Cundall’s Christmas Jumper Day & Lunch
During the last week of the school year Cundall students embraced Christmas Jumper Day in return for a donation to the Salvation Army. There were some very cheerful designs worn by students and staff. We were very pleased to be able to donate £212 to the Salvation Army in Ripon to provide a hot meal on Christmas Day for those who would otherwise go without. The children enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch and even had a special visit from Santa!
Christmas talk from Mr Bayne
Mr Bayne’s Christmas Lecture Last December saw the return of the teacher’s “Christmas Lecture” and this year Mr Bayne delivered a hilarious and inspirational talk. His topic was “What to do when one is bored” and he showcased his many diverse talents including balloon art and knife throwing (not recommended to the students obviously!). The children connected with his message “there is always something worthwhile to do” and showed what can be achieved with a little determination and 10 minutes here and there. Thank you to Mr Bayne for the ideas and the laughter.
Skiing in Alpe D’Huez
Cundall Ski Trip to Alpe D’Huez This January, Mr Couttie, Mr Liley and Mrs Reah took a group of very enthusiastic Cundall children to enjoy a week of skiing in Alpe D’Huez. They arrived just as the second evening of heavy snowfall was starting which meant that all enjoyed a walk around the town followed by an impromptu snowball fight – Mr Couttie certainly came off the worst on this occasion! Everyone woke on the Sunday to beautiful blue skies and fresh snow which made for an excellent first day of skiing. The advanced group made a good first impression on their instructor and the beginner group made a tentative but impressive start as they hit the slopes for the first time. At the end of the first day, all children returned looking fresh faced after enjoying their day out in the sunshine. In the evenings, the children enjoyed crepe making, ice skating, sledging and a much needed relaxing night watching a movie in the hotel. Towards the end of the week, conditions on the slopes worsened which meant that children returned most lunchtimes and evenings soaked through with rain. However, their resilience was admirable as they persevered in tricky conditions. A fantastic week was had by all, helped by the fantastic attitude of the children and help from the older children during the airport transfers. Many thanks go to Mr Couttie, Mr Liley and Mrs Reah for all their help throughout the week. The week was best summed up by Tom Feeley’s daily rating out of ten on all activities, as when asked he stated, “It’s got to be a ten!”
Pre-Prep Jamaican Carnival
Pre-Prep’s Jamaican carnival Last term children from Pre-Prep participated in a Jamaican Carnival! They designed, made and wore head dresses and funky tie-die t-shirts. The children enjoyed dancing to cool music and making fruity cocktails – again designed by the children. It was a fantastic afternoon of creativity, colour and culture.
Music results bring success
ABRSM Music Examinations Success Many congratulations to our group of musicians who took music exams at the end of last term and achieved some super results. Congratulations and well done to all. Connie Pride – Grade 1 – Singing Henry Hartley – Grade 2 – Clarinet Jolyon Mindenhall – Grade 1 – Singing (merit) Ellie Mercer – Grade 2 – Singing Coco Cockcroft – Grade 1 – Singing (merit) Olivia Staveley – Grade 2 – Singing Ellen Watkins – Grade 1 – Piano Emily Bulmer – Grade 2 – Saxophone Emily Bulmer – Grade 2 – Piano Cecily Ruddy – Grade 2 – Singing (merit) Sarah Sullivan – Grade 5 – Singing Emilia Praud – Grade 2 – Piano (merit) Tilly Hall – Grade 5 – Singing – (merit)
Smashed Project Alcohol Awareness visit
Alcohol Awareness Recently Form 5s were treated to a special presentation from Alcohol Awareness group Smashed Project. Smashed Project is dedicated to breaking the culture of underage drinking worldwide. They use drama and creativity to equip young people with the information, awareness, and confidence to make responsible choices around alcohol. Cundall students watched a play by three young people depicting how easy it is to be affected by underage drinking and how significant that affect can be. After the play, the students were asked to think about each character and how could they have acted differently in the situation. Form 5 teacher Sandrine Cooke described the presentation as “extremely successful”. Your family can discover more at www.smashedproject.org
Pre-prep trip to York
Pre-Prep Explore York In January PP1 braved the cold weather to visit York. First they became archaeologists at DIG, by excavating Victorian, Viking, Medieval and Roman ruins. Then they explored various bones and rubbish left behind by the Vikings including some poo! After a yummy packed lunch they made a quick trip down the Shambles to look at the various buildings. After a short walk they stepped back in time to explore Victorian Britain at the Castle Museum. PP1 attended a Victorian school, got locked in prison and visited a Pharmacy. The children all agreed that houses have changed a lot over the years and would not want to live in a house with an outside toilet! What a fabulous trip with lots to see and learn.
Inspiration from local artist
Local Artist inspires with felt-making Year 6 pupils were recently treated to a fun felt-making workshop. The Yorkshire based “fibre artist” Emma Fountain came to teach her craft of needle felting and how to make fabulous creatures from wool fibres. Emma started by showing the pupils the techniques required to create the various components of a sculpture and discussed the qualities of the materials and of course the Health and Safety considerations of working with a sharp, barbed needle! The pupils were then free to create their own versions of an Owl, which was great fun. At the end of the day we had an array of colourful birds, some with their own accessories. Many thanks to Emma for sharing her skills. See examples of Emma’s work here www.etsy.com/uk/shop/EmFountainFelt
GCSE Science Assessments
Thornton goes Mad for Science Thornton students really looked the part as they made real progress in their science Controlled Assessment practical work. The students have been planning investigations to look at how the volume of reactants affects the amount of product formed in a precipitation reaction. The assessment counts towards 25% of the Additional Science and Chemistry GCSEs and is going really well so far. The students have already achieved fantastic results from their Controlled Assessment last term so they have set the bar high! Great work Thornton!
Stone Age discoveries
History comes alive for Form 1 Form 1 thoroughly enjoyed their history morning learning about life during the Stone Age period. They had the opportunity to explore many artefacts, including deer antlers, pottery, tools and the full skin of a wild boar! The children also took part in some ‘cave art’ using charcoal, these were very impressive and are on display in the Form 1 classrooms. A fun, busy and educational morning was had by all. Many thanks to Mrs Conyard for sharing her knowledge, expertise and resources.