Headmaster's Welcome

Headmaster's Weekly News, Friday 8th March, 2019

Mar 8, 2019

8th March 2019 

Dear Parents

2E Assembly
Thank you 2E for flying the whole school to Nairobi this morning as part of your assembly. We learnt so much about Kenya on our travels: the population, which is 52 million (compared to the UK’s 67 million); the amazing animals that you might see; the National Anthem and even a Warrior Dance! Fantastic! Your knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject really came through as you delivered your lines with confidence. Thank you Year 2 and Ms Eccles for organising this Assembly.

World Book Day
Highfield became a world of imagination on Thursday. I think it was the best array of characters we have ever seen! We had the entire cast of Harry Potter, Mary Poppins, Oompa Loompas, Dennis the Menace, Maleficent, Anne of Green Gables, Alice in Wonderland, Percy Jackson and Mr Bump, just to name a few! The children really enjoyed discussing who they were and talking about their favourite characters from the books they have read. In the afternoon, our Junior children also had the opportunity to listen to our Guest Author: A. J. Hartley. He read from his latest novel, Monsters in the Mirror, and the children peppered him with questions about the writing process and his inspiration. They all returned to the classroom fired up and ready to write their own story. I’m looking forward to reading their first drafts.

Mastermind Final
Well done to all our Year 6 children who took part in the Mastermind Challenge this year. The four finalists (Aditya, Kavya, Ayesha and Eryk) had to answer questions on The Demon Headmaster, The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tyler and Harry and the Wrinklies. The final round was on A. J. Hartley’s book, Monsters in the Mirror. Their knowledge of all the books was very impressive, under intense pressure from the quiz master and their captive audience. Ayesha, after an almost faultless final round, was crowned the winner. Congratulations to all our finalists and thank you to Mrs Haythornthwaite for organising it.

Out and About in The Dragons’ Den
It was Year 6’s turn to enter The Dragon’s Den this week for their HPSED Examination. They had to present a product of their own invention to the Dragons (the examiners) to win their investment. I was fortunate enough to be a Guest Dragon and I watched a few of the pitches. Yawar presented his Robo-Protector 3000 which protects your property while you are away from home. He spoke very confidently, explaining that his invention would give anyone who tried to enter your property a shock which would incapacitate them until the Police arrived. The device had the ability to scan each person and could determine the difference between a burglar and a postman. Yawar was very convincing and passionate about his product. I definitely think he deserves an investment from the Dragons. Joshua A was next to enter the Den. His design was simple but unique as it really solved a problem for people who wear shin pads for sport. The shin pad was in the lining of the sock, so it can’t be lost, and it was also designed so the sock would not fall down. The whole sock was completely machine washable. His pitch and his visual aid, showing The Shinny Sock, were very clear and really did seem to solve a problem for many shin pad wearers. Joshua D. and Zainab both presented products which solved everyday problems: Joshua D had a Mowbot which was a lawnmower that warned you if it came close to any objects that could damage it; and Zainab’s product was SILVER, the SILent HooVER which meant that hoovering could be completed without disturbing anyone. Both entrepreneurs had spotted gaps in the market and their pitches were confident and articulate. Ayesha’s product, Tempwear, was a range of clothing that regulated your body temperature meaning you needed fewer clothes in your wardrobes. She demonstrated evidence of Market Research and was clear about her finances and projected sales. Her confident delivery definitely impressed the Dragons, persuading them to invest. Well done to all our entrepreneurs in Year 6 and thank you to Mrs. Duke and Mrs. Cunningham, our two Dragons!

Pancake Day

Pancake Day started at 8am on Tuesday for Pre-School. The children began by preparing the ingredients and making sure that they had the right amount and that it was mixed together well. Mrs Hayes was in charge of the cooking while the children laid out the chocolate chips, jam and sugar to go with the pancake. Mrs Hayes also became an excellent flipper, as the morning progressed, managing to land the pancake in the perfect position much to the delight of the children. At about 10.30am, I received a phone call in my office from Lucas who was inviting me to join him for a pancake and what filling would I like! I told Lucas I would love to come down to Pre-School and see them in action. I arrived in time to see Mrs Hayes preparing the pancakes, the children pointed out my choices before escorting me to a chair to eat my pancake. They even brought me a computer keyboard and a phone and told me I could stay and carry on with my work there! It was lovely to see the children so engrossed in the morning’s activity and confidently chatting away, explaining everything they had been doing. Thank you Pre-School for inviting me; it was an excellent start to my day!

Year 3 and 4 Rugby
A group of Year 3 and 4 boys travelled to Rossall last Friday for a Rugby fixture. The Year 3 boys enjoyed a game of Tag Rugby, scoring many tries with some great attacking play. Our Year 4 team played contact Rugby and showed a great deal of endeavour in both their defending and attacking. It was fantastic to watch them running into contact with smiles on their faces. It felt as though, for a number of the Year 4 boys, the sport had really ‘clicked’ with them. Hopefully, it has given them a new avenue in which to explore their sporting capabilities. Well done to every participant and a big thank you to the many family members who were supporting from the side lines. Mr Turner.

ISA Netball by Sasha
On Monday, the Year 5 and 6 girls travelled out to Hulme Hall Grammar School to play in the ISA Netball Tournament. The girls did really well overall with some excellent passing by Eva, Isabelle, Kavya and Sasha. There was also some excellent shooting from Nandini, Beth, Sasha and Olivia. We lost 3 matches and we won two. We almost managed to get through to the semi-finals with some excellent blocks from Eva and Holly. We would like to thank Mrs. Parsons and Mr. Forrest for taking us to Hulme Hall.

Under 11s Netball vs Oakhill by the Netball Team
On Wednesday 6th March, Year 5 and Year 6 played Netball against Oakhill. The first match, indoors, was won spectacularly by Highfield with amazing interceptions from Aishah and Aamina and terrific passing from the whole team. The score was 11-3. The second match, which was outside, was lost 8-3, even though everyone tried their hardest. This match pushed everyone to try even harder. Thank you to Oakhill, Mrs Parsons, Mrs Smith (Oakhill teacher) and all our amazing players.
Sasha (Netball Captain) says, “Whenever there is an obstacle try to find a way around it, don’t just give up and go.”

Netball Practice
There will be no Year 5 and 6 Netball practice after school on Monday 11th March due to the Preston Schools Swimming Gala and also no practice on Monday 25th March due to Staff Training.

Under 9s Hockey
On Friday, we hosted our friends from Rossall in an U9 Hockey match. It is the first time our Year 3 & 4 team has played in a competitive match and they were all very excited to practise their skills on the pitch. The Year 4 team played some excellent Hockey, with some strong tackles and great passing. They played with big smiles on their faces throughout the match and had lots of fun.
The Year 3 team, which has only been playing Hockey for two terms, also had a fantastic match. They worked hard together to pass the ball around and tackle the opposition to gain possession. Again, there were lots of smiles all round. Well done to all the girls and a huge thank you to all the parents who came to support. Mrs Botton.

Open Day
Open Day is on Sunday 17th March, 11-3pm. We would like to celebrate the success of your children with as many people as possible so please pass on the information to anyone who may be interested. Thank you for your support.

Merit Awards
RB: Harriet F, RH: Nathan, 1D: Aamir, 1W: Rajdeep, 2E: Whole Class
3J: Haya, 3M: Joshua, 4D: Sara 4S: Whole Class, 5M: Hamza, 6H: William, 6P: Sasha.
Monitor of the week: Joshua A

Thought for the Week
Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.
Maala Yousafzai

Mr Jeremy Duke
Headmaster
Highfield Priory School