weekly newsletter from the headmaster · weekly newsletter from the headmaster 17th june 2016...

Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster www.shebbearcollege.co.uk

17th June 2016Issue No 108

to announce that Lucy Taylor will be the Head Girl and Harry Dymond will be the Head Boy. The Deputy Head prefects will be Anna Bennett, Nadia Blaskiewicz, Patrick Marks and Will Cox - a brilliant team!

Next week is Activities Week for the Senior School and the fantastic annual production from the Prep School of ‘The Pirates of the Curry Bean’. I hope the latter ‘break a leg’ and the former don’t.

Simon Weale

Many pupils visited and helped out on our stand at Royal Cornwall Show

Dear Parents,

In the ground rush towards the end of term there are so many events happening at school that it is hard to do them justice. The best (and also saddest) event last week was the Leavers’ Service held in Lake Chapel where we said farewell to our Upper Sixth and Fifth Form leavers. We also, of course, said goodbye to many parents who have been associated with the school for a long period of time and entrusted their children to us. Mrs Purdew gave a thoughtful and poignant address and a convivial evening was enjoyed by all in our new Sixth Form Centre.

I was at the Royal Cornwall Show last week where it was good to hear that Shebbear parent Farmer Luxton had won an award for his Aberdeen Angus bull. I also visited the ‘Farm for City Children’ in Iddesleigh that was founded by Michael Morpurgo. As a true London boy this was probably more useful for me as I learned where milk and eggs come from. This a very important charity that the pupils have supported over the years and it is good to see it going strong. Incidentally our agricultural show display includes Mrs Wahl’s amazing new community art project - please go along to one of the forthcoming shows to enjoy this.

The ‘Circle of Life’ theme continued with the announcement of the new prefect posts for the next academic year. The selection process was always going to be extremely difficult given the high calibre of persons in our Lower Sixth. However I had to make a decision (where have I heard that one before?) and I am delighted



Meanwhile, our Prep 2 class grabbed their buckets, spades and other rock-pooling paraphernalia and spent a wonderful day on the beach at Westward Ho! whilst our sporty U9s headed off once again for another fixture, this time at Kingsley School. There was also time for some of our budding footballers to play matches in the local evening league at Halwill, guided by the expert coaching of Mr Willetts.

But there is no escaping the fact that all of this extra activity is taking second stage to the main event of the moment which is our nautical adventure ‘Pirates of the Curry Bean’. Rehearsals are going well and as yet our resident ‘lovey’ Mrs Jones still seems quite calm. It is wonderful to see the children enjoying themselves so much up on the stage and I urge you to book your tickets if you haven’t already done so, as you are in for a real treat.

Before signing off for another week I would just like to say congratulations to Emily Forwood in Year 6 who took a day off from rehearsals to compete in, and win, the Great Torrington Aquathon. This was the fourth occasion in which Emily has taken part in the event and as a result she now has a collection of three gold medals and one silver. A true champion!

Mike Furber

Next Week in the Prep School:Wednesday 22nd June Production dress rehearsalThursday 23rd June ‘Pirates of the Curry Bean’ 6.30pmFriday 24th June ‘Pirates of the Curry Bean’ 4.30pm

Whole School Photo - ORDER NOW!To view and order the recent whole school photo please go online to: www.gillmanandsoame.co.uk and log in with these details:Login: 328811Password: 987310

News from the Prep SchoolWhat a contrast in the weather we have had over the past two weeks; a week of glorious summer sunshine followed by a week of heavy showers driving us all back indoors. However, for the Prep School the timing of this change in the weather was rather fortuitous.

Last week, while the sun shone, our Year 6 were out on their bikes completing four days of cycling proficiency, our Year 3 and 4 classes headed to Rosemoor to explore the wonderful gardens there, our U9 sports teams were in action at West Buckland School and the Kindergarten were down on the beach - the perfect place to enjoy the sun.

When the weather turned against us however, it mattered not, as attention turned to this year’s Prep School drama production and pupils headed to the Memorial Hall to focus on parrots, planks, palm trees and pirates.

Sandwiched in between was a significant moment in the lives of our Prep 6 pupils as they spent an enjoyable induction day, under the care of the lovely Mrs Lovett, finding out about life in the ‘big smoke’ of the Senior School, ready for September.



Bideford Town Band ContestThere were 88 entries for Bideford Town Band’s 26th annual solo and quartet contest held last Saturday at Kingsley School in Bideford. With entrants coming from all over the South West and Wales, Shebbear College was well represented with 4 players performing solos, duets and a quartet, under the guidance of Mr Adrian Edwards, the college brass music teacher.

Harrison, Samuel, Archie and Jessica all played solos in their relevant age groups, with Samuel being awarded 4th prize in his class of 16 players, just being beaten from 3rd place by half a point.

The best result of the day came in the Junior quartet class when Archie, Samuel and Jessica were joined by Alex Cole from Hatherleigh School to play ‘The Pirates of Penzance’. After much deliberation from the adjudicator they were awarded 2nd place, just behind a quartet from Upper Rhondda! Samuel, on trombone, was awarded a special award for the best player in the quartet class and carried off a great shield as his prize. Well done all!

Senior Sports Awards DinnerShortly before half term we celebrated pupils’ sporting achievements at our annual Senior Sports Dinner, hosted by the Union Inn at Stibb Cross. The evening began with a three course meal and finished with a brief presentation of prizes, along with match reports from captains of each sport. Thanks go to Mr Law for his hard work in organising the event. The winners of prizes were:

Most Valuable Player - Girls’ Hockey - Lucy TaylorMost Valuable Player - Netball - Ruari MillsMost Valuable Player - Cricket - Jabez WealeMost Valuable Player - Football - Harry DymondMost Valuable Player - Boys’ Hockey - William Murch-SeageMost Valuable Player - Rugby - Max WarrenOverall Sporting Contribution - Girls - Eloise MaxaOverall Sporting Contribution - Boys - Harry Dymond

Congratulations to all our players on their efforts this season.Arron Steel

Devon Athletics Championships Following the North Devon Schools Athletics Championships at Northam, congratulations go to the following pupils who qualified to represent North Devon Schools at the Devon Championships at Exeter Arena.

Eevee Banbury - 3000m and 1500m SteeplechaseElisa Banbury - 1500mAmy Taylor - 800mJessica Biggs - High JumpStuart Williams - 800mWilliam Cowan-Dickie - Triple JumpWill Cunningham - Shot Put

Arron Steel

Lower School Chamber Concert 2016It was a warm balmy June evening overlooking Tower Field and those of us that attended the Lower School Chamber Concert were in for a treat.

Along with a cream tea, made the traditional Cornish way, the pupils of the lower school, enthusiastically supported by their specialist music teachers, entertained us with spell-binding performances.

The young ensembles demonstrated their ability to perform as a group with the Saxomania quartet setting the mood ‘A Groovy Kinda Love’; the Clarinet Ensemble performing a challenging Mozart Divertimento with confidence and flair and the Brass ensemble playing a Medley of Gilbert and Sullivan tunes in preparation for their competition this weekend at Kingsley School.

Year 6 pupils Eliza Stenning, Lillie Sealey and Aleyna Singleton from the Prep School gave us glimpses of things to come with some delicately performed pieces on the new Steinway piano and Adam Pennington wowed the audience with his confident saxophone solos. The brass players Harrison Mitchell, Archie Boycott, Sam Odlin and Jessica Alexander, whose pieces required a mature understanding of the musical phrase and the ability to sustain the melodic line, all played their pieces with confidence and poise.

The pianists Bridget Astley-Taylor, Samuel Odlin, Timothy Parker, Oliver Temple and Ellerker Singleton had their first opportunities to perform on the Steinway grand and it was clear that their performances where enhanced by the superior instrument from the use of dynamics to the sonority produced. The performers all commented on the ease of playing and can’t wait for the chance to play more frequently on the new pianos.

The young violinists Bess Scambler Sophie Temple Laura Priest continue to impress; their ability to produce strong, powerful sounds on such challenging instruments is to be admired and the lyrical nature of the pieces was clearly evident. First former Timothy Parkers musically challenging Schubert Sonatina was executed with finesse and Simon Cornish’s moving performance of Bartok’s iconic piece ‘An Evening in the Village’ was a most appropriate finale to what was an excellent evening.

All performers are to be congratulated: there is much to look forward to and our new music centre can only serve to unlock the potential that was demonstrated this evening.

Kevin Parker



International Summer SchoolOnce again we are delighted to welcome to Shebbear a number of students from all over Europe who have joined us for the second half of this term, both to improve their English and experience the culture of a different country.

Last week they visited Morwellham Quay and were joined by our overseas cricketers, so there were students from Italy, France, Spain, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Barbados and South Africa experiencing various aspects of life in Victorian England.

They learned about child labour, rope making and life at a Victorian school, as well as travelling down the old copper mine and taking the opportunity to try on some Victorian clothes.

Andy Bryan

Happy Days Full of Fun!Travelling in the College minibus has to be one of the highlights of our days out for the children in the Kindergarten. Recently they have been on two trips, having two completely different experiences.

The Queen’s Theatre in Barnstaple was our first destination where they sat enthralled watching a performance of one of the favourite stories, Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler. They often choose to listen to this particular story during lunch, but seeing it come to life added a new dimension to it. They were a joy to see as they sang and clapped along, a truly magical morning.

Our second trip was a little more energetic as the day was spent on Summerleaze Beach in Bude. Joined by Rebecca and James, our ever patient gap students, everyone had a wonderful day building boats and sandcastles and dipping our toes in the sea. After lunch we hunted for crabs in the rock pools and played frisby on the sand. The day went by so quickly and amazingly no one fell asleep on the way back to school!

The children are already looking forward to their next outing which is to the Big Sheep, as are their parents as they will be accompanying them, which means there will be no more trips on the minibus this year. Ruth has always taken us on our trips, looked after us and helped in many ways. Thank you Ruth, I don’t know what we’d have done without you.

Jacqueline Biddlecombe

EU Referendum DebateAs June 23rd approaches, Forms Four and Three got in on the EU referendum debate. Both year groups met in the Assembly Hall to try to get their heads around some of the complexities of the debate that is confusing their parents! Approximately 80 pupils votes at the start of the session, which resulted in a significant ‘Remain’ victory.

Following the initial vote the pupils looked at a number of key issues, including terrorism and security, sovereignty, and the immigration debate. After each of the topics was reviewed, courtesy of online film clips from BBC Newsbeat, the pupils voted again. The popular vote swayed and moved after each topic, illustrating the complexity of the issues, and of the overall subject.

We considered fact and opinion, and the use of data by either side. Lastly, Forms Three and Four voted again, having considered carefully all of the above topics. I am unable to report the vote at Shebbear College, in case it sways the actual voters reading this article! Just have a chat with your son or daughter, and hear what they think. It is their future after all!

Many thanks to Mr Wolverson and the staff who helped create a very productive session.

Miles Rogers

Ruby Run and Bude Lifeboat RunShebbear College runners have been busy of late! Shebbear was well represented in the recent Holsworthy to Hatherleigh half marathon known as the Ruby Run. Ryan (left) entered the main race and finished in a time of 2 hours and 8 minutes. In the relay race, Ella Hughes took part in a cadets team and Shebbear pupils made up most of the Lamisell Beams team. Stuart Williams, Jack Joslin, Patrick Faulkner, Will Blee,

Alessandro Aliberti along with a friend made up this team who came 1st in a excellent time of 1 hour 18 minutes. Considering the relay event was open to adults this was a fantastic achievement.



Will Blee was also busy on Wednesday evening competing in the ‘Bude Lifeboat Run’. Will set off at a great pace and eventually came 2nd in the U15 race. Eevee Banbury competed in the 10km adult race. Eevee showed her superior running skills by winning the 15-34 womens age category and coming 2nd in the overall womens race. Well done Will and Eevee, what a talented pair you are!

Claire Cardoo

Charity Cake Sale - Wednesday 29th JuneWe will be holding the last cake sale of the academic year on Wednesday 29th June. Please send in lots of delicious cakes and biscuits on the morning of this day to be sold during tutor and break time. All proceeds will be donated to charity so please help us to make this the best ‘Cake Wednesday’ of the year!

Claire Cardoo

Uganda Trip 2017If you have already expressed an interest in this trip, please note that the deadline for deposits has been extended to the end of next week - Friday 31st June. We realise it is a big commitment but we do need you to sign up soon so we can confirm with Amigos and book the cheapest flights. If you have any questions or concerns about the trip please do come and see or email Mrs Aliberti or Mrs Lovett.

Bidding Starts Now!The Friends of Shebbear College and OSA invite you to place your early bids for the following:

Long weekend/mid-week break for 4 in ski apartment in the popular resort of Morzine (France)

Cocktail workshop for 4 (includes 3 free cocktails each at the Beach Hotel in Bude)

One whole lamb

A large Shebbear 175 decorated rich fruitcake from Ladybird Cakes

Golf for 4 at the wonderful Championship Stoke Park Golf course in Buckinghamshire

An orignal framed painting by Mark Charman - ‘Lake Scene’ acrylic on canvas

2 nights dinner, bed and breakfast for 2 people, including a bottle of Champagne on arrival at the Beach Hotel in Bude

A round of golf for 4 at North Devon Golf Club

1 week self catering apartment holiday in Woolacoombe

2 tickets to see Tom Jones on 26th June at Eden Project

Round of golf for 4 at Holsworthy Golf Club

Final bids will be taken on the night of 175th anniversary Midsummer Ball on 25th June. We welcome all early bird bids. You don’t need to be a ticket holder to participate. Closing date for early bids is 10.00pm on 24th June. If you see a lot that takes your fancy, please send your bids to [email protected]

Summer ShowsThank you to all parents, pupils and Old Shebbearians who visited us at Royal Cornwall Show last week. Please come and see us at one of the following shows if you are able to, and bring the sunshine with you!

Woolsery Show, Clovelly25th July

Launceston Show28th July

North Devon Show, Umberleigh3rd August

Countryman’s Fair, Werrington, nr Launceston7th August

Okehampton Show11th August

Chagford Show18th August

Holsworthy Show25th August



A Plea from Finance - Library BooksPlease ensure all Library books are returned before the end of term.

Changes to Fee InsurancesAn email has been sent to all parents advising of the important changes to these schemes. If you haven’t received this email please check your spam and if you still cannot find it please email [email protected] and another copy will be sent.

What’s On:Saturday 18th JuneBoarders’ Summer Extravaganza

Sunday 19th JuneF2 Activities Week Trip to France departs

Monday 20th - Friday 24th - ACTIVITIES WEEK

Friday 24th JuneNorth Devon Surfing ChampionshipF2 Activities Trip returns

Saturday 25th June175th Anniversary Midsummer Ball

Sunday 26th June5th Form Prom, Westward Ho!

Please note: Our Senior School Sports Day will be held on Tuesday 28th June.

CricketThe U15s bowed out of the Devon Cup in their semi final match against a strong King’s Ottery team last week. After losing the toss, the boys bowled well and were supported by some outstanding catches in the deep by Rivaldo Clarke and Ali Aktar.

Ali also returned the best figures of 5-19, but received great support from James Edge 2-21, Jed Foster 1-22 and Rivaldo 1-13.

The visitors’ final total of 122 all out was definitely one that could have been chased down, but the innings needed a solid foundation. Unfortunately, three wickets fell in the opening four overs and despite some stubborn resistance from Ali Aktar (15) and an aggressive knock from top scorer Stuart Williams (23), the innings never really threatened to gain the necessary momentum and the final total of 73 all out was well short of the victory target.

However, the team should be congratulated on making it to the semi final stage of a competition involving 23 schools from all over Devon.

Andy Bryan

Under 13s v All HallowsOn Tuesday, Shebbear U13s took on touring side All Hallows in their second game of the day. Shebbear bowled first on Beckly Field with Harrison Mitchell taking a good early catch to take the first wicket of the innings. A series of dropped catches allowed All Hallows batsmen to build a score until a change of bowling saw Cameron Young bowl some excellent leg spin, claiming two wickets and Freddie Stevenson finished off the innings with some quick bowling

to finish with three wickets of his own. At the end of their 15 overs All Hallows posted 85 runs for Shebbear to chase.

Opening pair Freddie and Cameron started positively and kept the scoreboard ticking over before Cameron’s dismissal gave the tourists their first breakthrough. Freddie Stevenson produced a fantastic batting performance, but as the run rate increased his wicket fell in the final over. Jacob Luxton and Oliver Hawkins tried in vain to knock off the final few runs, but unfortunately Shebbear fell five runs short in the end of what was an excellent game of cricket.

Nick Law

County CricketCongratulations to Sophie Gillies who has been selected for the County cricket team to face Gloucestershire on the 29th June.

RoundersU14 Rounders v Budehaven 15.5-11.5U14 Rounders v Okehampton A 7-2U14 Rounders v Okehampton B 7-3

The U14 Rounders team has had some superb victories in the last couple of weeks in matches against both Okehampton and Budehaven.

As a team they have shown excellent fielding skills to limit the oppositions chance of scoring. There have been some superb displays of skill, accuracy and decision-making when fielding. As well as their strong fielding skills the girls are very talented batters, scoring lots of rounders in all the matches, making them very strong competition for our opposing teams.

Well done to Sophie Gillies and Maddie Traxton who were awarded player of the match in these fixtures.

Kate Gunning



Picture this ... Upper Sixth and Fifth Form Leavers Service



Shebbear College, Shebbear, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5HJ Telephone: 01409 282001 Email: [email protected]

Picture this ... Summer School and Royal Cornwall Show

Thursday 23rd June at 6.30pm& Friday 24th June at 4.30pm

Tickets - £4.00To reserve your seats contact Mrs Goode

[email protected] or call 01409 282009

SHEBBEAR COLLEGEPREP SCHOOL

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

weekly newsletter from the headmaster · weekly newsletter from the headmaster 17th june 2016...

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