Prep for the Week Issue 1809

Prep for The Week Issue Number 1809 6 November2015 1

Issue Number 1809 – 6 November 2015

Prep for the Week

In this week’s issue… Rome Choir Tour Headmaster's Blog and Commendations Boarders' Big Day Out Kingfishers, Lower, and Middle School News The Prep Poet Laureate Announced! Girls' and Boys' Sports Sports Tours 2016 First World War Exhibition at the College Calendar Cheltonian Ball and Christmas Fair Notices

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Kingfishers Open Afternoon

Friday 13 November, 14:30

Our boys and girls invite you to an Open Afternoon,

where they can guide you around their classrooms

and proudly show off all their work and

achievements this term !


Rome Choir TourBuongiorno!During the Half Term holiday a selection of the Prep's choir members represented the school in a choral tour of Rome.Between all the pizza and pasta, the group was able to absorb the culture and heritage of this beautiful, historic city, as well as perform in some of the destination's most iconic locations. Here are some of the trip highlights.

Day 2Fuelled by a hearty breakfast, we headed to the Vatican Museum and en route we paused for a light refreshment and our first of many gelati!

Day 1We left the Prep for the airport in high spirits and were treated, upon arrival in Rome, to a belly-busting three-course dinner! After our evening meal and much excitement, we eventually settled down for the evening.

The Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel were extraordinary! Each room was decorated with rich and vibrant art work, which culminated in the final room; painted by Michelangelo. This was our introduction to Rome and it certainly did not disappoint: many pupils were in awe of this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

After a freshly cooked pizza, we headed to our first concert venue, Sant’ Andrea della Valle. The venue was breathtaking and the pupils raised their game to fill the vast space in the building. The concert was well received by many tourists as well as Prep parents who had travelled to Rome to listen.

The three-course evening meal was again delightful (and well-earned by our proud performers) and after a few evening activities we all headed for bed.

Jetting off to Rome!

Gelato &

pizza -

yum!

The awe-inspiring

Vatican City...


Day 3Sight-seeing was the order of the day. We visited Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona and enjoyed looking around the gardens and eating (yet another!) gelato.

On route to the Spanish steps we passed Rome’s most expensive shopping street, which included shops such as Gucci, Prada and Cartier... but resisted the temptation and went on instead, to lunch.

We walked around 12 miles on this day alone and climbed the 551 steps up the dome of St Peter’s Basilica. We were able to see across the whole city of Rome and, naturally, many ‘selfies’ were taken!

When walking around St Peter’s, it was almost impossible to take in the incredible architecture. The Year 8s enjoyed translating the Latin inscriptions around the ceiling.

A great view from up here!

Afterwards, we headed to Castel Sant' Angelo, a building which featured in the film Angels and Demons. Once at the top, we delighted in taking pictures with a certain seagull who photo-bombed every shot taken. By now, it was beginning to turn dark and after a flash of lightning accompanied by an almighty crash, we enjoyed dashing back to our hotel for our evening meal and activities.

Day 4For Gladiator enthusiasts, this was the most exciting day of the tour as we visited the Colosseum. After several selfies with gladiators during the previous few days, we were all primed to see this historic building. We donned our gladiator helmets and swords and charged into the arena! After a lengthy tour around the Colosseum gift shop, we finished our sight-seeing with a visit to the Roman Forum. Later, the group ventured towards our final destination, the Pantheon. The large columns at the entrance of the building towered over us as we wandered into our final performance venue.

Selfie time!

Gladiators for

the day...


There were over one thousand tourists in the vicinity when we performed! Both soloists, Izzy Reid and Charles Hellens, sang with confidence and the choir sang with the crest of Cheltenham College Prep emblazoned on their poloshirts to the thousands of tourists, many of whom also have photos and videos of our choir performing. They were wonderful.

On the bus journey back to the hotel, we endured (I mean, enjoyed!) various renditions of Let it Go and Uptown Funk. Many ended their day by sharpening their bargaining skills at the local market and spent money on a colourful array of hats, sunglasses and scarves.

After our awards evening (including best hat wearer, George Hardy) we headed to bed ready for our return journey.

Day 5Our final day ran smoothly as we headed back to Cheltenham Prep. Our musical, cultural (and walking)

Performing to a crowd at the Pantheon!

tour of Rome was certainly enjoyed by all. The photos you will have seen can only highlight some of the great moments had on the trip.

A very special mention:We want to thank those parents who joined us in Rome to support the choir with their performances.As well as that, we need to thank Mrs Reid and Miss Sheldon, whose understanding of the Italian language was very helpful indeed. Thank you also to Mr Perona-Wright who organised the trip and led the way dur-ing our musical performances.

Most importantly, thank you to those children who came along. They were proud and commendable representatives of our school and performed outstandingly. Here’s to our next tour; watch this space…

Grazie e arrivederci!


Headmaster's Blog

Dear ParentsWelcome back! I hope that you were able to find a balance between rest and family activity over the Half Term. This is especially true of the children who must now ensure that they pick up from where they left off. There are five extremely busy weeks ahead of us, which will make real demands on the energies, commitment and organisation of the children. Sensible prioritisation, communication with staff when unsure and early bed times will enable children to overcome the academic challenges that they face, whilst enjoying all other aspects of school life.

At my assembly on Monday I encouraged the children never to take anything for granted. In this, the week leading up to Remembrance Sunday, more than ever children should be reminded of the sacrifices of others. Every Friday we visit the College Chapel, the walls of which are adorned by the names of those who went from College to fight and die in wars to protect the British way of life. The Prep School’s Service of Remembrance will take place at 17.00 this Sunday in the College Chapel. Attendance is voluntary. Children should be delivered to the Assembly Hall by 16.30, whilst parents will be invited to take their seats in Chapel from 16.45 onwards. This allows time for the Chapel Choir to rehearse. The Chatfeild-Roberts library at College is staging an exhibition highlighting the First World War between 08.00 and 17.00 on Sunday and I strongly encourage as many as possible to visit (for more information, see pages 13-14).

Preceding this are our bonfire night celebrations and, yes, there really will be a bonfire (after all the rain this week, whether it lights is another matter)! If you are

coming, do come in time for the fireworks which will start as soon as possible after 18.00. Entrance to the viewing area will be past Lower School and hot dogs, mulled wine and hot chocolate will be available on presentation of a ticket. If everybody arrives at the same time then there will inevitably be queues at the serving points. Once the fireworks have finished, the bonfire, which is situated at the far end of the lake, will be lit. For those who are worrying about the pigs, they will have been moved to a safe location in plenty of time. Afterwards, why not encourage members of your year group to meet at a suitable venue on Bath Road in order to ‘warm one’s cockles’?

The clocks going back, the regular sweeping of leaves, the most wonderful colours in the trees, bonfires and Remembrance Sunday all serve to tell us that we are in the heart of autumn and on the cusp of winter. House Art has celebrated this and I am overjoyed by the quantity and quality of entries throughout the school. Lower School entries are displayed outside the Assembly Hall, Middle School entries outside my office and Upper School in the House Corridor leading to the dining room. I wholeheartedly encourage you to take a look and my congratulations to all those who entered.

Christmas advertisements have begun on the television and so I feel that I can correct an embarrassing omission from the Calendar. The Carol Service for Years 3-8 will take place on the last day of term at 16.00.

And finally, as we bask in double figure temperatures at the beginning of November, I have made a good, old fashioned, autocratic decision, without consultation or consensus. From now on, I will refer to “uniform when it is hot” and “uniform when it is cold”. Whoever described them as “winter” and “summer” uniform, clearly wasn’t in their right mind!

Jon Whybrow

Headmaster's Blog


Individual AchievementsHuge congratulations to Joseph Tagg, Isaac Tagg and Ollie McGrath who were all delighted to receive notification from Worcestershire

County Cricket Club that they have been selected for inclusion in the Worcestershire County U11's Winter Training Programme.

We also give our congratulations to Oscar Mann, who competed in the slalom in the South West Schools Ski Championships 2015 at Gloucester Ski Centre on Sunday 18 October. He came 1st in his age category by 3 seconds (this is a significant amount on such a short slope)! He was the only skier from Cheltenham Prep so he was entered as an individual as

opposed to being part of a school team.

Headmaster's CommendationsOctavia D’Orazi, Sophia McCarthy, Max Walker, Jemima Penny, Lawrence Young, Emma Critchley, Michael

Warr, Joey Richardson, Lily Griffiths and Jack EvansFor showing responsibility as guides at the Kingfishers Experience Pre-Prep Open Morning this Thursday

Izzy Reid For diligence with regularly filling in her Reading Record

Simon Evlyn-BuftonFor a dramatic improvement in the quality and quantity of his English work

Letter From the LibraryThe Book Fair has arrived! If you wish to come and choose a book with your child then it will be open to parents on Monday to Thursday next week from 08.15-08.45 and on Monday and Tuesday 15.00-17.00. If you would prefer to let your child choose a book with their class, there are spare permission forms at Reception and in the Library.

Book Review: Grandpa's Great Escape by David WalliamsOne of the books for sale at the fair is David Walliams' much anticipated Grandpa’s Great Escape. Some of our pupils have already been reading it and highly recom-mend it: “I think that it is a funny book, just as good as all of his other books. I would recommend it to Year 5 and older.” - Ronan Cowing


Drayton Manor

The Boarders had a super day out at Drayton Manor before Half Term! From crazy rollercoasters to a lovely, calm zoo, there was something for everyone. With the sun shining for the majority of the day, the water rides were especially popular. After we had all been on all of the rides about a million times, it was time to board the coach home, thoroughly content and tired out.

Boarders' Big Day Out


Kingfishers Reading Quest

Over Half Term the children in Kingfishers have completed a reading quest based on the story of The Other Ark by Lynley Dodd. They have let their imaginations run wild and created a range of amazing animals. I am sure you have never before met before a “Samadillo”, the "Minecraft Sheep” or “Turbo-ant”!

KingfishersFirework fun!There has been great excitement in Reception this week as our rooms have exploded with glitter and flickers of paint to make our Bonfire Night paintings! In Kingfishers we learnt about how to keep safe from Mrs Simpson (our very own ex-firefighter) and Rory kindly modelled the uniform for us.


Lower SchoolThe Iron Man in Year 4

During the Autumn Term, some of the Year 4 pupils have been reading the popu-lar The Iron Man story by Ted Hughes, in their group reading sessions. The story has been really enjoyed, with weekly activities related to the story, characters and events. Over Half Term, the pupils were invited to create their own Iron Man models and the response was fantastic! The models have been displayed in one of the Year 4 classrooms and come in all shapes and sizes. Huge thanks go to the adults who supported the making if these models at home. Above is a photo of the Iron Men on show.

"You are who you choose to be." - The Iron Man

Dutch Visitors for Lower School

After the grand finale to the World Cup, to continue an international theme in Lower School we will be welcoming nine Dutch teachers to Lower School on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 November. The pupils are going to be learning about famous Dutch people, the geography and culture of the Netherlands and lots more. We very much look forward to host-ing our friends and will be telling you all about the visit soon.

Can you identify these famous people or sights from the Netherlands?

Answers: A. National cuisine of curly kale and potatoes, Boerenkoolstamppot; B. Football player, Robin Van Persie; C. Dutch master painter, Rembrandt; D. Museum of the Netherlands in Amsterdam, Rijksmusuem

A B

C D


Year 3 PoetryYear 3 pupils have been looking at different poetry styles this week. Inspired by Bonfire Night this week, the children have written all about fireworks!

During Monday’s lesson, Miss Anderes and the rest of Year 3 created their own onomatopoeic poem (see right).

Wednesday’s lesson saw the boys and girls creating their own firework acrostic poem (also right). The pupils worked really hard to use all of the poetic devices that had been discussed in class.

We hope you enjoy the poems that the classes wrote together - well done boys and girls!

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter tiptoe up the drive.Bang, bang, bang on the old, oak door.Creak, creak, creak - automatically opened ....SLAM! Door shuts, spookily.Gulp, gulp, gulp - creep across the hall.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, BAM! The grandfather clock strikes midnight.Creep, creep, creep, ssshhhh into the library.Swish, swish, swish cobwebs in the hair.Boom, bang, crash on the wooden, loose staircase.

Clang, clang, whollop goes the silvery, rusty armour.Squeak, scuttle, sniff - humungous rats scuffle.Crunch, snap, rattle the sleeping skeleton snores.Swish, swoosh, zoom flying broomstick up the chimney.KERBOOM!

Fizzing, fireworks booming!Invisible, colourful rain fairies.Rapid, roaring, rockets!Echoes of screaming. Waterfalls of shimmering glitter.Out of this world… planets raining down like crazy,Racing each other over our heads.Kapow! Kaboom! BUZZZzzzzzz…Stars shining and tired people going home.


Middle School Umbrellas in the Art Room

For the first half of this term, Year 5 Prep pupils have taken time to observe and draw umbrellas.

We have focused our work on an installation of lots of umbrellas in the Art Room, and used collage, pastel and paint on our final pieces to create mixed media pictures.

The finished pictures will be on display soon, but here are some of our artists proudly showing off their work.


The Prep's Poet Laureate

2015-16

Journey to Slavery

When the sun had risen into the sky,When the break of dawn had somehow arrived, A sense of growing dread gripped onto meBringing on fear, dark and anxiety. The grey sea lurched; I swayed and gave way.

This was my future, to become a slaveWorking in the scorching Jamaican heatWith only dry water left and nothing to eat. I would labour all day in the white, hot sand, Two heavy, iron chains cuffed to my hands. I awoke from my thoughts to the fearful word ‘land!’ Dragged off the boat onto the grainy sand.I joined fifty other cadaverous slaves, I held my breath; I had to be brave. Bella Isaachsen

The Journey

They sat - silent, waiting.

The boats rocked over and over,

The breeze whistled over their ragged hair

The journey had begun.

They sat - silent, waiting.

The boats travelled slowly,

The ocean a black puddle of oil,

They waited, not moving an inch.

They sat – silent, waiting.

A scream called out in the distance,

A tear rolling down a cheek,

A small hand clutching their mother’s.

They sat – silent, waiting.

The boat driver climbed out,

They were alone, all alone.

The water started trickling in.

Holly Ellis

Before Half Term, the English department launched a competition to find Cheltenham College Prep School’s first Poet Laureate. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 were asked to write a poem in any form about the theme Journeys. Competition was fierce and entries ranged from personal experiences of travelling abroad, transport, spiritual journeys, the voyage of words, expeditions through Wonderland and, topically, migration. After much deliberation (and difficulty) the English department has great pleasure in announcing our two Poet Laureates! Bella Isaachsen (who leaves us for pastures new at the end of this term), and Holly Ellis. Congratulations to both of these budding poets; we look forward to hearing and reading the poetry that they write and perform for school events throughout this year. Please enjoy the winning entries.


Girls' Sports

Team of the Week – 5th VII

Wednesday marked the girls’ best match yet; they played with determination and aggression against a well-matched St Hugh’s team. Building upon everything that they have practised in training sessions, the girls remembered to hold their position, and continued to move when they wanted the ball to be played to them. The defenders also came up high on the pitch to help support the attacking play, and there was some particularly good play that made excellent use of the width of the pitch.

The Prep’s three goals were a credit to the striker, who hit the ball as soon as it entered the D, and was always ready for the rebounding ball off the defensive players. The match was exciting, and highly contested until the final whistle, and it was a deserved win for the 5th team!

TEAM OPPOSITION DATE SCORE RESULTU9 A St Hugh’s 4 Nov 0 – 0 DREWU9 B St Hugh’s 4 Nov 0 – 0 DREWU10 A St Hugh’s 4 Nov 6 – 1 WONU10 B St Hugh’s 4 Nov 0 – 0 DREWU11 A St Hugh’s 4 Nov 1 – 0 WONU11 B St Hugh’s 4 Nov 1 – 3 LOST1st VII St Hugh’s 4 Nov 2 – 3 LOST3rd VII St Hugh’s 4 Nov 1 – 6 LOST4th VII St Hugh’s 4 Nov 1 – 3 LOST5th VII St Hugh’s 4 Nov 3 – 2 WON

U11 IAPS Hockey

The U11 A team travelled to Ashfold School on Tuesday to compete in the IAPS regional qualifying tournament and did extremely well to reach the quarter finals of the event. They got off to a flying start with a 4-0 win over Bedford Modern in their first group matches. They completed their group with a 1-1 draw versus Twyford, a 2-0 win over Headington and a 1-2 defeat by Spratton Hall. This took them into the quarter finals against Beachborough School which was a very closely contested match but unfortunately, Beachborough managed to steal a narrow 1-0 victory which knocked us out of the tournament. As always though, competing in this National level competition was a fantastic experience for our girls and they did the school proud.

For news, fixtures and

updates, follow us on Twitter!

@cheltprepgirls


Boys' Sports

Team of the Week 1 – The U9A beat Clifton U9A

On Wednesday 4 November, Clifton visited us to take on the unbeaten U9 rugby team. The Prep got off to a great start, tackling hard and forcing the opposition back towards their own try line. The Prep managed to force a turnover, and shortly after, opened their try count for the afternoon. This continued to be the story for the match. The Prep were very organised and hardworking defensively and made it very difficult for Clifton to gain any ground. Their attacking rugby was also strong, regularly beating the Clifton defence, and had good support to continue the phases of running rugby. The team played very well and came out deserved winners 60 - 10. The unbeaten run continues!

TEAM OPPONENT RESULT SCORE1st XV Clifton U13A Won 27-02nd XV Clifton U12A Lost 5-173rd X Clifton U13B Lost 0-414th X Clifton U12B Lost 5-50U11A Clifton U11A Won 15-0U11B Clifton U11B Drew 10-10U11C Clifton U11C Lost 0-50U10A Clifton U10A Lost 35-55U10B Clifton U10B Drew 20-20U9A Clifton U9A Won 50-10U9B Clifton U9B Won 50-15U9C Clifton U9C Won 50-5

Team of the Week 2 – 1st XV retain the Colleges Cup

81 years on from our first meeting, the Prep 1st XV took on Clifton in a tough encounter. As the rain came down the game became scrappy and a combination of a strong kicking game, excellent line-speed and clinical chance taking meant The Prep won 27-0 and retained the Colleges Cup. An outstanding performance from a side who are improving every game and deserve the plaudits for this win.

For news, fixtures and updates, follow us on Twitter!

@cheltprep_boys


Sports Tours 2016HockeyRugby

Back by popular demand! Year 7 and 8 girls of all playing abilities can travel with us

to Holland! Holland is the most successful hockey nation in the world with both their

men’s and women’s teams winning countless international titles. Hockey is as big in

Holland as football is in the UK and it is fantastic for the girls to see and experience this culture and atmosphere. On the five-

day tour the girls participate in four training sessions led by Dutch International coaches,

they play two full matches against Dutch opposition teams and spectate at a premier

league match. In addition, we will also manage to fit in a theme park, shopping,

sightseeing and bowling.

After a successful tour last year, Years 7 and 8 boys of all playing abilities can travel with

us to Barcelona for five days! Staying at Hotel Terramar in Sitges, located on the

beachfront, the boys will have the chance to train and take part in rugby festivals against

some of thebest teams in Catalonia. In between sessions and matches, participants will also enjoy a trip to Port Aventura theme park and see Barcelona play a match in the

Nou Camp.

Join The Prep rugby players as they jet off to sunny Spain in search of some sun drenched matches

against Catalonia's most talented.

Join The Prep hockey players as they fly away to Holland to train with world class coaches, in the home of the finest international

Sports Tours will take place during the October Half Term 2016, further information to come.



Prep parents are warmly invited to preview the First World War Exhibition, held in the College

Library, from 15.00 before the Remembrance ser-vice in Chapel which begins at 17.00 on Sunday 8 November. If you cannot make Sunday’s service

then you are very welcome to visit the Exhibition during the opening hours above.


CalendarAll changes and additions to the School Calendar appear in pink.

Sunday, 8 November 201514:00 Boarding House with the Everyman Theatre (Full and Regular Flexi-Boarders Only)17:00 Remembrance Service (Voluntary attendance)

Monday, 9 November 2015, Week 10, 9 - 15 NovemberYear 7 Examinations (All day)08:15 Scholastic Book Fair08:30 Years 6 and 8 Dress Rehearsal for Shakespeare Schools Festival (Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham)19:00 Shakespeare Schools Festival (Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham)

Tuesday, 10 November 2015Year 7 Examinations (All day)08:15 Scholastic Book Fair

Wednesday, 11 November 2015Year 7 Examinations (am)08:15 Scholastic Book Fair11:00 Act of RemembranceFixtures11:45 Departure for Severnside 7s at Beaudesert Park (A): U11A VII, U10A VII. Start 13:00. Pick up 17:3012:30 Departure for Severnside 7s at Dean Close (A): 1st VII, 2nd VII. Start 13:30. Pick up 17:0012:45 Departure for Rugby Festival at The Downs, Wraxall (A): U11C IX, U10C VIII. Start 14:00. Pick up 17:3013:00 Departure for Hockey v Abberley Hall (A): U11A VII, U11B VII. Start 14:30. Pick up 17:0014:30 Hockey v Abberley Hall (H): 1st VII, 3rd VII, 4th VII. Pick up 16:1514:30 Hockey v Prior Park (H): 2nd VII. Pick up 16:1515:30 Hockey v Prior Park (H): U10A VII, U10B VII. Pick up 16:4516:30 Staff v Year 8 Hockey17:00 Wednesday Wonder - Mr Nick Nelson

Thursday, 12 November 2015Year 7 Examinations (am)Lower School Science Day08:15 Scholastic Book Fair17:00 Swimming Gala v Prior Park (H): Years 5-8. Pick up 18:15

Friday, 13 November 201511+ Entrance Day for Year 6 and prospective pupils14:15 Chapel (parents welcome)14:30 Kingfishers Open Afternoon for current parents (Classrooms)18:00 Persia v Athens Qurry Evening. Pick up 20:00

Saturday, 14 November 201508:15 11+ (Year 6) Assessment Day (External Candidates)Fixtures08:30 Departure for Prior Park Hockey Tournment (A): U9A VII, U9B VII. Start 10:00. Pick up 13:0008:30 Departure for Bromsgrove Hockey Tournament (A): U11A VII, U11B VII. Start 10:00. Pick up 13:0008:30 Departure for Rugby Festival at Prior Park (A): U9A VII, U9 Lions VII, U9 Tigers VII, U9 Panthers VII. Start 10:00. Pick up 13:00


09:15 Departure for Hockey v Dean Close (A): U8A VII, U8B VII, U10A VII, U10B VII. Start 10:00. Pick up 11:3010:00 Departure for Rugby v Abingdon (A): 1st XV. Start 11:30. Pick up 14:0010:30 Hockey v RGS Worcester (H): 1st VII, 2nd VII, 3rd VII, 4th VII. Pick up 12:0010:30 Rugby v Abingdon (H): 2nd XV, 3rd XV. Pick up 12:1510:30 Middle School House Rugby. Pick up 12:45

Sunday, 15 November 201513:30 Boarders' Ice Skating (Full and Regular Flexi-Boarders Only)



School Uniform Shop

The school uniform shop term-time opening hours are:

Tuesday 13.30 to 15.30 Wednesday 15.30 to 17.00

We are happy to receive email enquiries, as it is not always possible to get to the shop.

We are also happy to accept clean uniform in good condition for sale.

NOTICES

Noemie Mezui 4Monty Campbell Black 7Isabelle Christie 9Tulliah Shaw 9Finn Cutts 10Emily Morton 10Austin Taroey 12

Happy Birthday to the following pupils next week!

Santa Family Fun Run 11.00 - 12.00

Sunday 6 December 2015See details emailed to Parents this Tuesday

Documents

Prep for the Week Issue 1809