Form 2 Christmas production
Form 2 gave a sparkling performance of the musical Jack Frost on stage at the Galtres Centre in Easingwold. The children worked hard all term to learn their acting parts with Mr Vale, and to perfect their singing with Mrs Ford. The musical is an extremely ‘Christmassy’ one. Isla Wadsworth played an exuberant Santa; Robin Redbreast, played by William Abbey, found friendship with the ‘bird living next door’, and Hattie Attwood sang soulfully as the sunbeam who became Jack Frost. All the children revelled in their parts and radiated Christmas joy and excitement across the audience. We loved the penguins, the beautiful Koochichoos with flowers in their hair, the brilliant sunbeams and the gentle shiver of snowflakes. The performance included solo singing from many members of the cast, and the courage of these soloists gave the production even more magic. It always amazes us how confident such young children can be on stage, when given the right balance of encouragement and instruction from their talented directors. The children made this musical their own, and are so proud, as are we, of their achievement. Well done Form 2!
Leckby’s London trip
Earlier this month, the whole of Leckby, accompanied by Miss Baggaley and Mr Kirby, spent three fun-packed days taking in the bright lights of London. After an early start in York train station, the group tackled the tube and made it to the hotel. A walk to Buckingham Palace and The Mall was followed by lunch in Leicester Square before a quick shopping trip to Oxford Street. The evening entertainment was War Horse which everybody thoroughly enjoyed and only a few tears were shed! After a filling breakfast on Tuesday morning we headed off to the Natural History and Science Museums for the day. These were both informative and great fun and they certainly provided plenty of table talk in the evening. After a hearty tea at Pizza Express, we went to see Matilda which everyone agreed was absolutely fantastic! Wednesday morning was spent exploring the history of The Tower of London where we caught a glimpse of the Crown Jewels; there was much debate amongst the girls as to which crown was the best! Lunch at Borough Market followed where we all succumbed to the temptation of the giant cookies! We all agreed it was a super three days, the children were fantastic company and great fun was had by all.
Astroturf handover
Last Monday was a big day for Mrs Walkland: after years of planning and pestering, her dream of an AstroTurf on Cundall grounds became a reality. Just 10 weeks after the start of work on the site, the contractors effectively handed over responsibility of the pristine pitch to the Games Department. After a quick photocall, (Mrs Walkland’s and the players’ eagerness to get going hastening the formalities!) Mrs Walkland blew the whistle for the start of the first ever game on the carpeted pitch. It was an emotional moment for Mrs Walkland, and a very exciting one for the players who certainly seemed in their element.
Form 3’s Rainforest Café
The jungle drums had been beating and word had certainly got out that Form 3 were hosting a Rainforest Café last Thursday. Every form from Pre-Prep all the way to Thornton had the opportunity to visit the Form 3 corridor where they were invited to take a seat and peruse the menu in the café, whilst their hosts brought them all manner of delectable treats ranging from tropical fruit smoothies, to monkey brownies, to a very popular home-made chocolate ice-cream. The café and its ‘staff’ were kept busy throughout the school day, (and in the massive clearing up operation afterwards!) but their efforts were certainly well rewarded. The takings from the day – which totalled £370 – are going to the World Land Trust.
French Enrichment Christmas Play
Parents of those children who take part in Mrs Cooke’s French enrichment club were treated to a seasonal surprise last Thursday evening, when they were invited in to watch the club’s Christmas performance that they have been working on this last half term. The performance told the story of two reindeer who were reluctant to venture out into the snow. Whenever the third reindeer asked for a daily weather forecast in the days leading up to Christmas, the news from the Elves in the Meteorological Office, was less than favourable, causing the two reindeer to insist on ‘rester ici’ (stay right where they were!). The children’s performances were animated and engaging, their costumes were very festive and they had worked hard to learn their lines – all in French – perfectly. A truly heart-warming performance!
GCSE Certificate presentation evening
We were delighted to welcome so many of last year’s Thornton pupils back into school last Thursday evening for an evening of celebration and presentation of their hard earned GCSE certificates. The Library buzzed as former pupils and their parents caught up with one another and brought their old GCSE teachers up to date with the latest news of their A level studies and Sixth Form adventures.
House Singing
What a diversity of themes we had in this year’s Christmas House Singing competition. First on stage were Stuarts whose unique take on the highly popular and ‘of the moment’ song ‘Let it Go’ from the Disney film Frozen included a stunning performance from Charlie Wild in a rather fetching ice blue satin full length frock! The Tudors managed to follow that very successfully, with an uplifting song that brought a flavour of both South America and the Mediterranean to the gym. We were treated to sombreros, flamenco dresses and even a rather frisky young bull! The Normans took a more traditional approach with a lovely rendition of the Drummer Boy song, with the added ‘aw’ factor of a full nativity scene performed by the youngest members of the house. Last to perform were Saxons who, like Tudors, brought a bit of sunshine into the gym with a song that combined summertime wishes with festive costumes. Judging this year was in the hands of our peri music teachers Mr Simpson and Mr Ball who, following the traditional criteria of musicality, costume and fun, deemed the winners to be Tudors! Well done everyone, especially Tudors, for treating us to such an entertaining and humorous house singing competition. (You can catch the highlights of their performances on our school YouTube Channel)
Pre-Prep Wreath Making
The Pre-Prep children had great fun choosing baubles, pine cones, red berries, dried oranges, ribbon, cinnamon sticks, bells, Christmas angels and snowmen when making their Christmas Wreaths in Gardening Club.
Boarders’ Christmas trip
The Boarding House celebrated the end of term this weekend with a trip to the Winter Wonderland at York. After a successful shopping trip the Boarders took to the ice, exhibiting a few priceless moments as they struggled to stay upright on the ice! This was followed by a welcome hot chocolate and a snack and rounded off with a few rides on the fun fair. Mr Coates and Mrs Conway would like to wish all of the Boarders and their families a very happy Christmas and look forward to welcoming them back in the New Year.
Chamber Choir sing with Easingwold Singers
Last Saturday the Chamber Choir joined local choral society the Easingwold Singers for a festive concert of seasonal music in Easingwold Methodist Church. It was a great opportunity for the chamber choir to practise singing with an adult choir ahead of the carol service on Monday evening, and the Easingwold Singers were very impressed by the high standard of their singing. Special mention must go to Francesca Banks and Sarah Sullivan, who performed their solos beautifully. Some of the choir were even lucky enough to win some chocolate in the Christmas raffle!