Volume 19 Downloadable Version Number 9 18 May 2012
Message from The Master
Pupil Successes
I would like to congratulate all the pupils that I have had the great pleasure in presenting medals, trophies and rosettes to in the past few weeks. We have an increasing number of children who work very hard outside of school time at their chosen activities and they have had a great number of successes. In particular, I would like to mention Zara Lye, who was the youngest competitor in the Milton Keynes Equestrian event and came second, scoring the same points as the winner, but just losing out to a time difference (full report follows below). Also, congratulations to Declan Condon, who has just been signed by Colchester United on a three year contract, which includes attending a special soccer school. This is very exciting news and we wish him well in his football career.
PGL Fun
Having spent Saturday at Marchants Hill, I can report that the PGL weekend was, once again, a huge success and great fun. I am sure our Year 6 pupils learnt a great deal about being part of a team, friendship and facing a challenge, whilst enjoying themselves enormously. Thank you to Mrs Clubb for arranging this annual trip and to Mrs Simpson, Mr French, Mr Simpson, Mr Preddy and Mr Jennings for helping with this tenth PGL camp.
Sun Protection
As summer approaches (albeit slowly) please will parents ensure that the children come to school with their Abbey sun hats, sun cream (if required) and water bottles as the weather becomes warmer.
Prize Giving – Return of Cups and Trophies
Please return cups and trophies, polished and engraved, to The Abbey Office by Friday, 25 May – one week from today. Thank you.
WSPA Mardi Gras Ball
Thank you to Mrs Kelly Condon and the WSPA for a wonderful ball on 5 May. This was a fantastic event and great fun for all the parents and staff that were lucky enough to get tickets.
Diamond Jubilee Celebrations
May I remind parents and pupils that on Tuesday, 22 May, our lunch will take the form of a street party with tables outside, weather permitting. All Abbey pupils have been asked to create a special Diamond Jubilee hat to wear at the lunch and we will be holding a hat competition, so do remember to bring in your hats.
Grandparents’ Morning, Sports Day and Midsummer Madness
On Friday, 1 June we will be holding our annual Grandparents’ Morning and Sports Day. We should be delighted to welcome grandparents and friends to the school in the morning from 9.30 am until 12 noon. Sports Day will then proceed at 1pm and all family and friends would be very welcome to the school to watch. Please can I request that dogs are not brought on to the school grounds on this day. Sports Day will be followed by the WSPA’s Midsummer Madness and I ask that parents are responsible for their own children at this event. The WSPA would be very grateful to hear from any parents who could help with this event and also from any parent who has games that would be suitable for Midsummer Madness that they would be happy to lend to the WSPA. Please contact The Abbey Office regarding this and the Office will inform Mrs Wigzell.
Beauty and the Beast
As you are aware, tickets for performances of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ have now been released, but please will parents remember that until 12 June there is a limit of four tickets per family (please see letter of 10 May for guidelines).
IAPS National Swimming Finals and EPSCA National Schools’ Chess Semi Finals
Finally, I would like to wish our swimming team of Michael Donovan, Tom Beagley, Harry Fosker and Cameron Jordan good luck in the IAPS National Swimming Finals tomorrow at the K2 Leisure Centre in Crawley. Good luck also to our chess team who will be competing in the EPSCA National Schools’ Chess semi finals at Camber Sands.
Commendations
Congratulations to the following pupils who received Commendations: Ianthe Hill, Freya Finlay-Jackson, Charlotte Dinwiddy, Lily Butler-Mayer, Ethan Dell (2), Valerian Mitchell Cotts, Billy Godwin, Olivia Buchanan, Joshua Bell, Molly Lord, Tom Turner, Ruby Cole, Charlie Turner (2), Jessica Elmer (2), Emily Weston, Emily Whyte (3), Jack Pickthorn (6), Josephine Dunmore, Myles McEvoy, Rowan Mitchell Cotts (2), Thomas McNally, Clara Simpson, Harry Bradley (3), Derry Jay (2), Maddie Felton (3), Eloise Carter (6) and Sophie Weston.
NJG
Match Reports
Year 5 and Year 6 Girls’ House Netball Results
1st Thomas Seckford
2nd William Shakespeare
3rd Thomas More
4th Queen Elizabeth
Suffolk Schools’ Dressage Championships
On Saturday, 31 March our riders competed in the Suffolk County Schools Dressage Championships held in Bury St Edmunds. It was a great day for Tessa Lye, riding her pony -Rolly Rascal in their first dressage competition and with fantastic results. She won her warm up class and then came second in the individual and won the team competition with Zara Lye and Alice Croft. Zara also had a good day coming 3rd and 4th in her classes.
KT
British Eventing
Zara Lye has qualified with her pony Brookhall Consort for the prestigious Royal International Horse Show in July as a Working Hunter Pony. She is 11 years old and this is her first season of British Eventing. She has done 3 of these events so far with her pony Tiny Tom and has had good results with a 3rd at Poplar Park, a 6th at Great Witchingham in Norfolk and a 2nd at Milton Keynes. Frustratingly, Zara finished on the same score as the winner at Milton Keynes and it was decided on who was closest to the optimum time and the other competitor was closer by 5 seconds! So, nearly a win! She did a very good dressage of 32 and a clear show jumping and clear cross country, (the lower the score the better!) This will be the venue for the Badminton Grass Routes Regional Final in August so it was good to have had a jump around the course, (Zara has qualified for this Regional Final). Zara was the youngest at the competition and got the biggest cheer at prize giving! She and Tom are getting quite a following now. Zara grabbed the headlines of Absolute Horse magazine, which was a complete surprise to us all when we bought it!
Mrs Lye
Skiing News
Woodbridge school entered three teams and thirteen children in the first East of England Schools’ championships at Welwyn Garden City last Sunday. Congratulations to Oliver Buchanan who completed both runs in a very respectable time for his first race which has earned him a team place for the Autumn races. Also special congratulations to Sophie Little who had to ski in the Under 19s age group as a vital team member which secured the girls the trophy and gold medals out of 60 teams from over 27 different schools. An amazing result, well done!!!
Mrs Nicky Lillywhite
Fixture Changes
U11 Girls’ Tennis v Ipswich High School has been rearranged and will be played on Tuesday, 29 May at 4pm on the Valley Courts.
U11 Rounders v Ipswich High School on Wednesday, 20 June has been cancelled as they are unable to play us.
Associated Board Music Exams
AMELIA BROWN FLUTE Grade 2 Pass
EMILY BUCHANAN PIANO Grade 1 Pass
OLIVER BUCHANAN PIANO Grade 1 Merit
ELOISE CARTER FLUTE Grade 3 Pass
EMILY COOK TREBLE RECORDER Grade 4 Merit
EMILY COOK VIOLIN Grade 3 Merit
JAMES EATON GUITAR Grade 1 Merit
DANIELLA ELMAN PIANO Grade 3 Pass
MADELAINE FELTON VIOLIN Grade 3 Merit
JOANNE GARNETT CLARINET Grade 2 Merit
OLIVER GARRARD CLARINET Grade 2 Merit
OLIVER GARRARD PIANO Grade 1 Merit
IANTHE HILL TRUMPET Grade 3 Pass
ELLA HOLLIDAY PIANO Grade 1 Merit
JOSHUA LAMB GUITAR Grade 2 Pass
MAUD PEEL PIANO Grade 1 Pass
NICHOLAS PEEL GUITAR Grade 2 Pass
JACK PICKTHORN TRUMPET Grade 1 Pass
JACK PICKTHORN PIANO Grade 1 Distinction
LILA WALKER PIANO Grade 1 Pass
ESTHER WIGGINS CLARINET Grade 1 Merit
EDEN WIGZELL PIANO Grade 2 Merit
Trinity and Guildhall Music Exams
JAMES PHELAN VIOLIN Grade 2 Merit
KATY GARNETT VIOLIN Grade 2 Distinction
HARRY FOSKER PIANO Grade 2 Merit
ETHAN DELL HARP Grade 1 Merit
Au Pair
Au pair…de la lune. The 18 year old sister of one of our recent French exchange students from Clermond Ferrand is trying to get an au pair job with a British family for the month of July. She can cook, she likes young children and babies, she speaks some English, is sporty and musical. If anyone thinks that she could be the answer to their prayers in July then please get in touch with Tizy Wellesley Wesley on tizyww@gmail.com
Whole School Photograph
The proof of the whole school photograph is now being displayed in the Blue Hall and parents are welcome to come in and look at it. There are order forms beside the photograph and if you would like a copy, please take an order form and post your order directly to the photographers. Thank you.
Abbey Karate Grading
Red Belt: Joshua Bell; Dino Nicholls; Alfie Glendinning
Yellow Belt: Alexander Sharratt; Charlie Eaton
Orange Belt: Hugo Stevenson
Yellow/Orange Belt: Tom Turner; Charlie Turner; Ruby Cole
Orange/Green Belt: Josephine Dunmore; Ben Oates
Green Belt: Scarlett Whitworth
Blue Belt: Tobias Juszt
Brown Belt: Fleur Ludgrove
News From Queen’s
Cups
Well done to all Queen’s House pupils who received cups at the end of last term:
Achievement: Iris Morton
Determination: Tess Walker
Music: Juliet Porter
Music (Instrumental): Maddy Lambert
Endeavour: Archie Shelley-Taylor
Endeavour in PE & Games: Sasha Davies
Progress: Harry Fairs
Year 1F: Isabelle Jervis
Year 1W: Samphire Mitchell Cotts
Reception S: Selina Bilgen
Reception K: Rosanna Johnson
Above, Beyond and Below the Sea
Queen's House children had a break from the normal timetable to celebrate Art and Literature during a week of activities which included cooking, singing, a book swap, story telling and a poetry competition.
Pupils came to school dressed as mermaids, pirates, sailors and fish, to name but a few! A prize was presented to the most original from each class. Not an easy choice to make!
Local artist, Heather Hodgson, led the children in a painting workshop inspired by the sea. Some masterpieces were produced and all are displayed in Queen's Hall.
John Harris told the children spellbinding stories of Greek pirates and sea adventures of long ago.
The week was brought to a close with a fun-filled performance and workshop of Punch and Judy. Miraiker Wallace showed the children what goes on behind the scenes; how she carves the puppets’ faces and makes their clothes and props. This brought to an end an amazing, action-packed week for all.
Lynda Ford
Karate Grading
Congratulations to all Queen’s House pupils who received their new belts:
Red Belt: Alexander Thomas; Grace Godwin; Cameron Hood; Rosanna Johnson; Imogen Melrose; Clara Melrose
Yellow Belt: Will Hay; Jonjo Walker; Faith Harrold; Mihi Forbes Ballard; Tommy Burrows
Yellow/Orange Stripe: Felix Juszt
Orange/Green Stripe: Harvey Garrard; Perdi Ludgrove
Green Belt: Olivia Brown
Day of Sports
On Monday 14 May, Queen’s House had their annual ‘Day of Sports’. Once again, it was a huge success, despite the continuous rain. The children’s enthusiasm for each activity was not dampened in the slightest.
This year, the sporting activities included cricket, led by Russell Stowe, rugby, by Mark Fernley, football, by Nathan Fontaine, tennis by Jon Mansfield, golf, led by Tony Moore, and a ‘Rhythm Masters’ workshop by a visiting guest called Ollie Heath.
The children thoroughly enjoyed learning how to play each sport. From ‘Across the River’ in tennis to goal keeping and headers in football - the skills were endless. James Holliday and Jonjo Walker gained so much from the day, throwing themselves enthusiastically into each sport.
Edward Rufford in Year 2 displayed some impressive batting skills when he notched up a number of runs in cricket. Equally, Lottie Thorley stood out as being particularly talented, hitting balls as far as the Dome! Rosie Hunter Blair and Joe Virr demonstrated some outstanding football skills, whilst Isaac Searle impressed us all with his golfing ability and knowledge. Charlotte Hattan displayed fantastic hand/eye co-ordination in the tennis. Finally, Mr Fernley had the children zigzagging and scoring tries in the tag rugby training.
This year we were very excited to welcome Ollie Heath who ran a ‘Rhythm Master’ workshop, focusing on Olympic Values. The chanting of “I like to move it, move it!”, whilst rapping the London Landmarks … imagine the fun we had!
Thank you to all the helpers and all the children for making the whole day such a success.
R Walker