The Fortnight That Was … 9 - 20 May 2016 T H E

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HITTING THE HIGH NOTES Three of Pitsford School‟s musicians performed to a supportive, numerous audience during the lunchtime concert on Thursday 12 May. GCSE musician, Oscar Powell, performed Habanera Era on classical guitar, with confidence. This was followed by a beautiful rendition of Beauty and the Beast given by Year 9 pupil, Praveena Vijayakumar. Pianist, Vicky Liu, performed a graceful Chopin piece with elegance. Oscar then returned to the stage to give a moving performance of Stars from Les Misérables. Congratulations to all of the performers who took part.

SOLE2SOUL LIGHTS UP THE SCHOOL Old souls with new faces are lighting-up the ghettos of Pitsford School and adding a cool kinda funk to the back streets of Moulton. This initiative was started up by Physics teacher and all-round legend, Mr Dean. Fronting-up this five-piece band, and belting out the lyrics is the diminutive figure of Alexandra Smith. Her powerhouse soprano provides a contemporary twist and dulcet notes to some timeless soul classics. Oscar Powell, the „Fretboard Fumbler‟, or Fret to his friends, dances out some serious freeform riffs to curl around some funky bass lines supplied by Mr Dean and some sexy sax tunes by Jack Barton. Together they provide a master-class in rhythmic licks that taste better than a Sunday afternoon Mr Whippy in June. Honky-Tonk Gibson (Sam Gibbs) holds his own with some fast finger funk on the old black and whites, adding a backstreet soul feel with an old man‟s guile beneath a young man‟s smile. Christopher Leeke, the youngest member of the band, holds these old souls together with a tympanic wrist flick as deft as a choirmaster‟s baton hand ahead of his choral charge. The band‟s first gig was at the annual Ensembles Concert at the beginning of May. If you want to set your soles tapping up, tap into Sole2Soul at their next gig at our school Speech Day. (Review written by Oscar Powell, Year 10). Correction: Apologies that Jack Barton’s name was missed off the members of the Soul Band who performed in our recent Ensembles Concert. Sorry Jack!

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VICE CAPTAIN OF ENGLAND’S HOCKEY MASTERS’ SQUAD Congratulations to Mrs Chacksfield, Head of PE and Games at Pitsford School, who has been selected as Vice Captain for the England Hockey Masters‟ squad for this year‟s home nations tournament in Scotland. The tournament takes place in Edinburgh between Friday 24 and Sunday 26 June. Well done Mrs Chacksfield and we look forward to hearing all about the tournament in a future issue.

MOONWALK 2016 - UNITING AGAINST BREAST CANCER Congratulations to Pitsford School members of staff, Mrs Drakeford and Mrs Newton who successfully completed the Moonwalk in London on Saturday 14 May. If you would like to add to Mrs Drakeford or Mrs Newton‟s sponsorship money, please visit their donation pages at: https://moonwalklondon2016.everydayhero.com/uk/julie-128 and https://moonwalklondon2016.everydayhero.com/uk/sallyann-1

FLYING HIGH The more keen-eyed of our staff and pupils may have noticed a small RAF training aircraft fly over Pitsford School at 10.30am on Monday 16 May. “I am pleased to say that this Old Pitsfordian thought the School is looking splendid from 5000 feet and it is nice to see it again! “I would encourage all pupils to look upwards periodically and see that time at Pitsford School is well spent,” said former Pitsford School pupil and student pilot, Fg Off Matthew McLean, RAF Wittering.

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SPORTS ROUND-UP On Tuesday 10 May, our U14 and U15 friendly rounders game took place at NSG resulting in a draw between the two schools despite the wet weather. An afternoon of sunshine and really good rounders from the U12/U13 Rounders team took place against Northampton Academy. Pitsford School won by 18.5 rounders to 4.5 rounders. The player of the match was Lucy Rathe. The U13 Cricket match against Caroline Chisholm on 12 May went down to the last ball, needing 3 to win! Caroline Chisholm scored a boundary winning the game by 1 run. How exciting! A wet day at the ISA Athletics in Birmingham on Wednesday 18 May did not spoil all our athletes‟ determination to beat personal targets. Well done all.

J5 ASSEMBLY EXPLAINS THE WATER CYCLE J5‟s assembly on Thursday 19 May was about the Earth‟s most precious resource - water. The children told us a great many facts that they had found to do with water, interspersed with more unusual information by our own „David Attenborough‟ and explained the Water Cycle with a Powerpoint presentation. The assembly concluded with a Water Rap - which brought everything back full circle. It was very informative and the pupils had obviously learned a lot about the Earth‟s life support system. Did you know that: * Up to nine litres of water is wasted brushing your teeth; * We should drink two litres of water a day; * Our planet is known as the Blue Planet because it consists mostly of water.

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KENILWORTH CASTLE AND COVENTRY CATHEDRAL Year 7 visited Coventry Cathedral on Wednesday 18 May, where they studied signs and symbols as part of their Religious Studies course. The Cathedral is full of religious symbols of light and goodness overcoming evil, including, for example, a statue made out of the remains of a car crash. There is a huge, colourful stained glass window which you can meditate on, drawing your own inspiration. The ruins of the old Cathedral bombed in World War II have been kept to emphasise the theme of forgiveness and reconciliation. The children then visited Kenilworth Castle and studied how the castle developed through the Middle Ages, and was used by Robert Dudley to entertain Queen Elizabeth I. Pupils looked at how the castle would have been defended when under attack. On the way home, pupils visited Saint Augustine‟s Church, which is Victorian, but in a medieval style. We lit candles and prayed for Pitsford School‟s exam candidates. We were lucky with the weather, as the next day was wet and inclement!

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT This month, we turn the spotlight on Mrs Ross, Headmaster’s PA Can you tell us a little about your professional background and when you joined Pitsford School? I joined Pitsford School in 2000, initially on a part-time basis working in the School Office. My role has changed considerably over the last 16 years as, after working in the School Office, I became Assistant to the Head‟s PA, then Registrar, then Secretary to the Deputy Head before becoming the Headmaster‟s PA. I have also supported the School‟s Examination Officer and so have a very broad knowledge of life at Pitsford School. When my family re-located to the area in September 1999, both my daughters were amongst the very first girls to join Pitsford School, as previous to that time the school had been an all boys‟ school. At this time there were only 35 girls in the whole school. My youngest daughter, Catherine, joined in Year 3 and my eldest daughter, Jennifer, joined in Year 5. Prior to joining Pitsford School, I worked as an Assistant Bank Manager in Cheshire, working in the Regional Office. After leaving my full-time post to care for my young family, I began to study an Open University Degree in Geology. In order to fund this, I had a variety of part-time jobs which varied from analysing and interpreting questionnaires for a large company specialising in pharmaceuticals to working as a Secretary to an Art Dealer in one of the top North West Art Galleries. Why did you choose Pitsford School for your children? When my family relocated, we looked at several schools for our two daughters, Jennifer and Catherine, but Pitsford School seemed the friendliest. When they came for their taster visit, there were no other girls in either of their classes. They were made to feel very welcome and both thoroughly enjoyed their visit. During that first year they had the opportunity to participate in activities and sports which at that time were not usually open to girls. For example, they both played tag rugby and took part in rugby training. They also have fond memories of an after-school club, known as “Past-Alive”, where they could visit a reproduction Iron Age round house (which was erected in the grounds where the Junior School is housed now), and experience life in the Iron Age and Saxon Britain. I strongly feel that it is through these opportunities, that both Jennifer and Catherine were not afraid to venture into more typically male-orientated careers. Catherine is a Software Engineer whilst my eldest daughter, Jennifer, is a Multi-Media Journalist.

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Pitsford School has been very supportive towards both my daughters. Jennifer felt that she could “dare to be herself” at Pitsford School and “didn‟t feel she had to be somebody she wasn‟t.” Can you describe a typical day as Headmaster’s PA? There‟s certainly no such thing as a typical day! It is the variety which I enjoy most about my role. As a Personal Assistant, my role involves offering administrative support to the Headmaster. This includes maintaining his diary, typing his letters, responding to his emails, and helping with the preparation of special events such as Speech Day. I am also the Overseas Registrar, which includes issuing the CAS certificates which all our new overseas students need to enable them to apply for their Visas. How would you describe Pitsford School? I would describe Pitsford School as friendly, supportive and approachable.

I’ve seen the School grow over the years and

that has given me a sense of fulfilment.

What are your hobbies? I have so many hobbies, I don‟t know where to begin. I enjoy dress-making, my latest project being my daughter‟s wedding dress. I also knit and embroider. When I am not at my sewing machine, you could find me playing the guitar, or visiting the theatre or the cinema. I also enjoy Pilates, walking, geocaching and cycling.

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PARENTS’ NOTICEBOARD If anyone has a school skirt for sale (to fit a 14-year old), please contact Mrs Kimbell on 07813 308301. If you have a message for Pitsford School parents please email skendrick@pitsfordschool.com

COFFEE IN THE CAFÉ Pitsford School‟s new Sports Centre Café area is now open for great, morning coffee. The Café will be open between the following times: Monday 8.00am - 9.30am Wednesday 8.00am - 10.30am Friday 8.00am - 9.30am This is a great way to start the day, so why not come along and enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee in our Café area when dropping your child off at school or after our parents‟ Pilates class. Please park on the gravel area and not on the Quad as this area is needed for emergency vehicles and school buses. We look forward to seeing you soon!

PILATES CLASS All Pitsford parents are very welcome to attend this new class with Body Control Pilates teacher Natalie Carter. “Whether you‟re looking to tone, strengthen and stretch your body, or relax and focus the mind - one Pilates class per week can make a huge difference. The class is there for you, so do come and try it out.” Pilates takes place on Wednesdays between 8.30am and 9.30am in the Junior School Hall. For more information please contact Natalie Carter via email at: easthaddondance@btinternet.com or visit www.easthaddondance.co.uk

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Menus As all our produce is sourced locally, menus are subject to change and older pupils will be offered additional options which are not shown here.

Monday 23 May Minced beef bolognaise served with spaghetti and garlic bread (V) Veggie mince bolognaise Homemade banana and apple muffin Selection of fresh fruit pots or yogurts Tuesday 24 May Mild creamy chicken korma served with rice and Naan bread (V) Sweet potato, chickpea and spinach korma Syrup sponge with custard Selection of fresh fruit pots or yogurts Wednesday 25 May Roast loin of pork, oven roast potatoes, sage & onion stuffing, Yorkshire pudding, roast gravy and fresh cabbage (V) Stuffed pepper-rice, tomato and vegetables Selection of fresh fruit pots or yogurts Thursday 26 May Cheddar cheese, bacon and potato twist served with sauté potatoes and baked beans (V) Cheddar cheese and onion twist Apple oaty crumble with custard Selection of fresh fruit pots or yogurts Friday 27 May Hot dog roll served with chips and wholegrain spaghetti hoops (V) Vegetarian hot dog roll Fancy Cake Friday Selection of fresh fruit pots or yogurts Monday 6 June Pasta carbonara, herby diced potatoes and salad crudités (V) Pasta arrabiata with parmesan cheese Homemade cranberry and white chocolate chip flapjack Selection of fresh fruit pots or yogurts Tuesday 7 June Toad in the hole with gravy served with mashed potatoes and sweetcorn (V) Vegetable quiche Banana cake with custard Selection of fresh fruit pots or yogurts Wednesday 8 June Roast chicken with Yorkshire pudding, oven roast potatoes, sage & onion stuffing, gravy, carrots and peas (V) Vegetable and cheese plait Selection of fresh fruit pots or yogurts Thursday 9 June Traditional beef lasagne, garlic bread and salad crudités (V) Vegetarian lasagne Jam sponge with custard Selection of fresh fruit pots or yogurts Friday 10 June Jumbo baked cod finger served with chips and wholegrain spaghetti hoops (V) Cheese omelette Fancy Cake Friday Selection of fresh fruit pots or yogurts

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What’s On Looking Ahead?

Monday 23 May J1-J6 Football Club (Lunchtime) 9.30am J6 leave for Longtown 8.00am-9.30am Coffee in the Café 8.40am-5.00pm Yr 10 Lakeside Gallery trip

4.20pm Senior Choir

Tuesday 24 May 8.30am-6.30pm Yr 8 Walsingham visit 2.30pm U14/U15 Rounders (h) Quinton House

Wednesday 25 May Kits-J3 Activity Camp Day 9.15am J4 depart Activity Camp Irthlingborough

9.30am J5 depart Activity Camp Derbyshire 3.00pm Dance Performance in JS Hall

8.00am-10.30am Coffee in the Café 8.30am Parents‟ Pilates class - JS Hall 10.10am Senior String Ensemble 4.00pm-5.20pm Fishing Activity 4.00pm-6.50pm Pinnacle Climbing Centre

Thursday 26 May Kits-J3 Activity Camp Day

1.20pm Senior Guitar Ensemble 2.30pm U13 Cricket (h) Leicester Grammar 3.30pm U12/U13 Rounders (a) NSG

3.45pm U15 Rounders (h) Kingsthorpe

Friday 27 May Kits-J3 Activity Camp Day 3.30pm J4 return from Irthlingborough 3.30pm J5 return from Derbyshire 3.30pm J6 return from Longtown 4.00pm Junior School closes for half term

8.00am-9.30am Coffee in the Café 10.10am Senior Woodwind Ensemble Blue text denotes Junior School events

Monday 06 June J1-J6 Football Club (Lunchtime) J3-J6 Rounders 8.00am-9.30am Coffee in the Café 4.20pm Senior Choir

Tuesday 07 June 8.30am-5.20pm Junior ISA Athletics (a) Alexandra Stadium Recorders (Beginners) Lunchtime 4.00pm-4.45pm Squirrels-J2 Gardening J2-J3 Kwik Cricket J3-J6 Athletics J5-J6 Sailing

Wednesday 08 June 10.00am-12.30pm J6 Horrible Histories Derngate

School Council (Lunchtime) 3.30-4.15pm Squirrels-J2 Tiny Tag Rugby 4.00pm U9 Cricket (a) Quinton House J3-J4 Drama J5-J6 Running 8.00am-10.30am Coffee in the Café 8.30am Parents‟ Pilates class - JS Hall 10.10am Senior String Ensemble 4.00pm-5.20pm Fishing Activity 4.00pm-6.50pm Pinnacle Climbing Centre

Thursday 09 June Recorders (Intermediate) Lunchtime 3.30pm-4.10pm J1-J2 Tennis 4.10pm-5.10pm J3-J6 Tennis J4-J6 Cricket Junior Swimming (J6, J5 and J4) 8.00am-7.00pm Year 10 Castleton visit 3.00pm U12/U13 Rounders (a) Kingsthorpe

1.20pm Senior Guitar Ensemble

Friday 10 June J3-J6 Dance (Lunchtime) J3-J6 Knitting (Lunchtime) Junior Swimming (J1, J2 and J3) 3.00pm-3.30pm J1-J2 Choir J4-J6 American Football 8.00am-9.30am Coffee in the Café 10.10am Senior Woodwind Ensemble

Saturday 11 June Gold DofE Practice

Sunday 12 June Gold DofE Practice JS Dance at Derngate

For the complete list of Senior

Activities, see the Activity Booklet on www.pitsfordschool.com

Family BBQ and Campfire Saturday 18 June, from 5pm

Please bring your own drink and marshmallows

Children may bring their bicycles

Ticket price: Adults £6, Concessions £4, Children under 5 free

Camping available: £10 per tent

Due to the popularity of the event, numbers are restricted. Tickets will be available until Wednesday 15 June.

Current pupils must be accompanied by an adult over 21

www.pitsfordschool.com