Speech Day
Speech Day 2014 was a glorious occasion. It is a fitting end of the year to celebrate and share with staff, parents and grandparents the myriad diverse achievements of so many children from throughout the school. Well done to all pupils who came up to receive an award, prize or trophy. We were very spoilt with the quality of speakers this year. Our Upper School Head Boy and Girl, Will Shaw and Pip Edgar, and Main School colleagues Ed Hookway and Imani Botham, all spoke with clarity, confidence and great humour, reminding us all of what makes Cundall such a special. After Sir Thomas Ingilby’s address, and a refreshingly brief speech by Mr Notman, we were very fortunate to be able to welcome onto the stage Mr Gary Verity who regaled us with his many and always hilarious tales of his mission to bring the Grand Depart of the Tour de France to Yorkshire. Central to Mr Verity’s speech was the need to believe in oneself and one’s idea, no matter how mad that idea may seem – a maxim that will ring true with every Cundallite.
Form 6 Review
Good Morning Cundall! Britain’s first ever school breakfast television show was hosted by the incredibly cool, calm and collected Imani Botham and Oliver Hartman last Thursday night. In a clever twist to the Form 6 review presentation, pupils used the morning TV show format as a vehicle to connect a series of hilarious sketches that both parodied the rather over-enthusiastic genre and certain members of long suffering staff! As is tradition, many of the sketches featured a collection of much loved teachers placed in a rather compromising situation such as ‘The Island’, a reality TV programme that introduced a rather excitable character called Bear Bains (sound familiar?), and featured Romey Dawson as Miss Baggaley, Hamish Mainey as Mr Vale and Teagan McIntosh as Senorita to name but a few, all battling it out to survive the hostile environment. We were treated to a lecture about the importance of the water molecule from Josh Johnson playing Mr Smith and a rather hungry and therefore dangerous Mr Sample, played by Fraser McPhearson in a stunning wig. In a comical take-off of a Party Political Broadcast, staff vied for dominance, with Miss Kuit (Jemima Telfer) proposing that Latin should become the only language spoken at school and any dissenters were to be thrown to the lions! And who could forget Monty Powell who spoke for The Headmaster’s Party and Hugh Whitworth for the History Party; both had the audience in stitches. To add to the mayhem, there was a random dance performance of YMCA and to cap it all off Form 6 sang a moving and completely adulterated version of Mama Mia! Overall, a good time was had by all and many pupils expressed how much they had enjoyed being so creative in such a short time. Many thanks to the all the good sports who were gently ribbed; Form 6 wouldn’t be able to do it without you!
Bongiorno Italia!
Mr Coates, Mrs Conway and the boarders have extended a very big welcome to our newest intake Italian visitors. Marcelo and Pietro arrived on Saturday afternoon, and were swiftly whisked off the bowling alley to get to know everyone. On Sunday they enjoyed a visit to York and a trip to The Chocolate Story followed by a chilled afternoon playing tennis and finding their way around school with Michael and Tim. They are very much looking forward to everything that Cundall has to offer and the new friends that they are sure to make!