Form 1 Music and Poetry Evening
Congratulations to every single member of Form 1 who entertained their very appreciative audience with a packed programme of music, poetry and singing last Thursday evening. Many of the guests commented on how confident and assured these young pupils’ performances were; their hard work learning their pieces and hours of dedicated practice certainly paid off. Well done to all.
Lunchtime concert
What a lovely interlude our lunchtime concert provided in our very busy week leading up to exeat. Following the long summer holiday the pupils had very little time to prepare for this concert, but the standard of the performances was high and the children were unfazed. It was wonderful to have Lily Sadler with us from PP2 singing ‘The Clock’, which she delivered with such confidence and clarity. From the other end of the school we had Gawain Romijn (Thornton) who presented a delightful performance of ‘On The Street Where You Live’ from ‘My Fair Lady’. We had a good variety of instrumental solos including violin, saxophone, piano, cornet and the brass group started and ended the concert with some gusto! It is always a pleasure to hear our musicians perform; to see the progress being made and the increasing confidence which performance brings. Well done to all pupils who took part in the concert.
Form 3 History through Drama Workshop
On Tuesday 22nd September, Form 3 took part in a Drama workshop to bring the topic of Ancient Egypt to life. They were met with the sight of a body of an Ancient Egyptian which was “resting” in a coffin, waiting to be mummified. Children then took part in the mummification process which involved removing the internal organs and placing these in the correct canopic jars. The body was then filled with ‘salt’ to dry it out and prevent it decomposing. Children then wrapped the body in bandages and placed it in a coffin ready for its final journey to the temple. All the children then took part in the funeral ceremony to ensure the body reached the afterlife. A brilliant morning, where children really learnt through drama.
ESB success
Last year’s PP2 (this year’s Form 1) are rightfully looking very pleased with themselves after receiving their certificates from the English Speaking Board. They all did tremendously after working so hard.
Top honours for Hannah
Congratulations to Form 4 pupil Hannah Barkerand her two ponies on a truly amazing summer: Hannah was crowned champion at the Royal International Horse Show, when she and her pony My Little Sweetheart beat off the competition in the 128cm Championships at Hickstead. Hannah then teamed up with her second Ballybur oh Jessie to win the National 128cm Championship at the Scottish Home Pony International , before then becoming 128cm Supreme Championship at the Scope Festival of Showjumping at Stoneleigh. Clearly Hannah is keeping up the family’s show jumping reputation (both her grandfather and uncle have won international acclaim in the sport) and we wish her continued success.
Chateau trip
What a fabulous trip we had to the Chateau de la Baudonnière. Form 6 managed to squeeze a varied selection of activities, ranging from canoeing and fencing (not at the same time) to the now famous mud (stinky slime) course. The sight of our bedraggled form 6 covered head-to-toe in mud not recommended for a face-pack, and still raising a smile, was fabulous. The ‘bread making’ was great fun and some super Eiffel Towers and hedgehogs arose from the dough. The pupils’ patience at trying circus skills was impressive and it was very encouraging to see their success following such effort. During the canoeing (aka swimming) two of our canoes managed to spend most of the morning going round in circles rather than in a straight line, much to their and our amusement! One of the highlights was the time spent with the baby animals although we had to be vetted on leaving the mini farm to ensure no cutie had found its way into a random pocket. Our excursions were without incident this year. The market enticed our pupils into buying the usual items such as watches (whose is still working?!), caps, food but also this year Will Barker has to be commended on his more upmarket choice of African wood sculptures. Sol impressed us all with his bartering skills at the market and many bargains were to be had. Form 6, true to their word, did not purchase any of the cute fluffy bunnies or tiny chicks for sale. Our talent show was entertaining, however next year’s form 6 shall have to put in more weeks of practice beforehand. Many thanks to ‘Gabiscon’ (Gaby, Issy and Connie) though who were commended on their performance. On another evening, our French soirée saw the return of the stereotypical berets and stripy tops and the pupils, and possibly parents, had obviously gone to much trouble to put everything together. Eating the snails produced some super photos and it was great to see so many rising to the challenge. The trip to the D-Day landings beach at Arromanches provided an opportunity for the children to reflect on the bravery of our soldiers, many of whom gave up their lives for us, and the 360 degrees cinema was indeed very moving. A rapid stop-off at one of the British War cemeteries reminded everybody about just how young some of the soldiers were. Much French was heard throughout the week; many of Form 6 really impressed us all with their determination to use French and it is always lovely to see how much their confidence and comprehension of spoken French improves as the week passes. This year’s party were particularly quick to realise that the sooner they had told the staff what every item of cutlery and crockery was on the table, the sooner they could actually eat! Surely a better way to learn French vocabulary! A special moment was also had when, whilst at a service station back in England, an elderly couple approached us to comment on the super behaviour of some of our young people. This is what makes Cundall pupils so special and Madame is very proud of them. Madame would personally like to express her gratitude to Miss Stroud and Mr Woods for accompanying her and the children. Their great company and continual hard work caring for our pupils was very much appreciated.
Form 6’s Ben Nevis Trip
After successfully completing the Yorkshire three peaks, Form 6 travelled to Glencoe, Scotland for the next action packed outdoor adventure. After a long journey the pupils and staff arrived to breathtaking scenery and a warm welcome from the hosts at the Glencoe Outdoor Centre. The pupils were briefed on the first evening about what challenges were ahead of them and it was clear that the pupils were to be tested physically, mentally and collectively as a group. The year was divided into two groups, with one group tackling ‘the Ben’ whilst the other group took part in either canyoning, canoeing or Topper sailing and then swapping activities the following day. All the pupils must be commended on their resilience, endeavour and their ability to encourage one another during all activities and to successfully climb the highest mountain in Great Britain.
Form 6 surf day
Form 6 had a fabulous time in perfect conditions, learning to surf at Scarborough’s Caton Bay, as the pictures attest:
Karate Grading
Saturday 27thJune was grading day for the members of the Karate Club, when Sensei Court 7thDan watched the children go through their syllabuses. The grading was a success with William Blythman and Patrick Cunningham achieving Orange belt, and the following achieving Yellow belt: Annabel Hartley, Sophie Pointon, Daniel Cunningham, Joseph Scott, Isaac Zoing and Theo Veakins. All children achieved a 1stclass pass. Sensei Court told Mr McCarty that the children were sharp and focused and were a credit to the club and the school.
Music and Drama Evening
The Drama Club gave a performance of “Garlic And Lavender” for the first part of the Summer Concert. The play retells the story of one Count Drackenburg (not difficult to guess who this character is based on!), played by Archie Powell, who attempts to claim two victims from Harrogate, Anna Edwards and Daisy Hynd. He is helped by his grotesque servant Murk, played by Zoe Austin. Much suspense and excitement unfolds as there is an attempt to ‘a-thwart’ the Count by the Professor of Vampires Dr Lutz, played by Douglas Wadsworth. Tilly Ruddy, Sophie Pointon and Charlotte Banks made up the local community who ‘gloomed and doomed’ in the inn about strange goings-on up at Castle Drackenburg. Our hero, Roger, gallantly played by Hollie Potter, bounced onto the stage to save everyone at the last minute, The audience was scared on many occasions, particularly when Zoe Austin’s French Ghost ‘glided’ onto the stage to inflict terror. It was a very enjoyable start to the evening with some excellent performances.