Cricket This has been a fantastic cricket term, despite the challenging weather. Most of the boys have had the chance to represent the school and results have been pleasing allround. The U11’s had some very close games, beating King Henry’s on the last ball whilst narrowly losing to Arnold lodge with one delivery to go. They also enjoyed rather more straight forward victories against The Croft and Eversfield, where Lewis Carroll scored 64 runs, before just failing to beat a good Warwick. The U10 Team beat Warwick, Eversfield and Arnold Lodge and, despite bowling well, couldn’t make up the runs against The Croft. Will Canning and Dan Barnes made outstanding contributions with bat and ball to the team’s success. The Under 8 and 9 Teams lost only one game between them. Fine victories for the U9’s against King Henry’s, Eversfield, Arnold Lodge and The Croft were a great reward for all the hard work in training.
Rounders During the Summer Term netball posts and hockey sticks have been replaced by rounders posts and bats. Whilst our Year 3 pupils have been learning the skills and rules of the game, the Year 4, 5 and 6 girls have played in after school fixtures. In fact all 48 Bablake girls in Years 5 and 6 played in the recent match against Bromsgrove Prep. The U11A team beat Eversfield in their first match of the season, were presented with The Bowl at the U11 Rugby School Tournament and recently defeated Bromsgrove Prep in a thrilling match by 9 -8. Our U11B secured a fine 17-12 defeat of Bablake Senior U12B team and hope for a repeat in a rematch later this term. In their first outing of the season, our U10A team won the tournament at Kingsley Prep. The Bablake squad defeated teams from Crackley
Hall, Crescent and the host school, scoring 24 rounders and conceding only 6. They drew a competitive match against the Croft and secured a fine 16-3 defeat of Bromsgrove B team before beating KH8 14-10. Despite narrowly losing their first 2 matches the U10B team have gained valuable experience for future games. The U9A team made an impressive start in their first ever match with a 12-6 defeat of Warwick Prep. Rain interrupted play in the Eversfield fixture and resulted in a 10 all draw. In lessons the team have worked hard to improve their batting skills and as a consequence they recorded a fine 14-11 victory over Croft and then also Everfield, 11-10. The U9B team have played only 1 match to date and after a closely fought match narrowly lost to Warwick Prep B.
Simba
Our new mixed team did well, beating Eversfield 23-7. Mrs Reed and Mrs Huxter
Excellence trhough care....
BABLAKE JUNIOR SCHOOL COUNDON ROAD COVENTRY TEL: 024 7627 1260 www.bablakejuniorschool.co.uk
BABLAKE JUNIOR SCHOOL
SUMMER 2012
Water Sports (Calshot Catastrophes)!!!!!
Nativity Returns! Bablake Pupils Meet the Princess Royal at the Cathedral’s 50th Anniversary!
Following the great success of the feature film Nativity in 2009, the sequel has been in production this term. Bablake was the setting for Oakmoor School, again locked in a dramatic competition to produce the best school nativity show in the land.
We waved our flags and cheered as the Princess Royal emerged from the Cathedral after she had attended the service to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cathedral’s consecration. This was a very jolly event and it was great to be part of something so special.
Jason Watkins stars as Mr Shakespeare, the Oakmoor Drama teacher, whilst his opponent in the new film is played by David Tennant. Many Bablake Junior pupils feature in the film, as you can see from these photos.
The Archbishop of Canterbury walked past and the friendly Princess stopped to chat to some to our Year 6 pupils. “I thought she looked lovely,” said Rhea Raizada. “I was nervous!” commented Navpreet. Lewis thought that, “She was very posh,” and John thought her “Very nice.” This was a thrilling day and one we will never forget!
By Hana Dhanani and Hannah Yolland On the hilarious Friday of our trip to Calshot, Year 6 went out to sea -a truly nerve-wracking and funny (for some people) experience. First we went canoeing. Whilst people were gathering kit and changing, Mr Norman bragged about how he was not Follow me! going to capsize… unlike the pupils. Watch & learn!
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Being part of this exciting event was a great thrill for all concerned and we look forward to the release, planned for next year.
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I followed you Mr Norman....
We journeyed down the coast line in search of hot chocolate (that we were promised) which was never delivered!
Next was sailing! A sport bound to be a disaster for some! The ‘most number of capsizes in one day’ award went to … Manveer and Tom. An amazing record of 5! However, some experiences were not as enjoyable. Lorna and Rhea capsized and thought that that was the end of their worries. Poor Rhea fell off the boat a short while after. Unlucky Lorna- who was sea sick – had to handle a two man boat on her own, as hers drifted away from Rhea. Rhea at this point in time was in a state of panic and clung on to another boat which sailed on casually. Fortunately, they were both okay but very cautious from then on. Aside from all these slip-ups, it was the best residential trip ever!
“Ski bo
Amnesty International
bbing w
as the b
est!”
The excitement started as the coach pulled up at Bablake at 6am and the suitcases were dragged onto the bus and we all waited to start our journey. All the way there you could hear the chattering and laughing, mostly about Calshot and how great it would be.
“Truly spectacular”
When we arrived we stopped outside the boarding house, where we would stay, also known as Houston. We went to our rooms and put away our suitcases. Afterwards we went downstairs where we were given a doughnut and introduced to our instructors.
, g n i l i a s ed v o l “Climbin “I
We were then taken to the main hangar where the fun all started and then we participated over the next few days in: Climbing, archery, shooting, skiing, ski bobbing, cycling, orienteering and the water activities.
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“Skiing
By Shannon Maguire, Isabelle Hemus and Lois Jacques
was exc
reat!”
iting!”
Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year 2012 Primary School Runner-up Lorna Williamson, Bablake Junior School, Coventry
Homeless
‘I'm cold. I'm shattered. My hands are searing with the coldness. I've got no job, and nowhere to live. I'm all on my own, with no one to comfort me. Every night I go through this agony. Will I be mugged? Will I be kidnapped? Will I be hurt? No one cares about the homeless. They wouldn't even know if I was gone. Even if they mugged me there isn't much to take. All I have is the grubby, old clothes I'm in and a muddy, ripped blanket. I have a burning sensation in my stomach. The agonising hunger in my gut. This feeling is familiar. The rain is thrashing down around me. I am soaked to the skin. Human rights? You're joking; mine have been taken away. The recent winters were so cold that I could feel my life slowly fading away. My dreams of warmth, food and comfort have long been given up.’ On average in England it is estimated that 498 people sleep rough each night and 248 of those are in London. 84,900 households are classified as homeless. Homeless doesn't have to mean sleeping on the streets, but can mean a temporary dwelling. Homelessness is abusing six human rights listed by Amnesty International. My wish is that we re-home all homeless people, as some may have not had a chance in life or that homelessness is not their fault. It is not fair that people live in huge, luxurious mansions when people are sleeping rough on the streets.
“The reading corner is bright and comfy and cosy. I enjoy spending time in there.” Freya Bennett 4D “A quiet and peaceful place to sit down and enjoy your book!” Grace Fisher 4D “An unquestionably good place to read!” Livia Turnock 4D
“A totally great experience”
Reading Corner
Condover Hall
Global Success!
Alex T Smith Former Pupil and Successful Author
Pupils at Bablake Junior School have been competing in The World Education Games and have achieved much success.
On May 28th the Junior School were fortunate enough to be paid a visit by former Bablake pupil, Alex T. Smith, who is now a successful author and illustrator.
Over 2 million children have been taking part worldwide and everyone at Bablake Junior has been joining in. Class 4HD have achieved remarkable success and came 38th in the World in the spelling competition for pupils aged 8 to 10. The pupils and their teachers were thrilled with this result.
Alex shared with us his inspiration for writing and gave the children the opportunity to try their hand at drawing his main character, Claude. We were lucky enough to get a sneak preview of his new book which will be out in October. This range of books are highly amusing and the children were enthralled. Definitely a recommended read!
Mr Price was delighted, “The children have been working hard and this recognition is fantastic. We have just finished our end of year exams and all in Year 4 are looking forward to some activities outside the classroom. We are now going to be spending a few days away from school being adventurous in the Shropshire countryside. The children are keen spellers; we might even practice a little on the bus!” Clearly the practice has paid off! In the picture are Class 4HD with their certificate and their teacher Mrs Lucy Huxter.
Year 4 went on a 3 day residential trip to Condover Hall. Everyone took part in a range of exciting activities which included Buggy Building, Dance Mania, Night Walk, Wet and Wacky, Minibeast Hunt, Orienteering, Rocket Launch and It’s a Knockout! The children developed a range of skills including teamwork and independence. Great fun was had by all!
Junior Boys in Chess Success
The boys have been practising their chess at school and at home. The chess team at school flourishes, with Bablake Junior having two teams competing in the Coventry Chess League most weeks. The boys appreciate the guidance of their chess master, Mr Stuart Norman, who was understandably thrilled at their enthusiasm and success.
Bablake Junior Pupils Sparkle and Shine
Bablake Junior School pupils excelled at the recent Nuneaton Festival of Speech, Drama and Music. As ever this was a keenly contested affair with children from all around Warwickshire taking part. Anna White won the Boulter Cup whilst ‘Reading the Classics’, where she was given the opportunity to read a piece by Brian Patten. The theme of this part of the competition was that the classics of children’s literature go on forever. As does a love of reading them!
The Herbert
Alex Hyde and Ehren Sanghera both qualified for the regional Gigafinal of the UK Chess Challenge at the Warwickshire Competition over the weekend. They will be playing in Derby in July. Last year over 74,000 children took part in the national completion and chess is enjoying continued enthusiastic participation across the country.
expression and passion. Shannon liked her piece by David Cotterit for its “Simple yet purposeful prose.” First place in the Brass Section went to Charlotte Merry. She was very pleased to play Prelude by Charpentier. “I have been practising for a while,” she said, “But I really liked the piece so it wasn’t a hardship!” Mr Price was delighted.
“We are very pleased to see our pupils taking part in the Nuneaton Festival. Children thrive Shannon MaGuire was equally successful in given the opportunity to perform, something the McClaren Cup, ‘Unseen Prose’ category, we like to encourage at school. All our pupils where children are given the challenge of have Drama lessons and learn to play various engaging with a new piece of writing – in this instruments – enriching an education and the case an animal story, and then reading it with children’s lives.”
Year 3 visited the Herbert as part of our local history studies on Wednesday 2nd May. We learnt about the weaving industries in Victorian Coventry. We followed the silk making process from the white silk worm cocoon to the finished product. In the 1850s 10,000 people worked in this trade. James was dressed as Mr Stevens, a famous ‘Grand Master’, complete with pocket watch. Maya was dressed as a rich Victorian lady, with lace on her bonnet and clothes. Tartan was made fashionable by the young Queen Victoria. With the invention of the steam engine, the hand powered weaving looms in ’top shops’ were replaced by the more efficient Jacquard looms in factories. Katie was dressed to collect bits of valuable silk thread from under these eight ribbon machines.
Bushcraft Experience When I first arrived I was amazed at how much land there was; I wondered which part of the huge woodland we would stay in – the heart or the outskirts? Katy Davis
I enjoyed camping outdoors and living with nature. I thought I would be really scared of bugs, especially spiders, but actually I was fine. Rhiya Srivastav
I was greeted by a speckled deer grazing and a tiny fawn cowering by its side. Eva Kant
When sleeping the night in the tent, I stepped in with a feeling of trepidation but when I stepped out in the morning I realised it had been fun filled. Aliyah Lockhat-Clegg
I had no idea what to expect as it was my first time camping. One of my highlights was making the fire using match sticks, finger sticks and thumb sticks. It was great fun watching the fire grow. Now I know that fire is a great tool for cooking and creating warmth and light. Yasmine Hamud
At the start of the day I said that I definitely would not be going into the lake! As we stood next to the water I thought I might go in as the boys were saying it was heated. To my surprise, the boys tricked us; the water was freezing! Although the water was icy, I still had a great time. Kelly Turnbull
I have learnt so many new things about myself such as I really enjoy rapping and that if I overcame my shyness I would have great fun. Rebecca Dodd I was really excited to learn about First Aid. Thanks to you I took the decision to join St John’s ambulance. Bushcraft has been a life-changing experience. Scarlett McChesney
Probably the greatest highlight was making a fire to cook our trout. Despite not liking fish I did enjoy eating the trout! Jonathon Yardley
A shock shot through my body as I plunged into the freezing lake water! Dan Barnes
I warmed up quickly by getting changed and sitting by the fire. After that we had pizza, and in my opinion it was perfect. Not only the best pizza I have ever had, but the best food I have ever had! Katy Davis
Nothing could be more fun than cooking and eating the food we made on our own fire. Christie Thomson
Another fantastic experience was when we played tracking games and put on camouflage paint. I admired it so much that I kept it on until I got home….. I also learned that I can believe in myself. William Bastock
The camouflage face-painting was funny especially when some of the girls put too much on and looked like Queens of the Swamp. Thomas McCormick
I loved the food, and everything, from paella to the trout, was cooked to perfection. Sam Waters You have encouraged all of us … Mrs Knibb has even gone out and bought a fire pit. George Warlow