The Pitsford Post 13th November - 1st December 2017

Welcome With just two weeks left of the Autumn Term, we are now running at full speed in preparation for all of our Christmas events. The past three weeks however have been a real mixture of charity events, concerts, expeditions and trips. We are very proud that many of these events have been run and inspired by our pupils themselves, such as our cyclothon, and have seen some fantastic teamwork shining through in recent house competitions. We hope you enjoy reading this edition and hope to see many parents at our upcoming events.

24 Hour Cyclothon On Friday 17th November, the Senior School held their 24 hour indoor cyclothon in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK. The target was to cycle a combined 2000km which is the same distance as Pitsford to Rome! Our Sixth Form Students ran the event, inspiring volunteers to sign up to cycle and encouraging sponsorship. Monte (pictured looking rather exhausted below) stayed until the end and took the final leg for the winners, Wake, who set a record total distance of 715.1 km. Second were Robinson guided home by Joe and third were Hesketh, finished by Libiana. Mr Toone was unable to make the event - however, as a keen cyclist himself, he has committed to beat the 2000km 24 hour cycle time when he is back to full health, in the aid of the Air Ambulance. A good recovery target! Thank you to everyone who gave up their weekend to take part and for the generous donations.

Remembrance Concert Written by Mrs Gant, Director of Music This year's Senior School Remembrance Concert was held in the chapel on the evening of Friday 10th November. A number of accomplished musicians performed solos, read poems, or sang and played with one of the school's ensembles. The newly-formed Chamber Choir began the concert with a moving rendition of composer David Terry's musical setting of 'For the Fallen'. Two other ensembles performed; the Clarinet Quartet closed the first half with Pachabel's “Canon in D” and the Advanced Guitar Ensemble played the foot-tapping “Anitra's Dance”. Solo performers included Benjamin Vramsmo (piano and baritone voice), Elizabeth Parker (cello), Christopher Leeke (xylophone), William Jackson (drums), William Carter (clarinet), Peter Smith (piano), Alexandra Smith (soprano). A particularly moving performance was given by violinist Lilly Hagenberg, who performed one of the pieces written for 'Schindler's List' for the violinist Itzhak Perlman with soaring melodies and a very difficult final cadenza section. In contrast, Eloise Walker lightened the mood with a fun Andrew Sisters-esque rendition of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”. Clarinettist David Shortland performed “Romanza” with real emotion and Connie Westaway's powerful vocals rang out during 'Maybe This Time' from Cabaret. Samuel Gibbs was the final solo performer of the evening, playing Debussy's beautiful 'Clair de Lune'. Four poems were read during the evening. “The Inquisitive Mind of a Child”, read by Libiana Kimbell reinforced the innocence of young children in times of war. Harriet Stevens read the well-known “In Flanders' Fields” with sensitivity; Sixth Former Oscar Powell gave a mature and moving reading of “Anthem for Doomed Youth” and the school's very own Mr Tickle read the final poem of the evening, “For the Fallen” before the concert closed with a rendition of 'We'll Meet Again' which the audience joined in with. What a wonderful, memorable evening was had by the pupils, parents and staff in attendance, with many of the audience members commenting on the high quality of the

performances. Many thanks go to the pupils who took part as well as to the peripatetic teachers who prepared the pupils for their performances. Our next evening concert is on Thursday 14 December in All Saints' Church at 7pm. We hope to see you there!

Year 12 Duke of Edinburgh Gold Practice Walk in Kinder Scout Written by Temi Ajayi (LS) Our DofE Gold group travelled to Kinder Scout, Derbyshire on Saturday 11th November to prepare for our June expedition and build our confidence with map reading. We arrived at school, tired but excited, at 8am and were welcomed by the wagging tails of Mr Lewis’ Black Labradors: Sam and Jacob. After making sure that everyone was present and accounted for, the minibus took us to the start point at Edale where we began the adventure. Just as we were building up a steady pace, we were confronted with the tremendous task of climbing one of the Peak District’s many hills. The pack split, with the more athletic members of the group racing ahead while the rest of us trailed behind. Eventually we made it to the top and were breath-taken by the gorgeous view but still breathless from the exhausting trek up the mountain. Next, we were faced with hundreds of metres of peat bogs with few landmarks to help us with map-reading, but Mr Leach and Mr Dean kept us firmly on track. Aside from the lack of identifiable landmarks, we had the unstable boggy ground under our feet to worry about. One misstep could have left one of us swimming in a pool of mud! Luckily no one suffered such horrible fate, however Tattva nearly ended up being an unfortunate victim of the bogs as he almost lost a shoe to the sludgy soil. After the long arduous journey through the bogs, we realized that we were running late and sadly did not have time to stop for ice-cream on the way back. But through sheer willpower alone, and perhaps some guidance from the teachers, we made it back to the minibus safe and sound. We had toiled through fields and rivers, up steep mountains and boggy marshes, walking a total of 16 km. However, the highlight of the trip was definitely the stunning hilly landscape.

J4’s Got Talent As part of their Children In Need Fundraising, J4 took part in our annual talent show, 'J4's Got Talent'. Our pupils impressed the Junior School with a variety of talents which included singing, dancing, music and magic. Children and parents were able to vote for their favourite act in return for a donation to Pudsey. The winner was Mirae McBean who sang a song that she wrote herself. The Junior School managed to raise an impressive £155.

J4 Trip to the New Walk Museum Written by Leonard Padde On Tuesday 21st November we went to the New Walk Museum to learn about the Ancient Egyptians. First, a man called Andy sat in front of a kitchen that would have been outside in an Ancient Egyptian house. He told us that in the morning boys would have gone to collect cow dung to dry for fuel. Girls went to the River Nile to collect water. The girls went in groups so half could watch out for crocodiles and hippos whilst the others got water. The ladies ground wheat with a quern stone to make flour and then bread and the men lit a fire using bow drills. Next, we were archaeologists and we looked at artefacts. There was one in particular that I liked, the 4500 year old bowl which was made by an eight year old boy. After that we looked at mummies and we found out about the difference between male and female mummies. A male mummy would have had darker skin and a beard and all mummies had their mouths open so that their spirits could go in and out of the body.

Finally we did some activities. We made amulets, dressed up, used bow drills and removed pretend organs from a body and put them in canopic jars.

Senior School Librarians We would like to introduce our readers to our newly appointed pupil librarians; Alanna, Annabelle, Emily M, Libby K, Cara, Emily B, Connal, India, Ashvin, Izzy, Emily A, Luca and Thomas. All of our librarians volunteered to spend their time cataloguing the books, sprucing up the library and assisting at break and lunch times.

Cross Country Championships Written by Mrs Chacksfield, Director of Sport The Town Cross Country Championships were held on a wind swept race course for Yr6-13 cross country runners, competing for the school team and individually trying to qualify for the town championship in January. The team were a mix, from seasoned runners to a number having not competed in such a race before. All ran very hard over a flat, short course favouring those with a distinct turn of pace towards the finishing line. Results: Minor boys: this race was particularly quick with 3 runners finishing in the top ten; Lewis Robson 1st, Fabian Powell 5th, Joshua Robson 6th. Just outside the top 16: Ned Bellamy, Harris Chacksfield, Carl Muriva, Luca McLaren. Minor girls: Rosie Stevens 10th, Cara Roberts 14th, Madeline Stevens 17th. Inter boys: Elliott Powell 15th, Dillon Boteju 19th, Oliver Walker 24th, Charlie Jones 41st, Oliver Stevens 42nd, Sebastian Rice-Williams 46th. Senior boys: Lewis Gibbs 13th, George Christison 15th. In addition, a big congratulations to the minor boys team who were the winning school with 12 points scored. The selection of confirmed runners will be announced prior to the Christmas break so there will be plenty of time to fine tune training over the holiday! Very well done to all runners.

Senior Lunchtime Concert Written by Mrs Gant, Director of Music Pupils and staff had the joy of attending the weekly lunchtime concert (on the 16th November) which featured two of the school's very talented pianists. First to perform was Peter Smith, a Year 10 GCSE musician, playing a piece from his Grade 7 repertoire, 'Forcing the Pace', by Christopher Norton. This was a virtuosic and confident performance, given with great flair and aplomb. Sixth Former Samuel Gibbs closed the lunchtime recital with Debussy's enchanting 'Clair de Lune'. Sam's delicate and sensitive playing resonated around Pitsford Hall - a truly stunning performance. It was a real privilege to listen to these two wonderful performers. Our weekly lunchtime concert programme continues, with Year 10 and 11 taking centre stage over the next few weeks. Friends and family of performing pupils are welcome to attend these concerts on Thursdays at 1.35pm, in Pitsford Hall.

House Christmas Cards This year, we held a house competition to design Pitsford School Christmas Cards. We had some fantastic designs submitted to represent each house and judging the winners was a hard task!

Our final winners for each house were: Marloe Powell Lucy Rathe Isabel Stock Their designs have been published into cards and can now be purchased from the school office (£3 for a pack of 6) and the profits will be donated to the Air Ambulance Charity.

J1 Modern Banquet As part of their castles topic, J1 held a modern banquet. They got to make their own sandwich to dine on and their own crowns to wear. There was a table set up with place names and each child was King or Queen for the afternoon. They created our own entertainment between courses including telling jokes and dancing. A royal time was had by all!

J3 Winter Poems Excerpts

Burning fires, People using white snow

Cars skidding with screeching tyres Children’s mothers shouting no!

Your feet are blue

I say let’s build a snowman Wind blows too,

Nobody has a tan

Sparkly lights Buses are crammed Birds are at heights

I will fall over and you’ll give me a hand

By William Haynes

I can see beautiful crisp white snow Falling from the white trees

In my cold ears the freezing winter wind blows It’s so cold I start to sneeze

I can hear the children shouting, Laughing having fun in the snow

Piling snow into a mountain

By Leah Robinson-Forster

I can see the white misty snow, Covering the grassy planes of my garden

Later, the wind will blow Overnight the soft snow will harden

By Isabella Suter

I can see the cold white snow Frozen rivers cease to flow

Burning fires start to go Only sledges I can’t tow

All the Christmas lights start to glow

All the snowflakes start to show And I fight with snowballs with a foe

And the cattle start to low.

By Lucas Webb

Karate We always enjoy hearing of our pupils’ achievements outside of school. Alexandra Smith (Year 11) has a passion for karate and has been training for some time. We were very pleased to hear last week that Alexandra, after a 3 hour exam, is an adult black belt first dan. Well done Alexandra!

NMPAT Youth In Proms Concert at The Royal Albert Hall On the 14th November, Sam Pickles and Lily Hagenberg participated in the NMPAT (Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust) Youth in Proms Concert which was held at the Royal Albert Hall. Sam was singing in the County Youth Choir and Lily was playing in the County Youth Orchestra. Here are some photos of their big moment.

Week Commencing Monday, 4th December

Monday Sausages in Onion Gravy served sauté potatoes & green beans

(V) Quorn Sausage & Vegetable Hot Pot

Mandarin Cheesecake

Selection of fresh fruit pots or Yoghurts

Tuesday

Minced Beef & Onion Pie served with new potatoes & sweetcorn

(V) Vegetarian Mince & Onion Pie

Sticky Toffee Pudding with custard Selection of fresh fruit pots

or Yoghurts

Wednesday Roast Loin of Pork, oven roast

potatoes, sage & onion stuffing, Yorkshire pudding, roast gravy &

fresh cabbage. (V) Vegetable Parcel

Selection of fresh fruit pots

or Yoghurts

Thursday Chicken Myers served with boiled rice

& broccoli spears (V) Vegetable Meatballs in

Tomato Sauce

Apple & Cherry Crumble with custard Selection of fresh fruit pots

or Yoghurts

Friday 100% Beefburger in a Bun served with chips & mixed salad crudités

(V) Macaroni & Broccoli Cheese Bake

Fancy Cake Friday Selection of fresh fruit pots

or Yoghurts

Week Commencing Monday, 11th December

Monday Chicken Casserole served with boiled

rice & sweetcorn (V) Cheesy Omelette, Hash Brown,

Mixed Salad

Chocolate Brownie Selection of fresh fruit pots

or Yogurts

Tuesday Junior School Christmas Lunch

Wednesday

Sausage Hot Dog in a roll served with herby diced potatoes &

spaghetti hoops (V) Vegetarian Hot Dog Roll

Homemade Flapjack

Selection of fresh fruit pots or Yogurts

Thursday Battered Cod Fish Finger served with

chips & garden peas (V) Cheese & Onion Slice

Christmas Fairy Cakes

Selection of fresh fruit pots or Yoghurts

Friday

Senior School Christmas Lunch

What's On... 4th - 15th December 2017

Monday 4th December

8am - 9.30am Coffee in the Café Tuesday 5th December Yr10 Chemistry Visit to Warwick Uni (all day) 1.30 - 4pm J1/J2/J3 Derngate Theatre Trip 2.45pm KO U16/18 Rugby (a) Stamford 3.30pm KO U16/18 Netball (h) Moulton Wednesday 6th December 8am - 9.30am Coffee in the Café 4pm J3-J6 Christmas Play U13 House Rugby Thursday 7th December 7pm J3-J6 Christmas Play 2.30pm KO U15 Rugby (h) Chenderit 3.15pm KO U14 Netball (a) Duston Friday 8th December 8am - 9.30am Coffee in the Café 8.50 - 1pm Yr11 Study Skills Morning 1.30 - 4pm J4/J5/J6 Derngate Theatre Trip

Monday 11th December 8am - 9.30am Coffee in the Café Tuesday 12th December 9.30am Squirrels - J2 Christmas Play Junior School Christmas Lunch U18 House Rugby 4pm KO U16/18 Netball (h) NSB Wednesday 13th December 8am - 9.30am Coffee in the Café Pitsford Run 1.30 - 4pm Second Hand Uniform Sale Senior School 4pm Finish 4pm School Buses Depart Thursday 14th December 7pm Senior School Christmas Concert U15 House Rugby Friday 15th December 8am - 9.30am Coffee in the Café 10.45am Junior School Carol Service 12 noon Junior School Finish Senior School Christmas Lunch 3.15pm Senior School Carol Service Senior School 4pm Finish 4pm School Buses Depart

Blue text denotes Junior School Events

For the complete list of Senior events including updated fixtures, please visit

www.pitsfordschool.com