Kirkham Grammar School Junior, Infant and Pre-School Issue 16 Friday 8 July 2016 Dear Parents We have certainly drawn the year to a close in fine fashion this term! I hope everyone enjoyed Prizegiving as much as I did last week, when we recognised the talents of our pupils and celebrated many of their achievements over the year. We enjoy a culture at KGJS that encourages our pupils to embrace opportunity and to strive to be the best they can be. This is, in no small measure, down to the drive, direction and support they receive from the staff, to whom I am very grateful. Thank you to all the members of our community who have shown great support for all we do this year. My very best wishes go to our J4 leavers whom I will miss greatly, and to our staff departing this time, Ms Baxter, Mrs Brindle, Mr Lockett, Miss De Maine, Mr Edgar and Mr Roberts. We wish them all a very successful and happy future. Our Sports Days saw us all embrace true sportsmanship, and the coming together of all our pupils in two successful sporting occasions. It was so heartening to see the children working together in their houses, to try and do their level best in every event. Well done to Birley who took the title this year! From the next academic year, the Junior School Houses will change in line with the Senior School to School (Red), Fylde (Green), Kirkham (Yellow) and Preston (Blue). I look forward to September and wish everyone a happy and enjoyable summer break. Mrs AS Roberts Follow me on Twitter: Annette Roberts @KGJShead
It was wonderful to welcome Dawa back to KGJS for Prizegiving on Friday. Dawa was able to visit each class before attending Prizegiving in the newly named, ‘Summerlee Hall’. Mrs Roberts also presented Dawa with a cheque for £1000 from our KGJS fundraising this year.
Tennis has been very popular this term with all our J3 and J4 children taking part in our annual Tennis Tournaments. All matches were keenly contested and over 120 games were played during lessons, lunchtimes and Thursday evenings. It was very encouraging to see how much the pupils improved, not only in their playing ability but also their officiating and umpiring skills. The results were as follows: U11 Boys Winner U11 Girls Winner U10 Boys Winner U10 Girls Winner
Louis Johnson Hattie Madden Alex Maude Jessica Cole
Runner up Runner up Runner up Runner up
Matthew Oddie Bo Madden Alexander Kane Emily Marsh
U11 Boys U11 Girls U10 Boys U10 Girls
Aiden Hayward Esther Livermore Henry Taylor Pippa McGregor
Runner up Runner up Runner up Runner up
Charlie Read Arabella Bowker Sam Dunnington Rachel Watson
Plate Winner Plate Winner Plate Winner Plate Winner
Congratulations to all our winners and everyone who took part.
On Wednesday 29 June, we set off on our huge coach with the I2s. We were all very tired but also excited. Most of us actually fell fast asleep! When we got there it was raining really heavily so we headed to Matilda’s Mansion! We went in the front door and went down the creaky stairs. We headed down into the cellar and put our heavy bags in there. I sat with Oliver Clark, Adam and Holly. We saw a big spider and Oliver was very scared! We went back up the creaky stairs and a kind lady called Maria showed us around the mansion. My favourite part of the mansion was the bath on wheels idea! When it stopped raining we went to Fantastic Mr Fox’s farm. We saw some pretty lambs. Some were black and some were white. Next we saw some huge pigs with their tiny little piglets, they were so cute! There were also some little goats and some were much bigger than me! We spotted some little chickens with their tiny chicks. The chickens were all different colours and some were spotty. We saw big boars asleep, we tried not to wake them up! The thing we all liked about the farm was the tiny little lambs. After a busy day we were so exhausted but we all had such a wonderful day! By Hannah Carr, I3
On Wednesday 22 June, J1 made their annual journey to Chester, otherwise known as Dewa, to complete their work, learning about the Romans. When they arrived they were met by a Roman legionary who took them to the Roman gardens to train them to become soldiers. After this, they moved on to the amphitheatre to watch a gladiator fight between Mr Butterworth and Miss Cooper! Next, they had lunch at the museum and began their tour. They learned all about what life was like in Roman Chester for the soldiers who came here. J1 really enjoyed the hands on section, pretending to be archaeologists and trying on armour. The children finished their trip with a visit to the gift shop. They had a fantastic day!
Below are the House Sports final totals after three terms of exciting and enthusiastic competition in which every pupil from J1 through to J4 participated. House Sports Results from the Summer Term are as follows:
Swimming
Athletics
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Birley Colborne Clifton Drapers
Birley Colborne Clifton Drapers
Tennis
Cricket
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Colborne Birley Drapers Clifton
Colborne Drapers Clifton Birley
Rounders 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Clifton Colborne Birley Drapers The final totals for the year are as follows: 2015-16 House Champions
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Birley Colborne Drapers Clifton
Well done to all!
273 261.5 215 210.5
On Friday 1 July, our annual Prizegiving was held at the Senior School in the newly named Summerlee Hall. The whole school, staff, parents and friends, gathered together for one of the highlights of the academic year. The afternoon began with a few words from Mr Berry, the KGS Headmaster, who was attending his very first KGJS Prizegiving. A performance from the KGJS Instrumental Ensemble, and Vocal Ensemble performing ’The Rose’ by Amanda McBroom, lead nicely into Mrs Roberts’ speech. This included a presentation looking back through our busy school year. Part way through Mrs Roberts’ speech, the I3 children beautifully sang the well known track, ‘Sing’ by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd-Webber. A selection of J4 children recalled their memories from their time at KGJS, as well as a special verse of ‘The Magic Box’. 2016 Music Scholars, Anya Baxter and Thomas Shuttleworth then entertained guests with their talented instrumental performances before Caitlin McMillan, an ‘Old Kirkhamian’ who is now an actress, presented this year’s prizes and trophies. Head Boy, Thomas Shuttleworth and Head Girl, Poppy Kearsley, gave a vote of thanks and the penultimate performance was from the School Choir, performing ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen. The whole school then finished the afternoon by performing ‘The Power In Me’ by Rebecca Lawrence. Afterwards, a delicious buffet was served for all the J4 children, their parents and invited guests in the Senior School dining room. This occasion was a fitting conclusion to the J4 children's time at KGJS who will be moving on to new adventures in September! Thank you to everyone who joined us on Friday afternoon.
More photographs on our KGS Flickr page
Well done to Lola Huyton in I3, who recently organised a cake sale and raised £17 for the school’s charity, Classrooms in the Clouds. Super idea, Lola!
On Saturday 17 September a KGS team of Annette Roberts, Helen Shuttleworth, Michelle Tickle, Lindsey Case, Alicia Blanco-Bayo, Kate Aldeen, Sharon Anyon, Jill Knowles, Lucy Knowles, Gill Latham and Claire Blacow will take on the challenge of the Pretty Muddy run in Blackpool. They will work together over the 5k obstacle course to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Your kind donations would be gratefully received. Thank you in advance for your support. www.justgiving.com/ KGJSMuddyTeam
Sports Photographs If parents take photographs at school events/sports fixtures we would love to see them! They may even get used in school newsletters, on the website and in press releases. Please email them to Michelle Tickle at m.tickle@kirkhamgrammarjnr.co.uk Thank you
Kirkham Grammar Junior School Facebook news is now on the Kirkham Grammar School Facebook page….we hope this will make the ‘whole school news’ easier to follow! Please visit and ‘LIKE’ the KGS page for all the latest news, photographs and information. The Facebook page name is ‘Kirkham Grammar School’ and can be easily identified from our KGS logo above.
House
Sub total
8.7.16
Total
Birley
1530
408
1938
Please could we kindly ask parents/carers not to park on1640 Drapers twitter.com/kgjs_ the yellow lines within the school car park and keep these Colborne 1496 clear at all times in case of an emergency.
472
2115
359
1855
Thank you
527
2072
Please follow us on Twitter for the latest news at KGJS!
Clifton
1545
COLBORNE—Winners of the House Singing Competition
For just four weeks of this last half term, the children and staff have been busy rehearsing for the first ever House Singing Competition. The standard was high and the judges, Mr Berry, Mrs Shuttleworth and Mr Lockett, had a very tough decision on their hands. The performances were outstanding across all four houses however, there could only be one winner and Colborne were crowned the 2016 House Singing Champions. Well done to all the children and staff!
On Thursday 7 July, eleven of our most promising young musicians took part in a Coffee Concert in the KGJS School Hall. The performances were stunning and really showcased the talent we have here at the Junior School. Thank you to everyone who came along to support and to all the children who performed. A video from this event is now on our Kirkham Grammar School Facebook page.
On Wednesday 6 July, Joanna Allitt from Brian House came into KGJS to present the school with their highest standard of award, the Gold Award, for supporting Brian House consistently. During the presentation we presented her with a cheque for ÂŁ1470 which had been raised by our KGJS Triathlon team. Well done to all who took part and contributed in raising this outstanding amount of money for such a worthwhile cause.
Despite the threatening rain, this year’s Infant Sports Day was a lovely occasion enjoyed by all. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and showed real enthusiasm, despite the weather, and all competed with true sportsmanship. Thank you to Helen Clitheroe, British middle and long-distance runner, for presenting the prizes alongside Ms Baxter, and for also taking part in the egg and spoon race! A true athlete!! As always, thank you to everyone who came along to support!
More photographs on our KGS Flickr page
This year’s Junior Sports Day was a huge success! Despite it raining the previous evening, the sun came out and shone all afternoon! The children all thoroughly enjoyed themselves while the Pre-School and Infant children watched on and showed their support for the older members of school. The Junior children all competed in true team spirit. Thank you to Mr and Mrs Berry for presenting the prizes.
More photographs on our KGS Flickr page
Well done to Thomas Shuttleworth, Tabitha Berry and Luca Green who came first, second and third respectively in a recent ’Design a Railway Safety Poster’ competition. All the posters that were designed by children from KGJS will now be used to make a display at Preston Railway Station. We would like to thank Mr Johnson and everyone at AMCO rail for this wonderful opportunity.
Saturday 2 July saw Kirkham Grammar School welcome a large number of former pupils, staff and governors to celebrate the life and work of former KGS Headmaster, Malcolm Summerlee, who died in January at the age of 88, by re-naming the main School Hall, Summerlee Hall. Mr Summerlee was Headmaster for a remarkable 19 years between 1972 and 1991, during which time the School reverted to independent status, became co-educational and opened a Junior School, with a consequent rapid expansion in pupil numbers. Towards the end of his time as Headmaster, he saw his long-held vision of a ‘Multi-Purpose Hall’ brought to reality, when the impressive and versatile new building was opened in March 1990. It was therefore entirely fitting that this building be re-named in his honour, and the School was delighted to welcome back his widow, Mrs Joy Summerlee, who worked alongside him as a houseparent in the Boarding House throughout his headship. Mrs Summerlee flew over from her home in Canada, where she and Malcolm had lived in retirement, and was joined by one of her sons Ian and his wife Pauline. In a memorial service led by School Chaplain Reverend Rick Bunday, tribute was paid by Mr Adrian Long, who was appointed by Mr Summerlee in 1981, to this Headmaster’s vision for the school and, in particular, to the building of the Hall. The audience watched a video clip of the opening ceremony in March 1990, at which Mr Summerlee proudly explained the concept of the Hall and demonstrated to that audience the many features of it.
Unveiling the plaque which commemorates the change of name, Mrs Summerlee spoke of her gratitude to the School for remembering her late husband in this way, and paid tribute to all who had kept faith in the School throughout his headship, paving the way for the growth and success which it has seen over the years.
On Friday 24 June 1509, Henry VIII was crowned King of England. On Friday 24 June 2016, J2X took us back in time to celebrate the Royal Coronation of 1509. The children wore colourful costumes of the period and entertained and educated the whole school in equal measure! The town crier, Harry Ribchester, made the announcements as the assembly commenced, and the Royal Procession entered the hall. Charlie Wiltshire was crowned King by Archbishop, Harvey Barber and Queen Lilly Jones played the part of Catherine of Aragon. The assembly included a dance from the Royal Court and the narrator, Taran Mathauda, guided us through the events. Harry Case, playing the role of the Royal Jester, stole the show and brought it all to life. The children and staff thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and the many humorous moments. Well done J2X!
After weeks of practice, it was finally the night of the I3 Concert. We were all very excited! We dressed in party clothes and I wore my favourite dress. Mums, dads, friends and family all came to watch. Miss Fountain and Mrs Kenchington had worked extremely hard to get us all ready and it paid off, as the night was a huge success! We all did lots of dancing and fun songs, and we enjoyed it very much. Lots of the class played duets and solos on all sorts of instruments including the piano, flute, violin and even the cornet and drums! All the money raised from the concert and raffle went to ‘Classrooms in the Clouds.’ Thank you to everybody who supported us. By Zara Gilchrist
On Tuesday 28 June, KGJS held their annual J4 Heptathlon. The children selected took part in the following events: 60m sprint, 45m Hurdles, 3 lap race, Long Jump, High Jump, Shot Putt and Cricket ball/Rounders ball throw. After each event, points were awarded to each athlete depending on how they performed. Conditions were not ideal, as persistent rain continued throughout the afternoon. All the athletes should be commended for their performances in very difficult conditions. After three hours of competition the final results were as follows:
U11 Boys 1st Archie Dowds 2nd Ben Wiggins 3rd Sam Abram 4th Freddie Tarrant 5th Thomas Shuttleworth 6th Aiden Hayward 7th Sam Broadbent
619 pts 537 pts 516pts 496pts 488pts 484 pts 455 pts
U11 Girls 1st Hattie Madden 2nd Talia Armstead 3rd Bo Madden 4th Darcey Clough 5th Poppy Kearsley 6th Amy Merrick 7th Dani Merrick
558 pts 553 pts (new record in the High Jump of 1.28cm) 542 pts 508 pts 490 pts 451 pts 447 pts
Congratulations to everyone who took part and especially Archie and Hattie who are the Heptathlon Champions for 2016. Mr Oddie and Ms Baxter would like to thank Miss Cooper and Mr Roberts for their help during the competition.
Louis Johnson has represented Lancashire U11s Cricket during the season and achieved the following scores; V Cumbria V Wales V Yorkshire V Cheshire
50 not out 30 32 42
Congratulations to Louis on these fantastic performances with the bat!
On Wednesday 29 June, the J3Y children wowed the whole school with a wonderful assembly about the Swinging Sixties. With a Doctor Who theme running throughout, J3Y journeyed through this colourful decade, highlighting the important events that helped to shape history. From music to politics and fashion to technology, this informative assembly included singing and dancing, video clips, a Beatles tribute band and even a TARDIS! Callum Benson, as Doctor Who, ably assisted by Emily Marsh, Jessica Cole and Heidi Aldeen, were superb in their characters and, along with Siôned Jones-Blanco, also performed ‘She Loves Me’ by the Beatles. The whole class contributed with enthusiasm to bring the 60s to life. Well done J3Y!
On Friday 24 June, the girls, their mums and some members of KGJS staff enjoyed a very competitive and entertaining afternoon of Rounders. The results were as follows; Girls A Team won 9 - 7 Girls B Team Mums won 9 ½ - 7 Thank you to all the girls, their parents and staff who played.
On Thursday 23 June, Kirkham Grammar Junior School’s U11 and U10 girls travelled to St Pius for an enjoyable afternoon of Rounders. KGJS U11s won 18½ - 12 and the U10s won their first ever match 12 - 10½. Many thanks to St Pius for hosting and to all the parents who came along to support. KGJS U11s with St Pius
KGJS U10s
What an amazing end of term w e h ave h a d in P re - S ch oo l! Having spent some time learning about creatures with wings we went on a trip to the Birds of Prey and Owl Sanctuary in Preston. We saw many different types of owls and learned about what they eat and how they live and sleep. It was such a fascinating trip! We even got to hold some of the owls as they landed on our arms to be fed. When we got back to Pre-School, we made all kinds of owls using a variety of materials and talked about some of the birds we had seen. On Monday 4 July, some of the Pre-School children visited their new classrooms and spent some time with Mrs Knowles and Mrs Wignall. They had a wonderful time and are very excited about all the great things they will be doing in I1 in September.
Wishing you all a wonderful and restful summer! New term starts on Tuesday 6 September 2016