“It’s like taking a beautiful, shiny, scrumptious-looking apple, chopping it in half and finding a horrible, wriggly worm inside.”
Mrs Miles told the girls: “As you grow older and as you move on from the prep school to the senior school, it’s important that you try to be the very best person you can be – the very best version of you.”
