Starting with the November tree-lighting ceremony on the College esplanade, the Wellington community has thoroughly enjoyed its traditional round of Christmas entertainments and festivities this season. The Christmas Bazaar set the tone, as it was an even bigger hit than last year, with attendees happily inspecting stalls overflowing with delicious Christmas treats and wonderful hand-crafted gifts. Pupils dressed as reindeers and elves were out in force to raise money and awareness for several extremely worthy causes and many of our younger children even got to meet Santa in person. Christmas spirit was in evidence at Wellington in the early weeks of December as everyone looked forward to the whole College musical production of The Sound of Music, a quintessential family feel-good classic. With four truly excellent performances held from 7-9 December, the multitalented cast delivered an incredible show, demonstrating how the performing arts continues to thrive at Wellington. Our younger pupils also had the chance to shine the following week during the Pre-Prep  Christmas Concert performances, complete with a wide range of classic Christmas carols and songs, all delivered with the charm and personality that our pupils always demonstrate when given the chance. Head of Pre-Prep Emma Button thanked both the children and their teachers for another fantastic set of productions: This week has been a riot of colour and sparkle in the Pre-Prep as we watched the four productions from our youngest children. They had clearly been working hard over the past weeks and the audience was treated to performances full of memorable songs and moments.  Finally, 14th December brought our College holiday celebrations to a close. The ‘Christmas by Candlelight’ gathering at the esplanade gave everyone the chance to sing some seasonal songs while huddled in close together against the cold and enjoying our magnificent Christmas tree! The samba band then led everyone into the theatre for the Prep and Senior Christmas Concert where, like their younger peers, the pupils pulled off a fittingly festive performance, complete with a mix of beautiful choral singing and orchestral numbers as well as some stunning individual performances. Our Wellington community has had a fantastic time enjoying all the Christmas markets, concerts and productions that have brought so much warmth and cheer. As we say goodbye to one another at the end of this Michaelmas term, the last thing to do is to wish you all a very happy and restful Christmas break.