Old Truronian

PREP

School News

DETERMINATION AND SMILES AT PREP SPORTS DAY

It was a gloriously sunny day as our pupils took to the field for their Sports Day.

Parents and supporters were there to cheer on teams and individuals in events including long-jump, hurdles, sprints and relays. Every pupil was encouraged to take part in events designed to be fun as well as challenging. It was wonderful to see our children rise to the occasion and encourage their peers to do their best in each event.

As the day drew to a close, there was a fiercely contested House tug-of-war competition, which provided some brilliant photos, before a final presentation for each year’s victor and victrix ludorum and the House Cup.

OVERALL HOUSE RESULTS

House results:

1st = Smith (429 points),

2nd = Vinter (387 points),

3rd = School (371 points),

4th = Wickett (356 points)

STANDING OVATION FOR OLIVER JR!

With memorable songs like ‘Food Glorious Food’, and ‘Consider Yourself’, and phenomenal energy and acting from all of the cast, it was no wonder that Oliver Jr! ended each night with standing ovations.

This was the first time that many of Year 6 had been on a ‘big stage’ in the Burrell Theatre and their courage as they took to the stage was wonderful to see.

Most of the roles were played by two actors, splitting the role between the two nights, and there were some truly stunning performances.

ADVENTURES IN ABUNDANCE

An excited gaggle of Year 6 children and staff set sail for their residential trip to the Isle of Wight. The trip began with a tour of HMS Victory and a ferry ride to the Isle of Wight from Portsmouth. After a long and busy day, the children were very happy to settle into their camp, Little Canada, and had a feast for supper of chicken, sausages, bolognese and doughnuts. As they gathered around the campfire, there were tired but happy faces all around.

With a hearty breakfast on board, the children got stuck into some brilliant camp activities before visiting Osborne House. Here, the children were put through their paces as Victorian household staff by a very strict housekeeper, Mrs Smith. They learnt how to make a bed, lay a table, polish silver and improve their table manners. Not many passed the test for having clean enough fingernails, however!

On the Wednesday, staff woke to a dawn chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ for Mr Goddard, who then had his face “expertly” painted. The children spent the day on site facing plenty of exciting physical and mental challenges. It was wonderful to see everyone gain confidence and have fun as the day progressed. The children enjoyed a day of activities and a visit to the Needles on Thursday. On the Friday, they were fortunate enough to go dragon boating before heading home.

SENIOR

School News

THE CANTERBURY TALES

Geoffrey Chaucer is dead! In a dramatic attempt to bring him back to life, our medieval alchemists (a collection of sloths, thieves, gluttons and drunkards) invited a group of Chaucer’s best-known pilgrims: the Knight, the Wife of Bath, the Pardoner, the Nun’s Priest and the Miller, to tell their Canterbury Tales.

Rehearsals for this year’s Junior Drama production took place on Wednesday afternoons, with pupils leading and directing their performances. Learning to work creatively as a team, developing skills and having fun took centre stage in rehearsing this production and it certainly paid off.

Blessed with beautiful weather, the promenade performance of The Canterbury Tales, by Martin Riley, took place over three nights this week; lively, upbeat and entertaining, the pupil-led performances (along with audience cameos) were simply spectacular.

WICKETT TRIUMPH IN TOP HOUSE QUIZ

This term saw the return of the coveted Top House Quiz. The 1st, 2nd , and 3rd years battled it out to be proclaimed the winners, competing for their house teams.

After the heats, Vinter and School narrowly missed out on a place in the final. Smith and Wickett fought closely but unfortunately for Smith, after a succession of correct answers, it was the fastest finger to the buzzer taking the win for Wickett.

Well done to everyone who took part and to the hosts for another fantastic and entertaining lunchtime activity. Celebrating the end of their GCSEs, the 5th Year assembled at the Falmouth Hotel for their end-of-year Ball. Looking absolutely fabulous in their outfits, the boys and girls enjoyed a relaxing evening knowing that their GCSEs are behind them.

FESTIVAL OF CURIOSITY: CURIOUS TIMETABLES

We were wowed by plays, concerts, exhibitions, sporting contests and quizzes; we welcomed speakers, including former footballer John Gayle, author Seth Burkett, positive psychology coach Faye Edwardes and Spaceport’s Melissa Thorpe; and, through a Curious timetable, inspired, challenged and entertained our pupils with design tasks, maths riddles, circus skills and science and innovation.

SENIOR

School News

SPORTS DAY

Amidst the ever-changing weather, pupils took part in a host of house competition activities. Unfortunately, the great British weather stopped play on the Track Finals and Relays, but a huge thank-you to all the staff, pupils and parents for organising and contributing to the day and for reacting to weather changes to ensure all pupils enjoyed themselves.

WORLD AIMS DAY

Within the Festival of Curiosity, and with special thanks to the Rev, pupils have been learning all about our Friends and Neighbours, near and far, as part of the World AIMS (Action in Methodist Schools) days.

Celebrating the various cultures represented at Truro School, pupils played traditional Brazilian music in The Burrell, designed letters in the art department, discovered new languages, competed in the traditional game of Kabaddi and Capture the Flag in P.E., and considered the meaning of ‘Friends and Neighbours’ in the Chapel.

It was a lovely two days where the children came together to support each other, and showed great curiosity and compassion when learning about the different cultures the Truro School community share.

World AIMS was created to encourage the family of Methodist Independent Schools to look beyond themselves and consider the needs of the local and wider community. Throughout the year, World AIMS inspires a significant focus around the School, highlighted by our dedicated charity and sustainability committees and community partnerships, as well as the annual World AIMS days.

SIXTH

School News

PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS’ TRIP TO NEWQUAY ZOO

As part of their Psychology A-level, Sixth Formers enjoyed a trip to Newquay Zoo to develop their skills in observational research.

The students selected an animal of their choice to observe in small groups before assessing their inter-observer reliability. Once this was established, they completed event sampling and timed sampling on behavioural categories observed in their animals.

The groups then finalised their presentation videos back at school based on their findings, which will inform others about their research.

THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE

‘Things I Know to be True’ takes a poignant, comic, thought-provoking look at a turbulent family. Performed by Sixth Form Drama students, along with Ms Egar and Mr Oldfield, it was one not to be missed.

Bob and Fran have worked hard to give their four children the opportunities they never had. Now, with the kids ready to make lives of their own, it’s time to sit back and smell the roses. But the change of seasons reveals some shattering truths, leaving us asking whether it’s possible to love too much… There were mixed emotions as the Upper Sixth leavers gathered for the last time at Truro School. “I must give thanks to our incredible guest speaker Fran Houghton. Fran competed at five Olympic Games, winning three silver medals; she was also a four-time World Champion. Fran spoke with humour and passion, making a lasting impression on the guests. It’s not every day that you can meet a five-times Olympian, and Fran made it an evening to remember.”

SMILES, MEMORIES AND SPARKLING FUTURES

With many dressed in their old school uniforms in the morning, the students took to the field for a special breakfast and games including tug-of-war, wrestling (in sumo suits) and the bouncy castle.

Students, parents and guardians then gathered in the Chapel for a moving farewell service, before heading out for afternoon tea in the marquee.

On behalf of the whole school, we wish all of our leavers the very best of luck. We have no doubt that they will continue to shine brightly, whatever their next steps may be. It was an absolute pleasure to welcome over 160 members of our community to celebrate the outstanding sporting achievements of our students at this year’s Sports Dinner.

Director of Sport, Dan Sanderson, said, “One of the most pleasing observations of the evening was the number of pupils who were not members of a team, joining the dinner to support the achievements of their peers. This is proof of the welcoming and inclusive nature of our Sixth Form and I was thrilled by the turnout. It had been two years since the last dinner, and to see our school community back together was truly marvellous. Sixth Formers, parents and staff were able to share the evening and celebrate the outstanding sporting achievements of our students.