Prep for the Week Issue 1849

Prep for the Week Issue Number 1849 – 27 January 2017

In this week’s issue…

Headmaster's Blog and Commendations Design & Technology is Open!

House Baking Competition 2017 Kingfishers, Lower School and Middle School News Girls' and Boys' Sports Calendar Notices

hat w t u o b ta u o d n i F ial c i f f o e th t a d e n nd a happe r b r u for o t n e v e logy o launch n h c e &T n g i s e 3. e g a new D P y on r o t s l l - fu e r t n e c

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Headmaster's Blog Dear Parents By standing outside watching everyone arrive and by adopting an open door policy, I am fortunate to overhear many snippets of conversations and it is upon three of these that I would like to dwell.

Firstly a few words contained in an exhortation to a child as he hopped out of the car in the ‘kiss and go’ zone. “Work hard, play hard darling!” I would struggle to find better advice for my own children day in, day out. Apart from gladdening the heart of the Headmaster by taking the concept of the ‘kiss and go zone’ very seriously (the car hardly stopped), the message to her son was loud and clear. “Work hard” - there is time when it is ‘nose to the grindstone’ whether it is in the classroom or behaving appropriately around school and “play hard” - time to ‘let one’s hair down’ so that there is balance to every pupil’s life at The Prep.

Now the case of a group of boys as they walked past my office. “So there’s differences between how boys and girls learn. That’s their (the teachers’) problem.” I think not. All in education are mindful of how children learn and recent evidence does confirm that there are different styles of learning based on gender and other innate strengths and weaknesses. But the responsibility for learning rests squarely with the child and it is important that all children learn that they have responsibilities and that there are consequences to all of their actions. We will teach, facilitate and enable but we will not be sitting alongside any child when they sit examinations or resist the temptations of life.

And finally at this week’s parents’ evening. “The bell doesn’t really give you time to discuss a matter fully”. I am afraid that the parent who said this is absolutely correct. The aim of the five minute appointment at parents’ evening is to chat briefly about general progress, putting the ‘meat on the bones’ of information already communicated by Progress Reports. There should be no surprise revelations. Should these discussions provoke the need for further investigation of any issue, all staff are ready to meet parents at a subsequent, mutually convenient time.

Jon Whybrow Prep for The Week Issue Number 1849 27 January 2017

Headmaster's Commendations Octavia D'Orazi for producing 2 presentations in her own time: one on The Titanic and the other on her charitable work Sienna Baggioli for an outstanding project on a trip to Paris Harry Mills for presence of mind and compassion Max Brown for excellent maths holiday prep

We welcomed lots of families to our Kingfishers Parents' Lunches this week - read more on Page 5.

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Design & Technology is Open!

Cheltenham Prep staff and pupils were delighted to officially open the new Design and Technology Centre last week, at an event showcasing many of the new pieces of machinery. A crowd gathered to hear a speech by the CEO of The Design and Technology Association (DATA), Mr Andy Mitchell, before cheering as the co-founder of international clothing brand SuperDry, Mr Julian Dunkerton, launched a rocket to mark the opening of the facility!

The dedicated D&T suite will be for the use of pupils in Years 5-8, and this stunning facility boasts brand new state-of-the-art equipment, including a laser cutter, 3D printer, Prep for The Week Issue Number 1849 27 January 2017

sewing machines, CAD software and more. Headmaster, Mr Whybrow, said: “This fantastic new facility brings our pupils in touch with state-of-the-art designing and making techniques which are being used in industry. The fabric of our everyday lives is becoming increasingly dependent on simple, reliable and innovative design, so it is a pleasure to see Cheltenham Prep pupils getting hands-on, and honing the design skills of the future. I offer my thanks to the myriad of staff and contractors who worked to bring this creative space to life.”

The opening event, where guests took a good look around and chatted to children working on the equipment, took place on Thursday evening, following an ‘Open House’ for parents of current Prep pupils. Evening guests included staff from St Edward’s and Kitebrook Schools, representatives from the Chair of the Cheltenham Design Trust, the Suffolk Traders Association and Cheltenham Festivals, as well as staff from the senior school, Cheltenham College council member, Kate Hickey, plus contractors from Spencer Mayes Ltd and Envirotech Ltd. Our thanks go to Andy Mitchell

(DATA) who gave a speech extolling the value of Design and Technology in education today, the careers it leads to and its future implications with an ever-changing national landscape, in which Britain must once again prove itself to be a power of industry and manufacture.

Addressing the pupils, he said, “Embarking on a career in engineering, or one of the many design disciplines, will provide you with a wide range of opportunities to travel, design and build wonderful things and work with people all over the world to make it a better place in which to live. How exciting is that!” He referred to the excellent and model facilities that exist in the brand new department at Cheltenham Prep, saying, “This school can provide you with your first stepping stone along that journey to success. Cheltenham Prep clearly values the subject and the department’s facilities, coupled with the experience, expertise and commitment possessed by its staff are second to none. You will, I am sure, take full advantage of what is on offer.”

The whole evening was a huge success and we look forward to seeing the creations of young Prep designers and engineers with first class facilities at their fingertips!

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House Baking Competition

Spring 2017

The theme for all entries is ANIMALS! You can decorate your entry to show a wild animal, a farmyard animal or a pet. You can include more than one animal if you like.

Recipes available on the school website or from your House Master or Mistress!

All entries need to be handed in as follows: • Kingfishers: Kingfisher Hall • Lower School: Lower School Middle Room • Middle and Upper School: Assembly Hall by 08.25 on Monday 20 February 2017 Please label your entry clearly with: your name, House (Years 3 – 8) and form Remember to collect your entries at the end of the same day!

Prep for The Week Issue Number 1849 27 January 2017

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Kingfishers Clubs The children have enjoyed starting clubs this term. There is a range of clubs throughout Kingfishers including Chess, Music, Arts and Crafts and Multi Sports. There have even been some new additions this year such as 'Me Time'.

It was really good to see the children enjoying playing games this week in Games Club. There was a great spirit of competition but also elements of fair play and negotiation skills were needed.

Prep for The Week Issue Number 1849 27 January 2017

Kingfishers

This week many of the children have enjoyed hosting their parents for a tasty lunch in our very own Dining Hall.

Thanks to all those parents who enjoyed a lunch with us this week.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt The children were very surprised to get to school and discover that their teddy bears had gone on an adventure.

They decided the only option was to go on a bear hunt.

Kingfishers was searched thoroughly and eventually the bears were discovered in Mrs Buttress’ office and what a mess they had made! Sorry Mrs Buttress, we promise to talk to our bears to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

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This term Year 3 have been embarking on our Traditional Tales topic. We have been re-reading many traditional tales and then having fun adapting them.

Firstly, we looked at the story of Little Red Riding Hood and enjoyed getting into character as the big, bad wolf. We wrote recounts of the events of the day from the wolf’s point of view:

Lower School

One dark gloomy morning I woke up with my belly gurgling. I was ravenous.

All around me hung the solid, stone stalactites of the dark, gloomy cave that I was in. My matted, furry body began to emerge from my wolf cave.

A few minutes later I smelt a succulent, sweet smell. I suddenly spied a bright red cloak as red as a rose. I thought to myself “Mmmm… my next meal!”.

by Zac McCarthy 3S I burst through the door and stared at bony, old granny. She looked too old to eat so I shoved her in the cupboard!

Then I put her colourful nightie on and waited.

One hour later my prey arrived.

She asked me some very annoying questions but still, my plan was working. She asked me why I had big ears. “All the better to hear you with, my dear.” I replied. Then she asked why I had big teeth. It was my time to shine, I had her in my teeth. Suddenly I felt a pain in my neck and a red drip was falling from my head. I had fallen… I was dead. That’s when I learned not to eat children!

This term, Year 4 pupils are learning about electricity in their ‘Circuits and Conductors’ topic. So far they have made simple circuits and tested for conductors and insulators. They then went on to trial how different electrical apparatus works in a circuit. Discussion then moved to where electricity comes from, and the difference between mains electricity and battery electricity. One question asked was, “What happens if there is a power cut and the burglar alarm is on?” After much discussion and possible answers we decided it would be a good idea to try making our own burglar alarms using batteries. The classes had so much fun and managed to create alarms for the door and for when trying to open another pupil’s desk. You can watch a video of their excellent burglar alarms on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/cheltenhamprep.

by Isabella Whitelocks 3S We have also been planning our own traditional tales. We have had an imaginative time creating some evil characters for our stories. Our ‘Wanted’ posters warn you about them… please beware!

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Middle School Bringing the Earth to Life!

On Tuesday, the Geography department welcomed the Freshwater Theatre Company into school to help our Year 6 students discover how and why volcanoes and earthquakes occur - using nothing but themselves as props!

The students learnt about tectonic plates, types of volcanoes and how we can learn about historic eruptions by using carbon dating

Prep for The Week Issue Number 1849 27 January 2017

and archaeology. Year 6 then proceeded to travel to Italy, Japan, the USA, Chile and Indonesia to learn more about specific eruptions and earthquakes and how they can affect people and places - all without leaving the Assembly Hall!

It was great to see every single child wholly immerse themselves in the morning,

which included acting out how a volcanic eruption took place and reconstructing a disaster relief operation in San Francisco.

Given the amount of questions the students had by the end of the workshop it is hoped that the children will now go and find out more, putting their experiences and knowledge to good use in the classroom!

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Girls' Sports Girls' Netball Results TEAM OPPOSITION DATE SCORE 1st VII Clifton Saturday 21 January 17 – 7 2nd VII Clifton Saturday 21 January 5–5 3rd VII Clifton Saturday 21 January 8 – 17 4th VII Clifton Saturday 21 January 28 – 3 5th VII Clifton Saturday 21 January 5–2 U11 A Clifton Saturday 21 January 9–2 U11 B Clifton Saturday 21 January 0–2 U10 A Clifton Saturday 21 January 7 – 11 U10 B Clifton Saturday 21 January 0–7 U9 A Clifton Saturday 21 January 14 – 3 U9 B Clifton Saturday 21 January 5–9 U11A Severnside Tournament We had four matches in the Group stage of this home tournament with a summary as follows: 4-1 win v Wycliffe - a dominant start; 2-0 win v St Johns - a very close game, but we made the most of our opportunities; 2-3 loss v Kings Hawford a tense and frantic game with some shots missed; and 5-0 win v Clifton - a fine display of team work and blossoming netball skills.

This meant that we went through to the semi-finals as runners up in our group with King's Hawford winning the group. By this stage, we had really found our flow and went on to an emphatic semi-final win, beating Beaudesert 5-2. King's Hawford were winners of the other semi-final, which set up a re-match for the Final!

We played exceptionally well, not allowing ourselves to be intimidated by the earlier result. Although the pace was frenetic again, this time we maintained possession much better and kept our cool under pressure. It was a nail-biting game, with the lead passing back and forth between teams. The final ended in a 6-6 draw which was an accurate reflection of the abilities of both teams. King's Hawford were a guest team, therefore we took home the trophy. A fantastic afternoon of netball, congratulations U11As.

Team of the Week – 1st VII The 1sts really showed what they were made of today with a huge improvement in all areas of play. Following Wednesday’s defeat, the girls trained hard to improve the timing of their passes moving up the court and this is something that continued to improve throughout the game. The defence were impressive in the first quarter and the score was 2-0 in our favour at the first break. Both shooters moved with increasing confidence in the circle with some outstanding long shots going in during the second and third quarters. The team started the final quarter with a 10-6 lead. Determined to keep the pace steady and to maintain control, there were impressive interceptions by the defenders and some superb passes through attack. The final score was a 17-7 win and the girls should now feel ready to face the Severnside Tournament with confidence and in the knowledge that they can play netball in a calm and measured way.

Girls' Netball Results TEAM OPPOSITION DATE SCORE 1st VII Severnside Tournament Wednesday 25 January Finished 6th 2nd VII Severnside Tournament Wednesday 25 January Finished 5th 5th VII Severnside Festival Wednesday 25 January No scores kept U11 A Severnside Tournament Wednesday 25 January Finished 1st U11 B Kings Hawford Wednesday 25 January 2 – 10 U10 A Kings Hawford Wednesday 25 January 9 – 12 U10 B Kings Hawford Wednesday 25 January 2 – 13 U9 A The Downs Wraxall Wednesday 25 January 6–4 U9 B The Downs Wraxall Wednesday 25 January 2–7 Prep for The Week Issue Number 1849 27 January 2017

For news, fixtures and updates, follow us on Twitter! @cheltprepgirls 8

Boys' Sports For n update ews, fixtures a s, follo w us o nd n @chelt prep_b Twitter! oys

Boys' Hockey Results TEAM OPPONENT RESULT SCORE Dean Close Festival Festival N/A U11A U11B Dean Close Festival Festival N/A U11C Dean Close U11C Lost 2-3 U10A Cheltenham Festival Festival N/A U10B Cheltenham Festival Festival N/A U10C Dean Close U10C Won 6-1

Team of the Week – Year 5 After the disappointment of losing so much hockey to the weather, it was great to get the boys back on the astros this week. Whilst Upper School mixed up their afternoon with a combination of football and hockey training, it was Middle School who were in competitive action, either in festivals, or fixtures.

Year 5 followed on from their strong rugby season and have brought their competitive edge and drive into the hockey term, with all three teams unbeaten. We normally run with three squads of ten, but we wanted to achieve two aims yesterday: to get more game time for the boys and to allow us to really stretch and challenge them.

Four boys moved up from the B team and this A squad of 14 was then split into two equal teams of 7: both were entered into the A team Festival against the best teams from Dean Close, Richard Pate, Down’s Wraxall and Magdalen College. The B team, short of 3 of their stronger players and

Prep for The Week Issue Number 1849 27 January 2017

their goalkeeper, were entered into the B team Festival against the same schools and the C team, missing two of their better players up to the B team, took on Dean Close. The teams were then hit by a number of injuries, but we persisted with the decision and really challenged the boys... and they certainly stepped up to meet our challenge!

Both A teams performed superbly, only conceding one goal during the whole competition and scoring plenty in reply. The B team also went through their festival unbeaten and the C team romped to a 6-1 victory over Dean Close.

The whole year group performed outstandingly yesterday and yet again have left the coaching team with another very difficult selection meeting before the next round of fixtures Mr Simpson, Mr Woodbridge, Mr Jenkins and Mr Morgan

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All changes and additions to the School Calendar appear in pink.

Calendar

Sunday 29 January 2017 19:00 Boarders return, please arrive no later than 19:30 Monday 30 January 2017, Week 4, 30 January - 5 February 16:30 Pupils' Informal Concert (Lake House) 18:00 Year 8 Sparta House Trip to Zizzi Tuesday 31 January 2017 08:30 Year 5 World War II 'Play In A Day'. Performance to parents at 15:00 (Assembly Hall) Wednesday 1 February 2017 12:15 Departure for Prior Park Netball Tournament (A): 1st VII. Start 13:30. Pick up 17:15 12:15 Departure for St Hugh’s Netball Tournament (A): U12A, U12B. Start 13:30. Pick up 17:15 13:15 Departure for Hockey v Dean Close (A): 1st VII, 2nd VII, 5th VII, 6th VII. Start 14:00. Pick up 16:15 14:00 Middle School House Hockey. Pick up 16:15 Hockey v Dean Close (H): 3rd VII, 4th VII. Pick up 16:15 14:00 Middle School House Netball Competition. Pick up 16:15 14:15 14:30 Netball v Prior Park (H): U9A. Pick up 16:00 Netball v St Hugh’s (H): U13B. Pick up 16:15 14:30 Departure for Netball v Dean Close (A): U8A, U8B. Start 15:30. Pick up 17:00 14:45 Hockey v Dean Close (H): 7th VII. Pick up 16:15 15:00 Netball v St Hugh’s (H): U13C. Pick up 16:30 15:15 Thursday 2 February 2017 House Cross Country Relays 10:30 Swimming Gala v St Edward's and Dean Close (H): Years 3-6. Pick up 18:00 16:45 Friday 3 February 2017 Fun Friday Pre-3s Stay and Play (Nursery) 09:00 Kingfishers and Lower School Chess Challenge (Lower School) 14:15 Chapel (parents welcome) 14:15 19:00 Staff Quiz and Curry Night Saturday 4 February 2017 Departure for Netball v Pinewood (A): U9A, U9B. Start 09:30. Pick up 11:45 08:00 Departure for Football v Pinewood (A): U8s. Start 09:30. Pick up 12:00 08:30 Departure for Netball v Pinewood (A): U10A, U10B, U11A, U11B. Start 10:30. Pick up 12:45 09:00 College 'Open Houses' Morning for parents until 12:00 09:00 Netball v Pinewood (H): U8A, U8B. Pick up 11:00 09:30 Football v Pinewood (H): U9A VI, U9B VI, U9C VI. Pick up 11:00 09:30 Departure for Football v Pinewood (A): U10A VI, U10B VI, U10C VI. Kick off 10:30. Pick up 13:00 09:30 Departure for Hockey v Pinewood (A): 4th VII. Start 11:15. Pick up 12:45 09:50 Netball v Pinewood (H): 1st VII, 2nd VII, 3rd VII, 4th VII, 5th VII, U10/U11C. Pick up 12:00 10:30 Football v Pinewood (H): U11A IX, U11B IX, U11C IX. Pick up 12:00 10:30 Hockey v Pinewood (H): 1st VII, 2nd VII, 3rd VII, 6th VII, 7th VII. Pick up 12:00 10:30 Departure for Hockey (A): 5th VII. Start 12:00. Pick up 13:45 10:30

Prep for The Week Issue Number 1849 27 January 2017

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NOTICES Happy Birthday to the following pupils this week!

Aditya Acharya 4 Charlie Attwood

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Joey Richardson

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Charlotte Gilder

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Jemima Penny 8 Nehemiah Williams

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Harry Richardson

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Benjamin Cunningham

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Ciaran Portch 10 Jude Richardson Rory Maddinson

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Don't forget you can stay on top of news and events on our Twitter and Facebook pages: www.facebook.com/ cheltenhamprep

www.twitter.com/ cheltprep

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Rory Jenkins 13

Monday 10th - Thursday 13th April 2017 ACTIVITY CAMPS

AT CHELTENHAM COLLEGE SPORTS CENTRE

Easter Camp Over 20 exciting games and sports, including arts, crafts and swimming for boys and girls aged 4½ - 14 years

www.cheltenhamactivitycamps.co.uk

01242 705 551

Prep for The Week Issue Number 1849 27 January 2017

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