WHAT a day! Weeks of organisation and preparation came down to one day, and King’s Ely, like so many others around the country, celebrated in style.
It was a packed schedule, with all parts of the school taking part in different activities to honour the Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday. It started with a fun-packed assembly for King’s Ely Junior pupils, all dressed in red, white and blue, who heard interesting facts about the Queen. The theme continued into lessons with learning about the monarchy and the Queen’s life taking centre stage.
Although this is a very busy time for King’s Ely Senior students as they are preparing for public examinations, they was plenty of time to celebrate at lunchtime, with the dining halls decorated especially for the occasion creating a celebratory atmosphere, which was enjoyed by all. A colourful flowerbed was also planted in Barton Square to commemorate the occasion.
Over at King’s Ely Acremont (KEA), home to the youngest pupils in the school, the children were thrilled to attend a ‘street festival’ party, where they sang Happy Birthday and God Save the Queen, before Heads of Houses helped the Principal cut the celebratory cake. As part of the build-up to the day, all children had entered into a competition to create a birthday card for the Queen, and so the winner was announced and congratulated and the card was sent to Buckingham Palace.
Furthermore at KEA, a very exciting picture was taken of all the children, via an air drone. Children and staff dressed in the relevant colours and formed a ‘90’ with a crown attached. This picture has also been sent to the Queen.
The grand finale for the day took place at the school’s very own palace, where the King’s Ely community welcomed over 90 Ely residents for tea. Some of the guests were also turning 90 this year themselves; others had left that age more than a decade behind them. Whilst they drank tea and ate sandwiches and cakes at the Old Palace, they were entertained by a pianist and a string orchestra and everyone sang Happy Birthday for the Queen in front of the TV cameras! It was a lovely occasion for the community and enjoyed by all.
Sue Freestone, the Principal of King’s Ely, reflected on the success of the day: “This is a unique event in the lives of pupils and the day’s activities will stay long in their memories. HM the Queen offers a fantastic model of service and dedication and we were all proud to join together in wishing her a very happy birthday!”
