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Headmaster's Welcome

Headmaster's News - 16th June 2017

Jun 16, 2017


16 June 2017 

Dear Parents 

 

Musical Assembly 

This morning was our final Musical Assembly of the year and for some children it was their last performance in a musical assembly at Highfield. We saw a full range of instruments being played today including Brass, Strings, Woodwind and Piano. Several children were playing on their second instrument which is a huge achievement. For some, it was their first time and they were very excited about reading their prepared speeches and performing in public. Congratulations to our first timers: Kavya on piano, Danya with the guitar, Martha on the piano and Edie with her ukulele.  Miss Macklam 

Congratulations to all the performers. Your composure and level of playing ability was quite incredible for children of such a young age. It was a very memorable start to this half-term.  Mr Sheppeck 

 

Manor Adventure 

47 children from Years 5 and 6 travelled to Manor Adventure in Shropshire for the Bank Holiday weekend. The children were fantastic throughout the weekend demonstrating excellent camaraderie and teamwork in every activity they tackled, from the high wires to the underground maze and kayaking. I would like to thank Mr Sheppeck, Mrs Field, Mrs Street and Miss McShane for making the trip possible. Photos of the children’s adventures are on Facebook. 

 

Coffee Morning 

We will be having a Coffee Morning next Thursday (after drop-off) at 8.30am. This will be a similar format to our last one - very relaxed and informal. It is a chance for you to have a chat with staff and other parents. Please could you let Mrs McIlwaine in the office know if you intend to attend so we can cater for the correct amount of people. Many thanks. 

 

Sports Day 

Congratulations to all our Key Stage 2 pupils who took part in our Junior Sports Day on Tuesday at UCLan Arena. There were some excellent individual performances with the children taking part in a range of events from the 60m to the 600m; from the sack race to the javelin. What really struck me throughout the afternoon was the camaraderie with the children really supporting and cheering each other on. The sack race was a typical example where the result really didn’t matter, they were just having fun. The children took part with big smiles on their faces and most of them giggling from start to finish. I was very impressed that every child gave 100% for their House and many were aiming for a Personal Best. This really underlines the attitude of the children at Highfield, not just to sport, but to every activity they take part in whether it is in or out of the classroom. After a close run competition Pendle were announced as the winners. They also swept all challengers aside in the hotly contested tug of war contest and were presented with the new trophy. Thank you to Mrs Parsons for organising a very successful and memorable day. 

 

Rounders  

On Wednesday 14th June, the Year 5 and 6 girls played against St. Mary’s Hall. Both teams performed well with some strong fielding and batting. The final score: the A team lost 9-5 and the B team won 10 ½ -6. 

 

Cricket 

Two teams of Year 5 and 6 boys travelled to Stonyhurst on Wednesday. The hardball game was a good contest with excellent bowling from Aditya, Matthew and Alfie with several direct hits on stumps including two in a row from Aditya. However, after restricting the opposition to 60 runs off 20 overs the boys were not able to really establish themselves with the bat and were unable to reach St. Mary’s Hall score. In the kwik cricket game, the boys tried incredibly hard in all aspects of the game. Mr Turner reported a vast improvement in the bowling and in the field where they caught four opponents out. He gave a special mention to Daniel and Nathaniel who both batted well. St. Mary’s strong batting line up in the end was just too strong. Well done to all the boys who took part.  

 

ISA National Athletics Finalists 

Good luck to James, Grace W-Y, Alexander, Olivia D and Jemima who are representing Highfield and the North at the ISA National Athletics Championships on Monday in Birmingham. 

 

Bikeability 

This is a very traditional and important event that has taken place in primary schools for many years and I can even remember doing it on my old Raleigh chopper! With the increase in the popularity of cycling and the congestion on our roads it is even more important for children to be aware of the dangers and how to keep safe when cycling. Yesterday the children had their bikes checked to see whether they were roadworthy. The brakes had to be in good working order, tyres pumped with good tread and the correct amount of reflectors had to be in place to pass the test. Later this term, they will have the opportunity to cycle with trained assessors, in the local community, who support schools across Preston. This will be a very valuable experience for the children. Thank you to Mrs Guthrie for carrying out the tests. 

 

MYmarathon 

Last month 17 children raised over £2000 from Highfield for the British Heart Foundation My marathon campaign. This campaign challenged children to run a marathon across the month of May. Many of the children completed their mile at school in break times under the guidance of Faatimah in Year 5 who did a fantastic job recording all the distances. Congratulations to all the children who took part and raised so much money for such a worthwhile cause, achieving the amazing distance of a marathon in a month.  Faatimah, Ibraheem, Hiba, Ibrahim, Zain, Ziyad, Hasan, Danial, Neelesh, Alfie, Rohan, Evie, Aadi, Ivan, Eryk, Hanin and Inas. 

 

Swimming Success  

Congratulations to Oliver, Year 6, on his selection for the Regional Athlete Development Programme, which is part of the Swim England Talent Programme following his performance in the Regional Championships.  

 

Summer Bake-Off  

It is that time of year again and back by popular demand is our Summer Bake-Off! This will be held on Monday 3rd July. Please could all bakes be brought in that morning. There will be prizes again for best taste and best presentation. All money raised will be going towards the school charities chosen by the children, Derian House and Just4Children. The theme for this year is ‘School’. So anything to do with, or remotely linked to, school. I hope you have lots of fun planning and baking with your children. I know from listening to them that they really enjoy the experience and come back to school with plenty of stories.  Happy baking!   

 

Merit Awards 

RD: Lola  1D: Hiba  1W: Bethan  2F: Diya  2M: Talia 

3M: Inas  4H: Abigail  4S: Omar  5D: Sophie  5M: Faatimah  6H: Mohamed  6J: Isabelle 

Monitors of the week: Fatimah and Olivia E 

 

Thought for the Week 

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. Michelangelo 

 

Yours sincerely 

 

 

 

J M Duke 

Headmaster 

Highfield Priory School

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