Prep for The Week Issue Number 1834 24 June 2016 1

Issue Number 1834 – 24 June 2016

Prep for the Week

In this week’s issue… Headmaster's Blog and Commendations Equestrian Club Letter from the Library A Fete to Remember! Discovering the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Kingfishers' Summer Performances and Sports Day Voyage en France Year 8 Alive Bakery Club To the Battlefield Boys' Sports Calendar and Notices

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Friday 1 July

During the morning, all

pupils will be part of a

whole School photog

raph:

WINTER UNIFORM

should be worn.

Prep for The Week Issue Number 1834 24 June 2016 2

Dear Parents

There is no doubt that the past two Saturdays have been great days for The Prep community. Sports Day, the Summer Concert, House Singing and the Friends of The Prep Fete have all offered us opportunities to come together to watch all of the children work hard and play hard together. I hope that the pictures in this week’s edition go some way to showing what great occasions they were. Kingfishers, too, have been entertaining us with two wonderful productions which have involved all of the children in learning lines and cues and developing confidence as they perform in front of an appreciative audience.

Meanwhile, Year 8 have been enjoying the delights of Bude on the Leavers’ Trip. Having gained an impressive set of results at Common Entrance this is fully deserved and will culminate in their dinner tonight, on their return from Cornwall. As we enter this final week of the academic year, I hope that I will see you at our formal prize-givings when we will celebrate the end of a successful year. And please remember: although not every child can win a prize in what is a competitive world, all can celebrate doing their best. We do enjoy excellence and ‘the best’ in The Prep, but most important is each child’s best, their happiness and fulfilment.

Jon Whybrow

Headmaster's Blog

Equestrian ClubOpen to Lower, Middle and Upper School pupils, the Equestrian Club rides at Summerhouse Equestrian Centre. Here are some shots of Faith Urbanovsky, Gwener Wood and Sofiia Schulzhenko, testing out their riding skills.

The club have had lots of fun working hard to develop their riding technique this term. From beginners to novice riders everyone has improved their abilities to handle their ponies at walk, trot and canter. After some thorough training, games were played on the ponies to put the skills into practice. Accompanied by lots of laughter and a strong competitive edge, the riders finished the term with a great sense of achievement.

Headmaster's CommendationsMeredith Aylott for independently creating an excellent guidebook to Dartmoor

Charlie Keene for behaving in a responsible and mature way during the Science Festival Trip

Maja Hague for independently extending an already difficult task in Ceramics

Harry Whitney for gaining hugely in confidence in Maths and making fantastic progress

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A Fete to Remember!

Mr Whybrow's sponge to the face!

Tug of Waaaaar!

Headmaster's Commendations

Saturday 18 June

at Cheltenham Prep

Seaside Fun!

Letter from the LibraryWith the Summer fast approaching, firstly Mrs Dawson would like to make a plea for the return of any outstanding library books!

Here are a few suggestions for some summer reading. Remember to read anything to keep up the habit: newspaper reports of the Euro 2016 football, a travel guidebook or something on your Kindle perhaps! Some of these books recently published may appeal to you:

Upper SchoolThe final instalment of the popular Cherub series, a multi award-winning novel.

Middle SchoolThe first in a new series of adventures for Percy Jackson, or the 4th instalment of the excellent detective series Murder Most Unladylike.

Lower SchoolDavid Walliams new set of short stories about naughty children! Or why not try an often overlooked classic adventure series, Enid Blyton's Famous Five?

KingfishersJulia Donaldson's new book: The Queen’s Handbag is a beautiful picture book to help you celebrate her 90th birthday!

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Lest we forget Discovering the Soliders of Gloucestershire

On Wednesday 22 June, Year 7 visited the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum and Gloucester Cathedral. This was a very special trip kindly organised and sponsored by Mr Evlyn-Bufton. The visit explored Cheltenham College's links to the Armed Forces and the county regiment.

The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum, housed in the Gloucester Docks, gave a fascinating view into the history of the Gloucestershire Soldiers. Beginning in 1694, the pupils travelled through the excellent exhibits of the Napoleonic Wars, the Age of Empire, World Wars, Korea and right up to modern day conflicts. Mr Evlyn-Bufton had put together a fantastic quiz, which explored each room in detail: Year 7 split into ten groups to research the answers. Afterwards, Mr Evlyn-Bufton gave a very informative talk about key moments of the regiment’s history, such as the awarding of the ‘Back Badge’ and the heroics of Colonel Carne, but also how the Museum links with the Cathedral.

After a short walk from the Museum, the party arrived at Gloucester Cathedral. Here, the group were treated to a guided tour, particularly focusing on the Norman aspects of the Cathedral, linking in with the Year 7 Syllabus, as well as the Gloucestershire Regimental Chapel, helping put the visit to the Museum into context. There was also a chance to learn about the filming of Harry Potter! Mr Evlyn-Bufton kindly spent this time marking the quiz from the Museum and there was a small presentation, with prizes for the winners, runners-up and one group that had, in their answers, really caught hold of the essence of the trip and the significance of the local history.

Our sincere thanks go to Mr Evlyn-Bufton for the extremely

generous gifts of his time, knowledge and funding. My thanks also go to the accompanying staff and Year 7 who were praised by the curator, who said, "I have not experienced such a well-behaved school party in my museum, so polite and such a fine advert for the school." Although even better praise came from the museum’s cleaner, "In all the years I have been here, not once has the school left the military uniform changing room in the same tidy state that they found it!" This was a superb trip of real historical value and was incredibly thought-provoking for those involved.

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KingfishersThe children in the Cottage and Reception gave a performance that was out-of-this-world on Wednesday, when they sang and acted their hearts out in their play Space Adventure. We saw Aliens from the Cottage going around the world in flying saucers, heard all about the planets in our solar system, visited Captain T, Captain I and Captain M in the International Space Station before catching a rocket home again. The children also learnt that anything can happen when you Reach for the Stars, climb every mountain higher, follow your heart's desire and when that rainbow shines on you, that's when your dreams will all come true!

Jonah and the Whale was a fantastic musical, by Kingfisher Years 1 and 2. The set was a conglomeration of well-worn, unremarkable items arranged meticulously, as well as some creativity from the staff. It began with a happy, slightly goofy town handyman Jonah (played by Sebastian Mawdesley- Thomas). He fixes the same old things for the same old endearing characters in town and tends to his beloved town clock. When tragedy strikes, small-town Jonah embarks on a cross-country journey trying to outrun his guilt and recurring nightmares, until he finds himself in a storm. Jonah is thrown off of his

ship, and from the belly of a giant whale, rediscovers his relationship with God.

All the children played such an important part in making the production a success, from the sea creatures and glamorous Spanish dancers to the bearded pirates. Each child put one hundred per cent effort into learning lines, fun songs and dancing.

Miss Sheldon was the director who did an excellent job of keeping control of both the children and the staff! It was Miss Sheldon’s last play with Kingfishers and the children did her proud.

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Kingfishers Sports SUPERSTARS!

Get ready... get steady... go!

Mums and Dads gave the

races a go. Great hats,

Dads!Leaping across the finish line!

Give it some wellie!

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Voyage en FranceThis week, the MFL department had the pleasure of taking Year 7 to Château de la Baudonnière, in Normandy. After a coach ride to Portsmouth, the group boarded the ferry for a six-hour crossing. After plenty of entertainment on board to pass the time (children's competitions, Euro 2016 matches, shops, ping-pong tables and restaurants), we sang songs in the coach from the ferry to the Château and were greeted by the staff and a ‘chocolat chaud’ on arrival.

Waking up to rain on Tuesday didn’t dampen any spirits, as everyone set off to the market in Villedieu. Many different souvenirs were bought there: baseball caps, jewellery and saucisson sec (salami). Purchases were made and prices negotiated in French; it gave us all an opportunity to use the language that we have been practising in school for a real

purpose! The sun came out in time for a picnic lunch in the meadows overlooking Mont St Michel but the heavens opened just before the group's ascent to the top of it. Before returning to the Château, the boys and girls stocked up on sweets and presents at the hypermarket, then went back for dinner and a treasure hunt.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the weather was kinder, allowing us to enjoy many different activities at the Château. There was raft-building, bread-making, a (very muddy) assault course, aeroball and photography. All of the activities were carried out totally in French and it was so encouraging to see Year 7 listening, understanding and speaking back in the language. A post-lunch visit to the mini farm to help feed the animals was fun, before Gérard explained to us how

he made cider at the Château – we got to sample a small taster too!

On Wednesday evening, after writing our French journals, we got dressed up in our French costumes for la soirée française where we tried a French specialty of the region... snails! There was also a quiz to finish off the day. On Thursday evening, we enjoyed the talent show and disco with the other visiting schools. Several pupils won prizes for their talent show entries and for having the tidiest dorms. We were all sad to say ‘au revoir’ on Friday, in particular to all of the excellent native animateurs (activity leaders) who work at the Château and who made our stay so enjoyable.

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Bakery Club This week saw the final Bakery Club for our Middle School bakers. We have had a summery theme to the last two weeks of baking. The bakers have made small cupcakes with a hidden jammy middle, then carefully sliced the top off and added in some cream and sliced strawberries – delicious!

This week the College Catering team provided ready-made cakes so that we could focus on decorating them, using ready rolled icing and lots of sweets and other decorations. The pupils came up with some very creative ideas! We had England flags, Canadian flags and mascots, sport-themed cakes and lots of lovely animals.

Special thanks to the Catering Department staff who are very helpful before and during Bakery Club each week. We couldn’t do it without them!

Happy baking through the summer!

Year 8 Alive!As part of the Year 8 post-Common Entrance programme, the Year group enjoyed an arts day called Arts Alive. Staff offered various workshops with them throughout the day, culminating in an evening performance open to friends and parents. The day consisted of the following:

• Samba Percussion (with Stu Hardcastle, a brilliant percussionist from Liverpool)

• Drama Sketches (of Roald Dahl poems), and various smaller scale solos/duets/group work

• Street Dance (with Tanya Tominey, Dance tutor from College)

Designed to get the whole Year group working together at various creative challenges, this inevitably took many of the pupils out of their comfort-zone. It was great fun, and they all had a really great time - despite some initial fears about the Street Dance element! Well done Year 8 - you all put on an excellent show.

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To the Battlefield!

On Tuesday 21 June, Year 6 took a trip to Coughton Court and Bosworth Battlefield as a part of their History Curriculum. Coughton Court is a Tudor House that played a part in the Gunpowder Plot during the reign of the first Stuart King, James I. Bosworth Battlefield is the famous site on which the Wars of the Roses ended, where Richard III was killed and the Tudor Period began. Within one trip, we aimed to cover the three different time periods studied this year.

At Coughton Court we had a fascinating morning looking round the House and learning about the famous Catholic Throckmorton family, who have lived at the residence for over 600 years. We found out how the Catholics found practising their faith difficult after Henry VIII started the ‘Reformation’, and were largely in hiding. We were able to explore the two different churches that were situated in the grounds, one which was Protestant and one which was Catholic, giving a unique insight into the differences

between the two faiths. We also saw several ‘priest holes’ and actually met one minister, who told us all about the Gunpowder Plot and how more than half of the plotters were linked to the Throckmortons. On view were also two famous artefacts, Mary Queen of Scot’s clothing that she wore before her execution and a Bishop’s robe reportedly stitched by Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

After a brief lunch we headed to our next destination: Bosworth Battlefield. Here we split into two groups that swapped after an hour: the first half looked around the award-winning exhibition, where armour was tried on, weapons weighed and bows fired; meanwhile the other half of the party had a tour of the Battlefield, led by an expert who had recently been invited to attend the state funeral of Richard III! We heard how Richard III had looked as though he held the advantages until the Stanley Family betrayed him, and the rest (as they say) is history! The guide gave some interesting detail into the ever-changing version of Richard’s story, which is still being researched

currently, obviously inspired by recent car-park-burial findings. "It was a fantastic day out", said Mr Baird, Head of History, "jam-packed full of History, which complimented the year of learning. My thanks go to Mrs Bond for her excellent teaching of Year 6 during the year, as well as Mrs Parsley, Mrs Simpson, Miss Beale, and Mrs Baird for all their help. I would also like to thank Year 6 for their enthusiasm, interest and great company."

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Boys' Sports

The Prep Gentlemen’s XI (U12C) vs The Gentlemen’s XI of Dean Close (4th/5th XI)

This game took a 20 over format and was a contest between 22 boys, who were perfect ambassadors for their respective schools. Each boy got to bowl at least an over and most of the Dean Close boys got to bat.

The Prep were asked to bat first, and our two openers, were retired on 50 apiece. We lost one wicket to take us to 153 for 1 in 20 overs.

Dean Close were unlucky to lose their first four batsmen for no score. The fielding from The Prep was accurate and unflustered. Dean Close eventually reached the 90s in a good recovery, before their 20 overs were up.

We made new friends, had a delicious match tea and were back ten minutes early. A perfect afternoon!

Boys' Cricket ResultsTEAM OPPONENT RESULT SCOREU12A Cardiff and Vale District Side Won By 6 runsU12C Dean Close 5th XI Won By 48 runsU11A Bromsgrove U11A Won By 50 runsU11B Bromsgrove U11B Lost By 67 runsU10A RGS The Grange U10A Won By 9 wicketsU10B RGS The Grange U10B Lost By 23 runsU9A Pinewood U9A Won By 69 runsU9B Pinewood U9B Won By 18 runsU9C Pinewood U9C Won TBC

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

@cheltprep_boys

Personal AchievementCongratulations to Henry, who won a gold medal at his trampolining club, Aspire Springers, in Gloucester on Sunday. He was one of 8 mixed age (mainly older) competitors in his group and he is very excited as he has now been invited to join the Developmental Squad. This is one step away from being in the main squad that competes both regionally and nationally; a great achievement. Well done Henry!

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CalendarSunday 26 June 201613:00 Boarders' Fun in The Sun 2 (Full and Regular Flexi-Boarders Only)

Monday 27 June 2016, Week 12, 27 June - 3 July Moving Up and Joining In Day (MUJID) Year 8 College Transition Day

Tuesday 28 June 201608:30 Year 8 Talk: Facts and Dangers of Drugs (Parents welcome)11:00 House History Competition for Years 5-813:00 Cricket v Thomas More, SA (H): 1st XI. Pick up 18:0014:15 Maths Challenge (College)14:30 Netball v Thomas More, SA (H): 1st VII. Pick up 16:1514:45 Kingfishers Prize Giving

Wednesday 29 June 2016 No Flexi-Boarding available08:30 Transition Meeting for parents of children in Reception moving into Year 1 (Library)08:30 Year 8 Art Trip09:00 Early Years Foundation Stage Progress Meeting for parents (Library)12:00 Cheltonian Association: Henley Royal Regatta (Henley Cricket Club, Matson Drive, Henley on Thames, RG9 3DB)13:30 Lower School Triathlon 13:30 start, Middle and Upper School Triathlon 14:15 start. Pick up for all 16:1519:30 Drinks Reception for parents of new pupils starting in September (Headmaster's Lawn)

Thursday 30 June 2016 No Flexi-Boarding available ABRSM Music Examinations (Lake House) Year 8 Trip to Drayton Manor LAMDA Examinations (Lake House)14:00 Kingfisher Cottage Beach Party16:30 Staff v Year 8 Boys Football. Pick up 17:5018:00 Boarders' End of Year Party (Full and Regular Flexi-Boarders Only)

Friday 1 July 2016 No Flexi-Boarding available Whole School Photograph15:30 Term ends for children in Kingfishers: no after school care, activities or tea18:30 Drinks Reception for Parents of Leavers (Headmaster's Lawn)19:15 Cheltonian Association: The Pink & Black Anniversary Ball (Cheltenham College)

Saturday 2 July 201609:30 Parents' Day

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

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NOTICES

Clara Nelson 4Oliver Evans 6Beatriz Berrow 9

Sasha Fernandes 9Maxim Murashov 11Angelica Gledhill 12

Happy Birthday to the following pupils this week!

Year 7 had a fantastic trip to France, doing loads of activities!