Go Kart Race
Continuing the year’s record breaking theme, this year’s go kart race set a few new school records of its own. Not only did we see a record number of entries but this year’s three fastest karts all broke the existing time record. There were over 35 entries into this year’s race, ranging in ages from Form 1 all the way up to Eldmire (our defending champion James Green sadly had a prior engagement in the form of a GSCE exam!) and an incredible range of racing machines. Some of the veteran models now sported modifications that would hopefully see them achieve even greater speeds down the school slope than in previous years, whilst many brand new and highly inventive contraptions entered the field. There was much speculation as to whether weight of kart or size of wheel mattered, with the consensus suggesting the bigger the wheel, the greater the speed, a theory that was borne out by the final ranking: congratulations to our three finalists whose speeds all surpassed previous attempts: First Place: Michael Darcy Blue Bolt 9.31” Second Place: Curran Maguire Lightning 10.03” Third Place: Archie Turner Hot Rod 10.1” For many, though, the event is so much more about the taking part, and it was lovely to see so many newcomers to the school and so many of our youngest Main School children taking part. For anyone who is in any doubt just what an accomplishment it is to pit one’s nerves against the slope, Mr Bentley (father of racing veterans Sam, Ben and Pippa) has compiled a fabulous video of this year’s race, including “behind the wheel” footage, which can be viewed by following this link. (click here) Congratulations to all who took part.
Form 6 conquer the Three Peaks
The Form 6 had a very early start to set off on their Three Peaks adventure, after completing all of their Common Entrance exams. Whernside was the first peak to be completed and done so in good time and in very sunny conditions. The children were all high spirited and then set off to climb the highest peak, Ingleborough. This proved a little more challenging, especially as they were surrounded by howling winds and mist at the top, however all the children completed it successfully. The final peak saw some weary legs and, again, tricky conditions at the top but great team spirit and stamina meant that all of the children completed all of the peaks in a very respectable time! The group even made it back to school early! The children must be congratulated on their achievement and how well they supported each other and worked together.
Form 3 on the Farm
Form 3 rounded off exam week with a wonderful trip to the Throup’s farm in Nun Monkton. They started the day, in glorious sunshine, looking at the gorgeous calves, exploring the acres of grazing land and investigating the milking parlour. The children then went across the road to the vineyard where they looked at the vines growing at different stages and learned all about how they grew and the best conditions for the plants. After a quick break the children learned how to make butter from cream and were rewarded with enjoying the finished product smothered on some homemade scones. A fantastic morning was had by all and thank-you very much to James and Sophie Throup for organising the morning.
Form 2’s Big Write
On Friday, ten talented writers from Forms 2-4 enjoyed taking part in a LendMeYourLiteracy event called The Big Write at The Royal Hall in Harrogate. During the morning, the children heard from the guest speaker, author David Mark, who inspired us all to unlock our imaginations. A tour of The Royal Hall helped the children to understand the place which was to become an exciting story setting, rich with history and texture of all kinds. Word workshops followed until the children wrote their own stories to explain how various objects had made their way into the giant lost property box which was found suddenly under the stage. The children’s work has been entered into a ‘Big Write’ story competition, and all entries, including stories written at home and sent in by school, will be published at www.lendmeyourliteracy.com. Parents and children can register on the website for free to read the stories. It was an exciting morning; the workshop leaders commented on our children’s superb concentration and their determination to produce excellent work. Well done everyone – you made your teachers feel very proud.
Form 6 End of Year Review
true review style, the programme afforded many an opportunity for the children to lampoon Cundall life and Cundall staff, all with uncanny perception and to hilarious effect. The children only had two and half days to plan, write and rehearse the whole show and it really was incredible what they managed to achieve. Our hearty thanks to Mrs Riddell and Mrs Ballantyne for guiding the children through the whole process. A couple of highlights of the evening can be seen on the Cundall Manor YouTube channel by following this link.
Double Success for the Sullivans
any congratulations to the Sullivan brother and sister duo Ross and Sarah. Both have recently received recognition for outstanding performances in their own specialists fields: Sarah was awarded a Highly Commended certificate in the Independent Schools Association’s national Essay Writing Competition. The judges commented “Highly Commended in the girls’ section was Sarah Sullivan from Cundall Manor School, who chose the title ‘Invisible’ to write about a homeless man in the street who was invisible to passers-by. Her story was nicely written and had an interesting twist in the tail.” Older Sullivan sibling Ross will be heading off to Oxford University this summer, having won a coveted place at a Maths Summer School. Following his excellent performance in the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge, Thornton pupil Ross has been invited to the National Mathematics Summer School at St Anne’s College, Oxford in August. The invitation has only gone out to around 40 of the UK’s most talented mathematicians and so it is an extraordinary achievement for Ross. During the course of the week Ross will be involved with whole group masterclasses, small group workshops and team competitions with activities designed to stimulate and challenge the pupils. Congratulations to both Sarah and Ross
Cundall pupils join the fight against Cancer
Hundreds of pupils from a North Yorkshire School braved bracing January winds and difficult cross-country terrain as they completed the Cancer Research Race for Life. Cundall Manor School held the event on Tuesday 11 January, with pupils as young as FOUR and as old as 13 taking part in the race. The youngsters braved the blustery January weather to take on cancer and walk, jog or run in aid of Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work. To help the pupils prepare, teachers have been using specially created resources by the charity which includes everything needed to stage the event as well as top fundraising tips. Louise Bessey, Head of Girls’ Games at Cundall Manor School, said: “The Race for Life is a great addition to the school timetable. The whole school community is supporting the event so it will be a real team effort, all whilst raising money for a wonderful cause. “Most of us know someone who has been affected by cancer and we all have our special reasons for taking part and wanting to help more people survive.” Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is an inspiring series of events which raises millions of pounds every year to help fund vital research. Schools across the UK are being invited to hold their own Race for Life events in aid of the charity. They can choose a day that fits with the term calendar and pick a distance which suits the age and abilities of all pupils. Rachel Carr, head of Race for Life, said: “Race for Life Schools is a fantastic way to have fun, get fit and save lives. Young people today are the generation who could see ground-breaking treatments and cures for cancer in their lifetime. They will be the researchers and lifesavers of tomorrow. But first, we need them to be the fundraisers of today – and walk, jog and run to help beat cancer sooner.” For more information on the Race For Life at Cundall Manor School and to see more photos from the event visit the school Facebook page.
The Form 6 Chateau Trip
By Archie Powell – Main School Head Boy It was on the night of the 1stof October 2016 that Form 6 embarked on a year defining trip to France. The trip would last a week and would be filled with amazing activities that were designed to teach us what we are capable of under-pressure, (and yes, I do mean being asked to speak French). As Form 6 said goodbye to their parents that night, it was then that we realised that we were never going to forget the journey that lay ahead of us, (and I don’t mean the coach trip). One of the most memorable moments of the trip was the emotional visit to the D-Day Landings memorial at Gold Beach. It was captured by British and Allied Forces in order to build a makeshift harbor that would allow ships to bring supplies into mainland Europe from America and Britain. Once we had learned about how the harbour was built and how much of a key role it played in the liberation of Europe, we visited the nearby three-hundred-sixty degree cinema where we watched a film made from eyewitness accounts of D-Day from the French people of the time. The film was deeply moving and helped us to understand the importance of June 6th1944 as not only a day that went down in history but also a day that secured the future of the entire world. The day was rounded off with a perspective-setting visit to a Military Cemetery that reminded all the pupils that those men and women gave their today, so that we could enjoy ours. The whole trip was extremely interesting and exciting. I’m sure that it will stay as one of the best weeks in Form 6’s time at Cundall. By Charlie Banks – Main School Head Girl On the night we set off to France, everyone wore big smiles and even though it was midnight and no one could lift their suitcases, everyone was excited for the trip. By the time we were about 2 hours into the journey we realised what time it was and fell asleep. When we arrived, it was the afternoon the next day. On the first day, we had a tour around the chateau and had some food which was so different and tasty (except from the snails obviously!) Then we were split into groups to do activities with. During the week we made bread, which was a lot of fun, had an interesting French lesson, had fun canoeing, especially when we capsized a few times, and finally completed the Mud Run. The clue is in the name with the Mud Run – a lot of mud, obstacles and running but mountains of fun. On Tuesday we visited a French market and bought nearly everything there, then we went to see the Bayeux tapestry which was fascinating and went on and on and on! On Thursday, we went to ‘Mont Saint Michel’ which was absolutely beautiful and truly breathtaking. Last but not least we went to the Normandy memorial cemetery which was very emotional and nearly everyone was crying. To see some more of the Chateau Trip 16/17 pictures, visit the Cundall Manor School Flickr page atwww.flickr.com/photos/cundallmanorschool/albums/72157674806472382
Saltburn inspires young writers
Form 1 recently enjoyed a fun day out to Saltburn-by-the-sea. They scoured the beach for things that would help them with their descriptive writing, being encouraged to use all five of their senses. The children took part in a sand castle competition and enjoyed splashing about in the rock pools. The children have now come back to school with lots of ideas and memories to enhance their creative writing.
Trip to the seaside proves fun for Form 4
Sasha from Form 4 describes the recent trip to the East Yorkshire coast to study coastal erosion and the history of the Great British seaside. On Thursday 22nd September Form 4 went to Flamborough Head as we have been learning about cliffs and erosion in Geography. Unfortunately, when we arrived at Flamborough, the tide was in which meant that we could not explore the caves but we still had a wonderful time fossil hunting and paddling in the freezing cold sea. After this we had a short drive to Bridlington to visit a traditional coastal town. We all really enjoyed building sand castles and paddling in the now warmer sea at Bridlington. Lastly, we had a look inside a beach hut as we had been learning about them in History and we could ask a few questions about what was inside. What a lovely day we had.