The Olivia King Selection

Friday’s internal prize giving ceremony was a fine celebration of the many endeavours and achievements of pupils here at school and a fitting way to mark the last day of term; very well done to all our children and staff for supporting one another this year. One of the more poignant – but no less celebratory – stories this morning was about a set of books given to Perrott Hill in celebration of Olivia King, a Perrott Hillian who tragically died of brain cancer in 1999, aged just nine. The bookcase in Mrs Byrne’s classroom was donated by Olivia’s family and, this Christmas, they have very generously given the school another £500 for books so that all pupils – Pre-Prep and Prep – may share in her enthusiasm for reading. “I have wonderful memories of Olivia as a pupil here at Perrott Hill,” said Miss White. “She was bright, bubbly, sporty, always cheerful and so brave about her illness. She loved animals which is why so many of the books chosen for the selection have an animal theme, and she was very close to her big sister Charlotte, who was also at Perrott; lots of the books reflect this closeness to family too. She would have loved the books if she were here, so we really hope that you all enjoy them on her behalf.” Our sincerest thanks to the King family for this wonderful addition to the Olivia King selection, and to Olivia, whose memory and love for literature lives on at Perrott Hill.