The twinkling lights on the walls and Christmas tree, the melodies of familiar festive music, and the sight of a delightful inflatable snowman greeted the students and teachers of MPW at the school’s inaugural 2023 Christmas party.

The celebration that took place on the chilly afternoon of the 12th of December and brought warmth to everyone with a sense of togetherness and camaraderie, not forgetting the mouth-watering foods (delectable sausage rolls and Christmas sandwiches) and exciting activities that unfolded.

The Head of the Student Council, Sabrina Plant, made a wonderful welcome speech followed by our Principal, Sally Powell, who encouraged us to get in the Christmas spirit and reminded us that this was MPW’s first Christmas ‘event’ for the whole of the MPW community. Then the festivities began. Tunes such as the Arctic Monkey’s “505”, Radiohead’s “Creep”, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing, and Wham’s “Last Christmas” were sung beautifully by the students accompanied by an MPW band, sculpting an unforgettable atmosphere. There were individual performances too with Thomas Cagle playing a classical piece on his guitar. Raucous laughter and clapping could also be heard during the karaoke songs which featured both pupils and teachers such as Ryan Wright! Attendees who were worn out from the fun of games such as “Throw the ring into the reindeer’s ears” and “Guess the teacher’s baby picture” took a pause on the circular tables spread out across the room and tucked into white and green-frosted cupcakes and mince pies that became sugary fuel. You could also make a Christmas badge!

As the soirée came to an end, winners of the games were announced. Not only did Arthur Defries win the karaoke contest, but one of our beloved Directors of Studies, Ryan Wright was also given the “King of Karaoke” title for his astounding rendition of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. The event also unveiled the mystery game of “Guess how many candy canes are in the jar” which was introduced days before. To spoil the surprise, there were 492 candy canes! However, everybody sure felt like a winner that day, as what could be a better gift than happiness and enjoyment throughout such a unifying and joyful celebration? A colossal thank you to all the MPW staff who made this event possible.