Headmaster's Welcome
Headmaster's News - 22nd January 2016
Jan 22, 2016
22 January 2016
Dear Parents
Year 2 Assembly
Thank you 2M for a very interesting assembly on Kenya. You knew so many facts, from the Kenyan landscape to the amazing wildlife. Your enjoyment for the subject came through in your excellent delivery of each line, with every word being heard clearly. I felt like I was transported to Africa, especially when we watched the traditional Warrior Jumping Dance and when you sang the National Anthem in Swahili. Thank you 2M and thank you Mr Murray for arranging this assembly.
Out and About with Pre-School
I managed to catch Pre-School on Thursday in one of their favourite lessons of the week: Dance with Miss Burns. The excitement built as they travelled to the Sports Hall as a giant snake with their arms on each other’s shoulders. I was looking forward to seeing what they were working on after their excellent Christmas Dance Performance. I could see straight away that their level of skill and ability to learn instructions had improved even further as they learnt their new dance routines. They all had big smiles on their faces as they danced round the room, stopping to balance on one leg with arms out straight. Lyla, Joshua and Aarnav all performed impressive balances, hardly moving at all along with all the pupils. They then moved onto a bouncing and jumping song. Noah and Raees particularly liked this song, jumping high into the air. All the children were very keen to do the correct moves, copying Miss Burns and each other and making tiny adjustments. The final song I watched was a marching song. The children had straight backs, chins out and arms pumping from their sides. Joshua really enjoyed this song with perfect technique. The final song I watched involved a lot of skipping which really caught the attention of Lola and Georgia who mastered the actions very quickly and were circling the room at speed. It was a lovely moment in my day, especially when they gave me a little smile or wave as they completed their circuit of the room. Thank you, Pre-School!
HPSED Exams
Congratulations to Year 5 and Year 6 pupils who took their HPSED examinations on Monday. They had to perform as entrepreneurs in the Dragons’ Den and as Young Apprentices in the Board Room. Our entrepreneurs presented products that ranged from a Sunbrella that rotated with the sun to a set of Gaming Headphones that provided you with refreshments whilst you played. Our apprentices created new brands of cereal, from Muddy Mini Minions to Graphic Feast, and new snack bars from SASY, a healthy spinach, seaweed and rice snack to Zesty Bar which was exploding with citrus flavours. They presented adverts, jingles, persuasive pitches and even, in some cases, a sample of the product itself! The standard was exceptionally high and Mrs Duke and Mrs Cunningham were greatly impressed by the children’s good manners, professional behaviour, presentation skills and delicious products!
Our certificate for Excellence and Innovation in our provision of HPSED is now on display in our Entrance Hall.
PTA News
HPPTA Cabaret and Dining Extravaganza on Saturday 6th Feb
Tickets are still available to buy in the school office. Please support this event if you can; it is a great opportunity to support the school and enjoy fantastic food and live entertainment.
On the night there will not only be a golden envelope raffle but also an auction of promises. These promises include a Miami beachside apartment for up to 6 people for 2 weeks between May and December. You can only bid for this on the evening, so if you haven't bought tickets please do so, soon!
There will be a PTA film night on Friday 29 January. The film is Inside Out and tickets will be available from the School Office.
Year 5 and 6 Rugby
Twenty five boys travelled to St Mary’s Hall Stonyhurst on Wednesday on a very bright sunny afternoon! They took part in a joint training session and match. After a warm-up, they introduced themselves to the boys from Stonyhurst before completing a number of drills to improve their basic knowledge and understanding of the game. The session was taken by Mr Radice a very experienced coach who has been responsible for developing youth rugby across the North of England for the RFU. It was great to watch our boys training alongside boys from Stonyhurst, including playing alongside them in the game at the end. The winner on the day was Teamwork and Rugby and the camaraderie continued afterwards in the Dining Room where our boys sat opposite the St. Mary’s boys eating a well-deserved and very popular sausage, chips and beans. Thank you to Mr Radice and to St Mary’s Hall for their hospitality and we look forward to returning in a few weeks to play in a tournament against other schools.
Netball v Bridgewater School
This term, our girls have been focusing more on Hockey during their Games lessons which has encouraged them to train extra hard at Netball Club! Their first game for 2016 saw the return match for Bridgewater School on home turf. After pre-warning our girls that most of the opposition would be Year 7, needless to say both teams were nervous. The pink team played outside and were not put off by the size difference! They showed amazing grit and determination and secured an amazing 11-3 victory; they remain unbeaten! As the temperature dropped, the green team played inside against a Year 6/7 team. They made some fantastic interceptions and as a team everyone put up an excellent fight. The girls worked hard to try to switch the play across the court but the opposition were just too strong. The 5-2 loss did not reflect their brilliant performance. Well done to both teams! Miss McShane
Shin pads and gum shields are now available from the school shop, £5 each.
Olympic Swimmers
Good luck to all our swimmers who are representing the North of England at the Olympic Pool in London on Saturday. We look forward to hearing from you on the day! (See Facebook)
Smart Watches
Please could I remind parents that watches should be a sensible colour and a traditional size. SMART watches are not allowed in school.
Late Pick-Up
To be consistent and fair to parents who pay for their children to be at school until 6pm, there will be a late charge for children who should be picked up at 5pm and are not. This will be £5 for every 15 minutes until 6pm, after this time the charge will be increased to £8.50 single child or £12 per family.
Merit Awards
RD: Evie RF: Muhammad 1D: Aadi 1W: Sara 2W: The Whole Class
3J: Sasha 3M: Aamina 4D: Daniel 4S: Hamdaan 5H: Roan 5M: Jemima 6H Muhammad
Thought for the Week
Be true to your work, your word, and your friend. Henry David Thoreau
Yours sincerely
J M Duke
Headmaster
