Oct 18, 2013 ... We had an amazing visit from author. Jonathan Stroud this week and my thanks
to Susie Lockett for organising it. Nick Shepherd, the Chairman ...
18 October 2013
Newsletter Thunk of the Week: Is the gap between the notes music?
There were lots of tired but smiling children and staff in assembly this morning, which makes me think that Half Term has arrived at just the right time. Susie Lockett, our Librarian, spoke brilliantly in assembly this morning. She told us about how she dreamt that she could play the trombone which prompted the question “What if..?” She then borrowed one, to see what it was like, and signed up for lessons. When she finished talking, she bravely played in front of the whole school, after only 13 lessons.
Our boys’ tennis team have now made it through to the last 16 in the country as part of the Aegon Tennis competition, which is a tremendous achievement. The U11 girls’ netball team lost in the semi-finals to the eventual winners in the HMC North East of England competition, whilst the U12 hockey team have made it through to the IAPS National Finals. York House won the House points competition for this half of term, as well as the J3 girls’ cross country. Our J5 hockey players are heading off to Berlin on tour next week, whilst the rugby players are going to Venice. My thanks to all the staff who are giving up a week of their holidays to make these trips happen. We had an amazing visit from author Jonathan Stroud this week and my thanks to Susie Lockett for organising it. Nick Shepherd, the Chairman of Governors, spent the day in school on Tuesday shadowing different children throughout the day, watching matches and talking to staff. He also joined many parents at our Harvest Festival service in the Chapel.
Her talk beautifully illustrated that having a growth mindset is something we can develop at any stage of life. It starts with being curious, then leads to making a decision to make it happen, then there needs to be perseverance. All of this involves taking risks, pushing outside our comfort zone and accepting that making mistakes (even in front of 350 children and 40 staff) is part of the learning process.
Sunday sees the first Yorkshire Marathon and I’m aware of over 30 staff and parents from across the schools who are participating. Good luck to all of them and I hope that the months of training pays off. I am currently reading through all the pupil reports, which will be available online on Monday, and it is obvious just what a huge amount of learning has been packed into this first half of term. It’s no wonder everyone is feeling tired. Have a fabulous and restful Half Term and I look forward to seeing you all in a fortnight.
Andy Falconer The Master
Lifeskills – confidence for the future.
At St Olave’s we are always reviewing our curriculum in order to find ways to adapt to changing times and to ensure that our pupils have the finest possible preparation for the world beyond school. With this in mind, we are currently looking at what Lifeskills we could possibly fit into our programmes of study that would do just that. During the first week back after half term there will be a display board in the Reception area, before school and again at the end of the school day, showing some of the ideas we are already discussing. We will put Post-It-Notes by the display and would like to invite parents to look at our ideas and to add your own suggestions. We would also be interested in any views or concerns you might have. Do try to get down to the Reception area to see this exciting new development and help us plan for the best possible future for our pupils.
Over 30 parents and staff from across the three schools are running in the first ever Yorkshire Marathon on Sunday. I am using the run to raise money for our School charity, York Against Cancer. If you would like to donate to York Against Cancer then please use our school Just Giving link: www.justgiving.com/StOlavesSchool so that your donation is tax efficient. The amount that you donate is always hidden from view so feel free to be as generous as you wish! If you are going to be watching the runners on Sunday, the race starts at 9.30am with the route shown opposite. I will be wearing the following top and will willingly accept all forms of encouragement…
Charity Update
1000 Book Challenge
It has been great to see the orders for gift wrap begin to arrive this week – there are some large samples of a few of the designs around the Charity noticeboard if you would like to see more before you place your order! Do keep them coming in after half term – the orders must be in by Monday 11November.
After half term we will be beginning a Charity Book Challenge. The whole school will be challenged to read a combined total of 1000 books between Monday 4 November and Friday 22 November (3 weeks).
This is a great way to start our fundraising for York Against Cancer! Good luck to Mr Falconer who is raising money for YAC by running in the Yorkshire Marathon. Our newly formed Charity Committee @charityStOlaves is now on Twitter!
All pupils will be involved, and members of staff will also be adding the books that they read from the school library to the total as well. There will be a ‘bookcase’ on display so that everyone can see the total increase. If every pupil aims to read 3 books over the 3 weeks of the challenge we should be well on our way to the 1000 book total that we are aiming for!
This is a great opportunity for the whole school community to work together towards the target, reading lots of books along the way! Hopefully, it will also be a great way to raise money for York Against Cancer at the same time. The easiest (and most tax efficient!) way to support the Charity Book Challenge is to simply make a donation on the justgiving page www.justgiving.com/StOlavesSchool. You may wish to use the sponsorship form below if your child wants to collect sponsors in a more traditional way. Thank you very much for your support!
Friendship,Trust, Wisdom, Compassion, Endurance, Humility, Hope
Eco Club
J3 Science Club
J2 Trips Page 3
The Eco group have been busy clearing out the greenhouse this week and planting lots of spring bulbs to sell at our Christmas stall. We were also concerned that the birds would not have enough to eat so we made them some fat balls with lard and bird seed. Yummy! We have picked and dried lots of lavender to make lavender bags and we are in the process of doing our first full environmental audit of the school. Just a reminder that we are collecting Morrison’s vouchers again – there is a tray in Reception. Last year we collected over 1000 which bought us some gardening equipment, so please pop any you have in the tray.
We have invited a guest speaker from the Yorkshire Museum to come in and run a ‘Pharaohs Challenge’ workshop with the Science Club on Monday 4 November from 9.00am - 11.00am. Watch out for photos of our exciting challenge – I wonder what it could be?
Pupils going on the J2 trips to Yorkshire Water, on Monday 11 November or Friday 15 November must be in school by 8.10am at the latest; dressed in outdoor, comfortable clothing with flat shoes and a waterproof jacket; and they must bring a small rucksack, pencil, eraser and water bottle. School packed lunches with be provided.
James Cook 2014
Meadowhall
There will be a James Cook sailing trip for the J4s this year, towards the end of the summer holidays. James Cook will be based in Whitehaven this summer so that means some exciting sailing around the Irish Sea. The Ocean Youth Trust will soon confirm availability and a letter will be sent to all J4s after half term.
The PTA trip to Meadowhall has been cancelled.
Our Eco Club @STOEcoCouncil is now on Twitter.
There are 12 crew places available for a 6 day voyage and the cost will be approximately £650.
School Website
Library News
Petersport Petersport week for summer 2014 will take place from11 -15 August 2014.
We will be launching a new school website towards the end of the half term break. The new site should make it easier for us to keep you informed of news and events, and we hope you will enjoy using it. As part of the new website, we are also relaunching the parent area. Each parent will receive one login for all their children, and we have also made it possible for you to reset your password. We hope these changes will make it much more user-friendly. Details of how to log in will be sent to you during the holidays. We would be very grateful for your feedback on the new site – please contact Hannah Hamilton, Marketing & Communications Director, with any questions or comments. You can contact Hannah on 01904 527363 or by email at
[email protected].
We were delighted to welcome back to St Olave’s, author Jonathan Stroud, who talked to J3, J4 and J5 pupils. Jonathan kicked off with a scary short video, which certainly made a few jump in their seats. He then talked about how he probably can’t remember a time when he wasn’t writing stories, and showed us the first ‘book’ he wrote when he was 8 years old. We were treated to hearing Jonathan reading a passage from his book, Lockwood & Co. The Screaming Staircase, and Ava Horner very nobly stepped up to be dressed as an intrepid ghost hunter. A really enjoyable morning.
Author Tom Palmer www.tompalmer.co.uk will be talking to the J1s and J2s on 27 November and involving them in a football reading game. If you haven’t already ordered books to have signed by Tom on the day, please see the forms at the end of this newsletter and email Mrs Lockett
[email protected] before Tuesday 5 November, as the book orders will go in then. @librarystolaves
Friendship,Trust, Wisdom, Compassion, Endurance, Humility, Hope
Music Department Please note that our second informal concert of the term will take place on Wednesday 13 November at 4.15pm in the music department. Parents and friends are welcome to attend.
Community Action This year, the Community Action Team at St Peter’s have taken on two new projects, to run alongside our usual Christmas events. We are hosting a pre Christmas Fair on Saturday 16 November from 1.00pm to 4.00pm in the Memorial Hall to help raise funds for the Island Charity, which provides mentoring support for local children. The event is well worth a visit as there will be lots of stalls for children and their families, with competitions, crafts etc. Please come along and support it if you can. We are also appealing to your generosity over the Christmas period by asking for donations of gifts such as chocolates, sweets and biscuits which would be suitable as prizes and presents at the parties which we host for children and the elderly in the local community. We are not making grocery parcels this year, but are hoping for donations of Christmas gifts instead. There will be boxes for your donations in the Monkey Cage at St Peter’s and in the entrances at St Olave’s and Clifton after half term. Thank you very much in advance.
Commemoration of the Faithful Departed and Book of Remembrance Marking the reality that grief and loss are part of the experience of any community can be especially difficult in the setting of the school. For those who have lost someone they love, the daily business often offers few opportunities to pause and reflect. This year we will therefore be holding a service that offers an opportunity to give thanks for the lives of departed loved-ones. The service of Commemoration of the Faithful Departed will be held in the School Chapel at 5.15pm on Wednesday, 6 November. It will be a service of music and singing lasting about 40 minutes, at the centre of which will be the reading out of the names of those who are departed this life but still remembered by our community. The service is open to all members of the Peterite Community - pupils, staff, parents at all three of our schools and also to Old Peterites. If you would like to have the name of someone to be remembered read out, as part of the service, please write their name into the book of Remembrance, which will be available in the School Chapel from Monday 14 October until Tuesday 6 November; it is kept on the altar.
Lost Property Nicholas Clarke has lost his tracksuit bottoms. Oscar Ridgway-Hill has lost his rugby boots and gum shield. Matthew Shawcross has lost his rugby shorts. Any help locating these over the half term would be very much appreciated.
Date for your diary Ladies’ shopping event at Browns of York, Wednesday 4 December, 6.30pm - 8.30pm. Exclusive to St Peter’s School. More details to follow.
Schoolblazer Fitting Service The schoolblazer fitting service will be open over half term as follows: Wednesday 30 October 11.00am -12.30pm Thursday 31 October 8.30am - 10.30am
Lakeside Activity Details can be found at the end of this newsletter.
Follow us: @StOlavesYork @LibraryStOlaves @ChaplainStOlaves
Registered Charity
www.stolavesyork.org.uk
@charityStOlaves @STOEcoCouncil
Friendship,Trust, Wisdom, Compassion, Endurance, Humility, Hope
Charity Book Challenge
Can we read 1000 books in 3 weeks? We will start counting our books on Monday 4th November and finish on Friday 22nd November.
1
2
3
4
Read books from our library.
Record them in your library lessons.
Fill in the information on a “book spine”. Watch the bookshelf fill up!!
Ask your family & friends to support us at; www.justgiving.com/StOlavesSchool
Name:
House:
S St. Olave’s School has been challenged to read a total of 1000 books from 4 November 2013 - 22 November 2013! We are all working together to reach the total, and sharing our ideas and recommendations about the books that we read along the way. Please help us support York Against Cancer, our school charity for 2013-2014, in our challenge.
This is a list of the books that I have read so far;
Name
Donation
From:
Mr S G Humphries
Tel: Fax: Email: Web:
01904 527416 01904 527303
[email protected] www.stolavesyork.org.uk
11th October 2013
Dear Parents
Lakeside Activity Holiday Monday 7th July – Friday 11th July 2014 For many years the school has taken the J3’s and J5’s to the YMCA Centre at Lakeside, Windermere, for an adventure week. The whole school visited the centre in 2000 and 2004. Pupils in J3 and J4 may apply for inclusion in this year’s trip to this excellent centre where the standard of accommodation, the food and the well qualified staff can hardly be bettered. The activities are challenging yet most enjoyable and include archery, rock climbing, abseiling, king swing, orienteering, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, ropes course and raft building. The children are housed in bunk bedded accommodation in Somervell House, situated in North Camp. There is a large dining room, a drying room and a games room. For the Lakeside activity holiday, the J4 programme is much more demanding, as the activities are often over whole days and includes a mountain day, pico sailing and an overnight bivouac (under plastic tarpaulins) as well as some of the other activities. The inclusive cost of the holiday will be £410.00, excluding individual pocket money, and if you would like your son or daughter to join the group, please complete the attached form and return it to me as soon as possible, (and in any case not later than Friday 15th November 2013) together with a deposit of £100. The balance is due at the beginning of May, 2014. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries. Yours sincerely
S G Humphries
St Peter's School, York: a company limited by guarantee Registered in England: Company Number: 6927030 Registered Office: St Peter's School, Clifton, York, YO30 6AB Registered Charity Number: 1141329
To be returned, as soon as possible, and in any case not later than Friday 15th November 2013.
To:
Mr S G Humphries, St. Olave’s School, York YO30 6AB Lakeside Activity Holiday Monday 7th July – Friday 11th July 2014
I would like my son / daughter ________________________________ (PRINT NAME PLEASE) to take part in the Lakeside Activity Holiday and I enclose a deposit of £100. Please make cheques payable to ‘St Peter’s School’.
Signed: ______________________________________ Date: _______________________________
St Peter's School, York: a company limited by guarantee Registered in England: Company Number: 6927030 Registered Office: St Peter's School, Clifton, York, YO30 6AB Registered Charity Number: 1141329
St Peter’s School, York Guy Fawkes Public Physics Lecture The Large Hadron Collider and the Higgs Boson: News from the Energy Fron er Professor Jon Bu erworth UCL Department of Physics and Astronomy
Monday 18th November 2013 7.00 pm Memorial Hall On July 4th 2012, the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN announced the discovery of a new par cle. This par cle is a Higgs boson, in mately involved with the unificaon of two fundamental forces and the origin of mass. Francois Englert and Peter Higgs were award the Nobel Prize for Physics for the theory behind it on 8 Oct this year. Professor Bu erworth will discuss the experiments, the discovery, and what might come next.
Admission is free, but tickets are required. Light refreshments provided. To reserve tickets please email:
[email protected] or phone 01904 527300
Registered Charity Number: 1141329
St Peter’s School Foundation warmly invites all Ladies of the St Peter’s School Community to attend our festive Ladies’ Night event.
Shop…
Friday 8th November 2013 6.00pm - 9.30pm St Peter’s School Memorial Hall Tickets £5
There will be a variety of independent stalls selling jewellery, accessories, greetings cards, handmade chocolate truffles, Christmas gifts and decorations.
Relax… With a team of friendly beauticians and massage therapists on hand why not treat yourself to a manicure or an Indian head massage?
Fashion... LK Bennett will be showcasing some of their Christmas party outfits in an exclusive fashion show. They will also be providing all guests with a free goodie bag.
Ticket price includes a glass of sparkling wine, nibbles and entry to the fashion show.
To book your tickets please contact Sharon or Natalie on 01904 527362 or at
[email protected]
