Arnold House School Newsfeed

Mon, 12 May 2008 08:17:28 +0100

Week 4 Summer Term - 9th May 2008

Weekly diary

Monday 12th	Key Stage 2 (Year 6): Science 1415 Cricket match: Under 11 (A and B) v Thomas’s, Battersea (at Trinity Fields) 1900 Prospective Parents Tours (2010 entry)
Tuesday 13th	Tests Key Stage 2 (Year 6): English (writing) 1430 Cricket match: Under 9 (A-D) v The Hall (at Will Slack Memorial Ground) 1630 Science Department meeting 1930 The ’42 Club Dinner
Wednesday 14th	Tests Key Stage 2 (Year 6): English (reading) Trip Year 1 to the Design Museum 1300 Year 4 lunchtime concert in the gym 1430 Cricket match: Under 13 (A-C) v Belmont (away) 1700 Guitar concert
Thursday 15th	Tests Key Stage 2 (Year 6): Maths 1430 Cricket match: Under 10 (A and B) v Durston House (at Canons Park) 1430 Cricket match: Under 10 (C and D) v Durston House (at Swyncombe Avenue) 1630 Staff meeting (full) 1700 Management Team meeting
Friday 16th	Tests Key Stage 2 (Year 6): Maths 1430 Cricket match: Under 13 (A) v Bishops Stortford (at Canons Park) (JET Cup) 1430 Cricket match: Under 13 (B) v Devonshire House (at Canons Park) 1430 Tennis match: Under 13 v Devonshire House (at Canons Park)
Saturday 17th	No events planned
Sunday 18th	No events planned

From the Headmaster
It has been a bit of a whirlwind week for me. I enjoyed the opportunity of talking to Year 1 parents on Tuesday evening about life at Arnold House and how we like our boys to progress as they move through the years. I then travelled down by train to Tavistock in Devon to spend some time with the Year 5 boys experiencing an outdoor activity week designed to promote independence and team-building skills. Stream walking, camp fires, kayaking, archery, feeding the pet lambs, orienteering, building 5* sand castles and surfing at Bude in Cornwall presented the boys with plenty of fresh challenges. Not least I might add, to successfully prise oneself into a wetsuit the correct way round with the zip at the back……a skill which appeared to allude all the teaching staff bar one. Well done Mr Cox!

This afternoon I received excellent news from Westminster informing me that our scholarship candidates for the Westminster Challenge – Charles Drayton, Leo Nelson Jones, William Ripley and Rishabh Watts acquitted themselves with great credit in their recent examinations and have secured their places at Westminster in September. Very well done indeed.
Viv Thomas

Key Stage 2 tests for Y6
Timetable (week 5)
Monday 12 May: Science A and B (lessons 1, 2 and 3)
Tuesday 13 May: English writing (lessons 1, 2 and 3)
Wednesday 14 May: English reading (lessons 1, 2 and 3)
Thursday 15 May: Maths A and mental test (lessons 1, 2 and 3)
Friday 16 May: Maths B (lessons 1 and 2)

Boys will need to bring the following items to the tests: pen, pencil, sharpener, rubber, ruler.
These items must be in a clear see-through pencil case (or a clear plastic bag).
Boys should not bring mascots, but may bring a small bottle of water.

Please note that if a boy is absent for an exam, he can not re-sit it on another date. The exam regulations are very strict about this point. If your son is feeling slightly unwell on the day, you may like to consider sending him in just for the exam, informing the Office of the situation.
John Hill
Director of Studies

Church Service: Monday 19 May - A Hymn Service
The boys have recently been asked to vote for their favourite hymns (a bit like a holy version of the Eurovision Song Contest!) and at this service we will sing the top five. The service will be led by Mrs Hunter and parents are welcome to attend. It will start at 1015 and should be over by 1045, taking place at St John's Wood Parish Church.
Kate Davies, Director of Music, and John Hill, Director of Studies

Summer Weather
Now that summer appears to have arrived, parents will be thinking about sun cream for their boys. Boys going to games can of course bring sun cream into school in their bags and apply it themselves at Canons Park. We would prefer it if parents could ensure that boys are protected with a 12 hour cream before they come to school, thereby avoiding the possibility of bottles getting lost or cream getting where it shouldn’t! Cricket caps also offer extra protection and are available to buy from the school office.

If you have any queries, or would like further guidance, please email me at areid@arnoldhouse.co.uk
Andrew Reid

CONCERTS FOR THE SUMMER TERM
I thought that it might be helpful to set out the different concerts this term so that you can organise your diaries and not get any nasty shocks!

Wednesday 14th May – 1.00 pm Year 4 lunchtime concert in the gym. This is an informal concert open to any boy who plays an instrument. Boys will receive a letter and entry form for this next week! The concert should last about an hour.

Wednesday 14th May – 5.00 pm Guitar concert in the gym. Most of Mr Little and Mr Carroll’s pupils will be asked to play in this concert and it is also a platform for the rock groups. Any guitarists who learn out of school are also welcome to play as long as they let me know in advance!

The senior concert will therefore take place on Tuesday 20th May and will feature senior groups: senior orchestra, jazz band, senior choir, both saxophone groups, flute group, senior recorders, senior brass, Mrs Antoniou’s quartet, Mrs Sadler’s Quintet, clarinet group and selected Year 8 soloists. This concert begins at 6.30 pm at Canons Park.

The junior concert will take place on Wednesday 18th June at 6 pm at Canons Park. This concert will feature the junior string orchestra, junior brass group, junior recorder group, the flute group, Mrs Sadler’s junior quartet, the junior choir and some selected soloists and duets from boys in Years 5 and 6.

Please do e-mail me if you are unsure about which concert your son will be involved in!

Many thanks
Kate Davies
kdavies@arnoldhouse.co.uk

Letter from Canons Park
Someone remarked that my letter last week sounded like a prayer for better weather. If it was then it has been answered in the affirmative. It has been lovely and it has been a real pleasure getting up and going to work. The grass is such a lovely shade of green all over the site and the bare areas left by the contractors are rapidly filling in as the seed germinates.

Paul and I have been working hard to make sure everything looks its best but yesterday morning we decided to attack the hidden corners. A couple of hours later, hot, burnt and stung, we felt we had tackled most of the nettles, saplings, sticky weed, etc on site.

I hope today I get a chance to plant runner beans and cabbages into the Activity Centre Allotment. These are left over from my own plot so it is nice to think they are not going to waste. Next week our schedule is a busy one, with cricket and tennis fixtures for the boys and lots of activities from our affiliated groups.

I will have one ridiculously early start when I need to be on site before dawn, so I can try to count how many foxes there are actually living under the building. There is a bit of a feral smell from one of the classrooms and a hole under the building but we are loath to block it up until the foxes are out. Watch this space!
Rick Martin

Free Workshops for Parents & Children at University College, Wilkins North Cloisters, London
Dr Berry Billingsley is providing free workshops looking at science and religion and the "Big Questions" of life and the universe. The sessions are for children aged 8-16 on Saturday May 10th in London and are part of the London Pentecost Festival.

The speaker is Prof Colin Humphreys who is a Cambridge University materials expert and he will talk about miracles. Children will make slime, set off rockets, smash eggs and solve challenges. If you are interested in this topic and you can get to the University College London on Saturday May 10th then contact The Faraday Institute. There's more information at www.pentecostfestival.co.uk/science or see the flier outside the school office. Children/parents who are interested could contact Jennifer at The Faraday Institute jb460@cam.ac.uk telephone (01223) 741 283 or Dr Berry Billingsley, Email: berry@sciwhy.com, mobile: 07918 636439.
Viv Thomas

Parents’ Association News
Y3 will gather for the Annual Parents and Teachers dinner on June 25th. Venue: XO at 29 Belsize Lane, NW3 5AS. Time:8pm RSVP paritabagheri@yahoo.co.uk. by 10th June please. (Please indicate if one or both parents are attending and any dietary requirements).

Year 5 Summer Dinner
Paul & Nadine Lowenstein have offered to host Year 5’s summer dinner on Wednesday 25th June. Please note change of date. Looking forward to hearing from you all. With thanks, Nadine

1st ELEVEN CRICKET
With the recent wet weather we were asked to take first use of a wet strip at Canons Park by our visitors Keble - a test of application, concentration and technique for our openers. Bouchier showed all of these requirements as he put the bad ball away and looked in no trouble with some glorious shots; unfortunately he was run out for a well crafted 34. Skipper Nelson-Jones struggled with his timing, but a solid 22 - aided by a hard hitting 21 from debutant Stevens - would help us to 101 off the allotted 20 overs. Huston [1-3] and his strike partner Honey [3-1] always had us in control. Fosh [3-2] and Nelson-Jones [2-1] continued to keep things tight as our opponents were shot out for nine in 11.2 overs.

A.H. 101-5
Keble 9 all-out

The beautiful surroundings of Haileybury in Hertfordshire, playing on the immaculate First Eleven square and on a beautiful day should inspire any cricketer. Batting first on a flat wicket that looked full of runs the early loss of skipper Bouchier asked questions of Honey [26] and Fosh [27] assisted by the hard hitting Huston [26] to post a defendable total. We struggled to take full toll of the bad ball, with extras [19] assisting a final total of 110 from the allotted 25 overs. This looked a few runs short of a competitive score. Our opening attack struggled initially with line and length helping the hosts with wides, but they quickly wrested the initiative back, Boucher bowling his five overs for only 4 runs. Haileybury were always behind the asking rate and Fosh tightened the screw with a superb spell of slow left arm, although seeing catches put down would prove very frustrating for him. Lowe had a satisfying match behind the timbers. Barakat on debut bowled a lively spell claiming two scalps. However all this good work was wasted as sloppy out-cricket under pressure allowed our opponents to win in the last over: a heartbreaking defeat from a winning position.

A.H. 110-8
Haileybury 114-5

Squads: L. Nelson-Jones, A. Bouchier, H. Johnston, S. Winters, W. Ripley, W. Stevens, B. Honey, C. Drayton, M. Fosh, C. Huston, B. Boyd-Taylor, N. Sood, W. Lowe, A. Barakat.

COLTS FOOTBALL
Would all boys who were awarded their Under 11 ‘A’ Football Strip please bring the kit and clean boots for a team photo on Thursday 15th May immediately after lunch. This will take place in the garden outside the Pre-Prep Dept.
Each boy will receive a framed and named print as a celebration of an undefeated term.

Any questions please contact me on rbagnall@arnoldhouse.co.uk

Many thanks,
Richard Bagnall

Menu
Monday
Lamb curry or
Lentil and sweet potato curry with Bombay potatoes, broccoli and mango chutney
Ice cream

Tuesday
Chicken noodle soup or Minestrone soup
Queen of puddings with custard sauce

Wednesday
Roast turkey with stuffing and gravy
Chick pea cakes with red onion and coriander
Carrots, peas, roast potatoes with cranberry sauce
Chocolate refrigerator cake

Thursday
Shepherds pie with cheese topping or
Quorn pie with carrots and sweetcorn served with worcester sauce
Pancakes with lemon and sugar

Friday
Lamb bolognaise or
Vegetable bolognaise served with grated cheese, carrot sticks, cucumber
Fresh fruit salad

Fresh Fruit and Salads are available every day