Prep for the Week Issue 1859 by Cheltenham College

Prep for the Week Issue Number 1859 – 12 May 2017

In this week’s issue… Headmaster's Blog and Commendations A View from the History Department Kingfishers, Lower and Middle School News Cornith and Troy Barn Dance Prep Charity Tennis Tournament LAMDA Review Girls' and Boys' Sports Calendar Notices

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Headmaster's Blog Dear Parents My thanks to Dr Peterken for addressing the children in Assembly on Monday. As always, his was a valuable message, focusing on the need to continue asking questions and volunteering opinions, especially when the passage through puberty makes this process overwhelmingly embarrassing for some. For Year 8, this challenge continues as they move on into their senior schools and they worry about the impression that they are creating, especially to their new peers. Probably, they will need to persevere and to empathise. These are two of the qualities upon which we will focus with our redesigned awards system. To have the determination to continue, even when faced with what seems like overwhelming challenges, is an important quality. And to be able to put yourself ‘in someone else’s shoes’, is a skill which when used effectively, enables the community to look inwards and improve. Having read a story to Kingfishers on Thursday about empathy and demonstrated, with the help of a rather surprised Daisy de Quincey Adams, what it is like to be in another person’s shoes, I was pleased to see the understanding that the children demonstrated. Perhaps you might like to ask them at home what it would be like to be in your, the parents’, shoes? My congratulations to Year 2 on their wonderful Assembly on ‘Famous People’. This was learning conducted through research and consequently, very powerful. With the long summer holidays in everybody’s minds, I am often questioned about what children can do to fill the time. Simply wondering about the places they visit, their origins and the journey the family took to get there, is a great starting point. And finally, "Top China schools test parents for IQ, ancestors grades and 'obesity' on enrolment” was the headline in a recent edition of The Daily Telegraph. Now there’s a thought. Jon Whybrow

Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

Headmaster's Commendations Magdalen Archer for excellent attitude and effort towards the school trip to the SS Great Britain

Personal Achievements Congratulations to Ollie Elliott and Sammy Baines, who have both been selected for the County Cricket squad. Good luck for the season ahead, boys!

Prep boys and girls have been enjoying occasional sightings of our new piglets... here they are taking a hard-earned nap in the sunshine this week!

Family Camp-Out Saturday 17th June from 2.30pm Pitch your tent on the school playing ďŹ elds Bouncy Castle - Swimming - Tennis BBQ - Live Music from The Rock Project Sunday morning breakfast Tickets: ÂŁ30 per family; day tickets also available Register by emailing dpwbingham@gmail. com / text 07974 374 336 Please note children will not be super vised by school during this event Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

A View from the History Department

This year has been another one of excitement for the History Department. Since the last update, we have welcomed the inaugural ‘House History Competition’ where Houses and their key historians competed in a ‘University Challengeesque’ contest to see which House knows their History best! Troy House won the competition, meeting Athens in the final, a worthy opponent but unfortunately were pipped at the post. After the Final Round, pupils were treated to the Scholars’ Film Production, ‘Mean Priests’, a dramatisation of the quarrel between Henry II and Archbishop Thomas Becket. This piece had been written, filmed and directed themselves, as a part of the History PostScholarship Programme, and was an extremely entertaining end to a superb morning of History. There was great success last Summer Term with the Common Entrance History Examinations, where the Prep maintained the tradition of receiving the Top History Common Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

Entrance Candidate to College (received by Fionuala DowlingMembrado), as well as excellent Scholarship Examination results. This ensured that the Autumn Term commenced with a real enthusiasm. In the classroom, we welcomed Mr Simpson, an excellent addition to the Department, who has been revamping the Year 5 Syllabus to include some exploration of World War I to accompany their traditional studies of World War II, an important part of putting these conflicts in context. Mrs Paterson has provided excellent guidance of Year 6, starting by investigating the Wars of the Roses in order to better understand their study of the Tudor Dynasty. Year 7 travelled back to the year of 1066 to examine the Norman Conquest, while Year 8 commenced their evaluation of the reign of King John.

are introduced to a wide range of ‘Middle Age Marvels’ that capture the imagination and help build the rich tapestry of the past. In Upper School, there are plenty of opportunities for ‘History Enthusiasts’ to extend their quest for knowledge. History Club continues to thrive, with over 20 members this term. Topics which have been researched this academic year include the 50 Greatest Battles and, the increasingly topical, US Presidents. It is hoped that a new project on Historical Heroes and Villains will be started this Term. The pupils have diligently gone about their investigations, producing some fantastic pieces.

The History Syllabus has seen a lot of change within the last few years. With a greater emphasis on modern history in senior schools, at The Prep, the History Department has turned its gaze to the formation of England, focusing on the medieval period and the creation of the country we know today. This section of history can easily be forgotten and tragically some pupils can reach the end of their school lives having not been introduced to the stories that help give England its identity. However, Year 7 and 8

In addition to History Club is the opportunity to take part in the Townsend-Warner History Prize. The competition is over 125 years old and is one of the oldest institutions in the preparatory school world. The Prize consists of two papers. The first is one hour long and has 100 questions demanding one-word or one-sentence answers from world history, but with a strong emphasis on British History. Some questions are straightforward and many are more obscure. Of the 1000+ pupils who enter, 250 pupils qualify from Paper 1 to sit Paper 2. The second paper is two hours long and in the form of essay questions, these allow candidates a wide choice so that they can write on what they know, but also potential to show analytical skill and historical imagination. This year, 15 Cheltenham College Prep Upper School pupils entered the competition, meeting during break times to learn about different parts of history that the syllabus does not cover and practice their historical general knowledge.

performed exceptionally in Paper 2. Harry jumped 71 places to be placed a superb 169th overall, scoring an impressive 70/100 in Paper 2. Rory scored an amazing 76/100 in Paper 2, seeing his position rise 20 places to finish 39th nationally, a real triumph. These are both magnificent results in a national competition, against some of the top prep schools in the country. The quality of their written work clearly showed due to their high scores and positions gained within the top 250 as a result of the second paper. The learning in the classroom has been extremely wellcomplemented by a wide variety of trips, visitors and events. Year

5 have produced a ‘WWII Play In A Day’, meanwhile, Year 6 have the trip to Coughton Court and Bosworth Battlefield to look forward to later this term, helping to put into context the Tudor and Stuart monarchs but also the obsession of religion which dominates these eras. Year enjoyed an overnight history trip to Kent which explored; a full-sized replica of the Bayeux Tapestry in Reading, a visit to Canterbury Cathedral in the afternoon to see where Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered and a tour of the Battle of Hastings the next day before returning home. This perfectly accompanied the Year 7 programme of study and will help to build a greater picture of these significant events, the benefits of which have certainly been felt in lessons. The History Department will continue to build on its success, looking into new ways in which to bring history to life. There is still a real enthusiasm and ‘buzz’ about the subject, which we will strive to maintain and grow.

Continuing the success of four pupils gaining entry to the second round in the last two years, this time round, another two candidates have qualified from Paper 1 to sit Paper 2, a superb achievement. Harry Dawson was placed 240th nationally with a score of 45/100 in Paper 1, the first Year 7 from The Prep to make it to the second round, and Rory Maddinson was placed 59th nationally with a score of 61/100. Both boys Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

Kingfishers Quelle journée! Quite a sight to behold: bleu, blanc, rouge partout! There were strings of ‘oignons’, ‘des moustaches’, ‘des bérets’ and even a Coco Chanel and some famous French joueurs de Rugby et de Foot! Lots of impressive outfits. It was fantastic to see everyone involved and speaking French throughout Kingfishers. All embraced the day.

Nursery pupils sang and danced to ‘Sur le pont d’Avignon’ and enjoyed ordering croissants and pains au chocolat at snack time. At lunchtime pupils all ordered in French – un sandwich au fromage ou au jambon et des glaces…. au chocolat, à la fraise et à la vanille.

C’était délicieux! – squeals of delight could be heard from the dining hall. Some pupils were busy researching facts for a quiz about France’s geography and culture and all had the chance to practise and extend vocabulary learned in their lessons with each other and with their teachers. Activities included making ‘un bilboquet’ (cup and ball game), painting flags, some shopped for fruit at our market and some classes tasted madeleines and crêpes. Colours and numbers were practised with a game of ‘la pétanque’ outside and, in the afternoon, year 2 enjoyed learning Seurat’s pointillism technique with much success. We made fortune tellers, performed a French play and watched a short French film and the day was complete. Thanks for making it a day to remember.

Merci tout le monde!

Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

Madame Amiry Mrs. Giselle Amiry (teacher of all Kf French)

Corinth and Troy Houses Barn Dance! Twirling, whirling, stomping and galloping, Trojans and Corinthians joined together to dance their way through Thursday evening. For most this was their first Barn Dance. Undaunted, everyone joined in with the fun: no wallflowers here! Taller, shorter, younger and older everyone joined together to learn new steps and dances played by our live band Life of Riley. Stopping for a well-earned picnic in the sunshine half way through the evening, everyone was soon refreshed and ready for more action. A great success and enjoyed by all, the enthusiasm of all the Trojans and Corinthians was a joy to see. Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

Taking on the Chess Challenge! All matches started at the same time and as games ended the players would return to base, saying win, lose or draw to the other team members. Even every loss was congratulated by a high five. They would then spend their break playing chess with the giant chess set on the school patio, showing each other their winning moves.

Cheltenham College Prep Chess Team played their second competition on Saturday 6 May. Four of The Prep's pupils had qualified to complete in the Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge, by playing numerous matches at school. 1200 schools entered 36,000 players, and 6000 of these players qualified to play this Saturday in 43 separate competitions scattered across the UK. The Prep's team of four competed at Kings School Gloucester. They played six matches each over 7 hours, so a long day. Each player was awarded points, 1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw and 0 points for a lose. The points are accumulated throughout the day and prizes were awarded to the winning individual in each age category. They needed to score 4 or more to gain a place in the prestigious Gigafinal in Manchester in July.

Our team were a delight, all behaved beautifully in an intimidating situation. Every individual's confidence grew throughout the day, and confidence was further boosted in the middle of the day by a surprise visit by Mrs Buttress! Theo Archer won the U7 boys with a score of 3.5 out of a possible 6 and was awarded the title of U7 Boys Supremo and gains a place in the Gigafinal in Manchester. Bella Charlesworth came 2nd in the U7 girls with a score of 1.5. Monty Campbell-Black scored 3 in the U8 boys; he only needed 1 more point to qualify to the Gigafinal, were he competed last year. He faced huge disappointment in his last match when a move lost his required point. Sean Degnan scored 2.5 in the U8 boys. Sean and Monty bravely faced some tough competition in the U8 boys, 6 of whom gained a Gigafinal place in Manchester - it is usually just 1. Well done Bella, Theo, Sean and Monty you represented your school impeccably, you should be very proud of yourselves!

Design & Technology Holiday Course: Book Now! There will be another Design and Technology Holiday Course at the beginning of the Summer Holidays with two changes: Year 4s are also invited for the first time, as well as all children from Years 5 – 8. It will run from Monday 3 to Thursday 6 July, from 09:30 – 15:30. We will be designing and making a catapult! To book the course, simply email Mr George Boyd at g.boyd@cheltenhamcollege.org; a place will be Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

confirmed upon his reply. A leaflet which details all the necessary information has been sent via Clarion this week and there are also printed copies available in the D&T room. Again, there are only 20 places available, which will be filled up on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. All bookings must be in by Friday 16 June and the full amount is payable for any cancellations after this date. To find out more, don't hesitate to get in touch with Mr Boyd! 8

Lower School

Last week Year 3 travelled back 1,974 years to AD43, when the Roman Empire had finally reached Britain. Their trip to the Corinium Museum in Cirencester involved a lot of hands-on experiences and combined several of Lower School's subjects in one fell swoop. The boys and girls learnt about the history of the Romans and how they lived, worked and fought. They used their skills in art to draw objects that they liked and took notes in order to aide their creative writing based on the Thieves of Ostia (wow – were they busy or what!). Here is what some of the children had to say about the day: “I saw a seal on a ring – it was called an intaglio ring.” “We did lots of sketches in our books” “The men in the Roman Army wore chain mail, a helmet and had a sword by their side.” “Cirencester was originally called Corinium Dobunnorum and was the second largest settlement in Britain.” “I enjoyed learning about how the fort turned into a village as more of the local people began to trade with the Romans.” “I went to the activity room and dressed as a Roman.” “I thought the Roman coins were really cool; the rings looked really old; I felt heavy strong Roman armour and we got to see the mosaics and one had Medusa on it.” “We saw lots of creepy statues and it looked like they were staring at me.” “I learned that Romans used honey to sweeten their food and drinks.”

Congratulations to Franchesca Flexer who successfully renamed Big Horse – now to be known as "Honey Melody". Thank you to all who took part! Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

Year 5 See Water Treatment in Action

This week Year 5 went on a Geography field trip to our local sewage treatment plant in Hayden. The children started in the classroom where they found out about the need for saving water, as only 1% of water on the planet is drinkable. Methods of saving water included showers for 4 minutes, turning off the tap when you brush your teeth, and a major one, especially in the summer, is not using a hose, which can use up to 1,000 litres of water an hour! The children were then told of the ‘3 Ps’ which we should only flush down the toilet, and when we had the tour outside, our first stop was at the inlet area, where we witnessed first hand the 3 Ps and also many other things which should never be in the toilet, let alone flushed! The tour around the Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

plant was hugely informative and we saw the various processes in action: how farmers use the special ‘cake’ that is recycled, and how the water gradually got cleaner until it was released back to the rivers to start the cycle all over again. The children had a great time and remember varying parts of the trip: "I learnt that bugs eat the poo to clean it" – Noah "It takes 24 hrs for the sewage water to be cleaned and put back in the River Chelt." – Ciaran "I learnt that anything that comes out of you can go in the toilet, but nothing else!" - Kate 10

Charity Tennis Tournament Last Sunday, The Prep held its annual Charity Tennis Tournament. Twenty four couples comprising of pupils paired with either their parents, or peers took part in the competition comprising of a roundrobin group stage followed by knock- out finals. The standard of tennis was exceptional with some fantastic rallies and close matches. The final was dominated by the Carter family; with Annie and her dad Nick, gaining the narrowest of victories over Ed and his mum, Fiona. It was a great way to spend a sunny Sunday morning and the event raised over ÂŁ200 for The Prepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charity Sue Ryder.

LAMDA All pupils taking their LAMDA drama exams at the end of the Spring term passed with really good results. Congratulations to them all. Twenty five prep pupils have just taken their LAMDA exams this week and we wish them the very best of luck as they deserve to do well. Pass with Merit: Tula Leach and Ava Robertson Pass with Distinction: Toby Krauer, Teddy Bennett, Joseph Tagg, Isaac Tagg, Autumn Conner, Meredith Aylott, Finn Keatinge, Noah Campbell-Black, Jasper Norman and Harry Dawson Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

Girls' Sports Girls' Tennis Scores TEAM OPPOSITION DATE SCORE RESULT U11 5 pairs Bromsgrove Sat 6 May 8 – 5 WON U10 4 pairs Bromsgrove Sat 6 May 6 – 9 LOST 1sts – 3 pairs Clifton Wed 10 May 5 – 4 WON 2nds – 4 pairs Clifton Wed 10 May 12 – 4 WON 3rds – 4 pairs Clifton Wed 10 May 14 – 2 WON 4ths – 4 pairs Clifton Wed 10 May 15 – 1 WON U13 Mix – 6 pairs CLC Wed 10 May 10 – 8 WON Tennis Team of the Week – U13 In temperatures more akin to mid-July, a mixed team of 6 pairs travelled to play at CLC. The opposition were perfectly matched, with most matches being very close and being decided by the narrowest of margins. Although the standard between both teams was very similar, our girls worked really well in their pairs, showing effective communication, allowing a 10-8 victory overall. Meanwhile at home, the rest of the Upper School girls marched on victorious again, this time with a very convincing performance over Clifton – another big school and another big win to highlight the success of our tennis development programme.

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Girls' Rounders Scores TEAM OPPOSITION DATE SCORE RESULT U9 A Prior Park Sat 6 May 12 – 4 WON U9 B Prior Park A Sat 6 May 4 – 7.5 LOST U8 A Prior Park Sat 6 May 6.5 – 4 WON U8 A St Hugh’s Sat 6 May 5.5 – 8.5 LOST U8 B Prior Park A Sat 6 May 2 – 4.5 LOST U8 B St Hugh’s A Sat 6 May 6.5 – 6.5 DRAW U11 A RGSW The Grange Wed 10 May 23 – 8.5 LOST U11 B RGSW The Grange Wed 10 May 8.5 – 10 LOST U10 A RGSW The Grange Wed 10 May 9.5 – 11 LOST U10 B RGSW The Grange Wed 10 May 17.5 – 19.5 LOST Rounders Team of the Week – U9A The girls all enjoyed the opportunity to play against Prior Park this week. They have worked really hard to improve their fielding skills and are concentrating hard on 2nd and 4th post, in order to reduce the opposition scores. The girls are starting to back up each other well in the field and their decision making has vastly improved. A strong and improved batting performance made all the difference too. Super effort all round. UPPER SCHOOL HOUSE TENNIS AND ROUNDERS 1st – ROME 2nd – PERSIA 4th eq – CORINTH and ATHENS Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

3rd – SPARTA 6th – TROY 12

Boys' Sports

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Boys' Cricket Results TEAM OPPOSITION RESULT SCORE 1st XI Dean Academy Win Walkover â&#x20AC;&#x201C; County Cup R1 1st XI Bromsgrove 1st XI Won By 5 wickets 1stXI Monmouth 1st XI Won By 4 wickets 2nd XI Bromsgrove 2nd XI Won By 8 wickets 2nd XI Monmouth 2nd XI Won By 3 runs 3rd XI Bromsgrove 3rd XI Won By 7 wickets 3rd XI Monmouth 3rd XI Won By 7 wickets 4th XI Bromsgrove 4th XI Lost By 65 runs 4th XI Monmouth 4th XI Won By 8 wickets 5th XI Bromsgrove 5th XI Lost By 25 runs 5th XI Monmouth 5th XI Lost By 9 runs 6th XI Bromsgrove 6th XI Lost By 63 runs 6th XI Monmouth 7th XI Lost By 50 runs U11A Prior Park Colts A Won By 28 runs U11A RGS The Grange U11A Won By 7 wickets U11B Prior Park Colts B Lost By 12 runs U11B RGS The Grange U11B Won By 15 runs U11C RGS The Grange U11C Lost By 45 runs U10A RGS The Grange U10A Won By 18 runs U10B RGS The Grange U10B Lost By 13 runs U10C RGS The Grange U10C Lost By 20 runs U9A Richard Pate U9A Won By 11 runs U9C Richard Pate U9B Lost By 60 runs

Team of the Week: U11A v RGS The Grange Won by 7 wickets At the fourth attempt, the Under 11A team chalked up their first victory of the season against The Grange on a glorious afternoon. Bowling first, we made every effort to pitch the ball up, having bowled too short in our previous fixtures. Whilst still not achieving complete control, we nevertheless managed to frustrate the batsmen, resulting in several well-executed run outs as the pressure built. Our fielding continued to impress and our outstanding catching helped us make further inroads into their batting. The Grange just managed to rack up three figures before we bowled them out. Five an over might have appeared a tough target, but playing on such a true wicket, we knew that we would get full value for our shots. We made a breezy start but once they changed their bowlers, we struggled to keep up with the run rate. Having kept wickets in hand, we were able to push on and adopt a more adventurous approach. Our middle order batsmen played with real intelligence and punished the poor ball effectively, helping us to eclipse their total with seven wickets in hand and a couple of overs to spare. Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

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

Calendar

Monday 15 May 2017, Week 5, 15 - 21 May Year 7 Examinations 08:30 Year 8 Common Entrance Mathematics Listening Examination (Assembly Hall) 16:30 Lower School Pupilsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Informal Concert (Lake House) Tuesday 16 May 2017 Year 7 Examinations 07:30 Year 8 Scholars' Trip to Salters' Festival of Chemistry (University of Bath) 08:30 Year 8 Common Entrance French Listening Examination (Assembly Hall) Wednesday 17 May 2017 Year 7 Examinations 08:30 Year 8 Common Entrance Spanish Listening Examination (Assembly Hall) 08:30 Cheltenham College Rackets Morning for selected Year 6 pupils 09:30 Kingfishers Cottage Trip to Cotswold Farm Park Departure for Cricket v Dean Close (A): 1st XI, 4th XI, 6th XI, U11A XI, U11B XI, U9A VIII, U9B VIII, 13:30 U9C VIII. Start 14:00. Pick up 17:00 for U9s and 6th team, 18:00 for 1st, 4th and U11s. 13:45 Departure for Tennis v Dean Close (A): U13 6 pairs. Start 14:30. Pick up 16:45 Departure for Tennis v Dean Close (A): U11 4 pairs, U10 4 pairs. Start 14:30. Pick up 16:45 13:45 Cricket v Dean Close (H): 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 5th XI, U10A XI, U10B XI, Wanderers XI. Pick up 16:30 14:00 for U10B and Wanderers, 17:15 for 2nd, 3rd and U10A Tennis v Dean Close (H): U13 17 pairs. Pick up 16:15 14:30 14:30 Rounders v Beaudesert (H): U9A, U9B, U10. Pick up 16:15 Thursday 18 May 2017 Year 7 Examinations Year 5 Examinations Friday 19 May 2017 Year 8 Common Entrance French and Spanish Oral Examinations Year 6 Examinations 09:00 Fun Friday: Stay and play session for Pre-3s (Cottage) Year 1 Trip to Weston-super-Mare 09:00 Chapel (Parents welcome) 14:15 Departure for Cricket v St Hugh's (A): 1st XI. Start 15:45. Pick up 19:00 14:45 Saturday 20 May 2017 08:20 U11 & U13 Aquathlon at The Downs Malvern. Depart 08:20 pick up 13:30 Departure for Cricket v Beaudesert (A): U8s. Start 10:00. Pick up 13:00 08:45 Cheltenham Prep Tennis Festival (H): Years 3 and 4. Pick up 11:30 09:30 Open Morning for Prospective Parents 10:00 Cheltenham Prep display at Nailsworth Festival 10:00 Cricket v Beaudesert (H): U9A VIII, U9B VIII, U9C VIII. Pick up 12:15 10:00 Sunday 21 May 2017 Boarders' Trip to Gifford's Circus (Full and Regular Flexi-Boarders Only) 12:45

Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017

NOTICES Happy Birthday to the following pupils this week! Eden Ramnarine

Tabitha Thomson

Keep up to date! Stay up to date with Cheltenham Prep by following us on Twitter (@cheltprep) or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ CheltenhamPrep).

Poppy Charlesworth 5

Oliver Brewis 10 Molly Ropner 11

Jackson Joly 13

Summer Term 2017 Key Dates Fri 26 May - Sunday 4 June - Half Term Sat 1 July - Parents' Day (Summer Term ends)

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Saturday 20 May at 10.00am

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Prep for The Week Issue Number 1859 12 May 2017