JUNIOR DIVISION MARCH/APRIL 2007 BULLETIN What a ...

30 April 2007Dear Parent(s)JUNIOR DIVISIONMARCH/APRIL 2007 BULLETINWhat a wonderful Spring we have been experiencing! The Easter holiday weather could hardly have been any better and,apart from a short spell of wet weather, the warmth and sun has encouraged spring flowers and blossoms to look at theirvibrant best. In particular, the “Millennium Tree” , a cherry planted in the former “bark playground” by the previous Head ofFoundation Mr Silcock, presently looks particularly colourful. Visitors to school recently will note the improvements beingmade to the gardens and lawns by the school’s groundstaff which will improve our surroundings even further. This work hasbeen planned in conjunction with the Junior School’s Gardening Club. As the weather gets warmer, I would be grateful ifJunior School parents would ensure that children have a clearly named water bottle with them which should be washed outand refilled each day. Staff will be encouraging them to drink at regular intervals during the day. It will also be advisable toprovide them with a navy blue cap and suncream when the mercury rises!It is also the time of year when we look forward to our annual Wildlife Week (w/b 21st May) which is being organised byMrs Eardley and Mrs Roberts. By coincidence, this event coincides with the national Walk to School Week, infomation forwhich is included in this mailing. I encourage as many families as possible to take part in this event which raises awareness ofthe advantages of walking to school. Cars may be parked a distance from school with children being walked to school byparents/carers. A risk assessment sheet is available from Mrs Lasman or Mrs Ault. I will be holding discussions withrepresentatives from Cheshire CC’s Safer Routes to Schools later this week at which they will be reporting back to me on theresults of last term’s questionnaire.The Spring Term edition of First Class reported colourfully on the outstanding success of Joseph, performed by the Y6children. Three excellent evenings followed months of rehearsals and background work put in by a team of parents,grandparents and staff. There was a real sense of teamwork and I should like to pay tribute once more to Mrs Lea’soutstanding direction, ably supported this year by a team of staff led by Mrs Squares who in turn were most grateful to severalparents who assisted with props and costumes. The team managed to conjure extraordinarily mature performances from thechildren. This is an experience that all involved will never forget.The Year 5 children’s musical highlight of the year also took place at the end of last term when they joined seven otherschools to form a massed choir of around 300 children at the Macclesfield Music Festival. It was a great pleasure to sit onthe stage amongst our children who behaved and performed impeccably. To end the term, Year 4 led the Junior School’sEaster Service as they performed songs and readings from Hosanna! The service also featured the Junior String Ensemble’saccomplished performance of Lord of the Dance as well as the Year 3/4 Choir’s delightful singing in Hand me down my silvertrumpet.Congratulations go to the following children who successfully completed Associated Board music examinations at schoolduring last term:Jessica Gardiner 4CW Initial Electronic Keyboard MeritAlex Krajewski 4CW Initial Electronic Keyboard DistinctionAlice Loughead 4JC Initial Electronic Keyboard PassAlistair Hanak 6JEB Initial Violin DistinctionBen Lynch 3JP Grade 1 Recorder PassCharlie Pozniak 3LC Grade 1 Piano MeritRose Adams 4CW Grade 1 Piano PassImogen Hanson 4CW Grade 1 Piano PassMimi Stevens 4CW Grade 1 Piano PassSamantha Knowles 4SEO Grade 1 Piano MeritHelen Lyons 4SEO Grade 1 Flute MeritEmily Robinson 4SEO Grade 1 Piano Pass1

Jonathan Pinches 5AER Grade 1 Piano PassCatherine Smith 5AGE Grade 1 Guitar PassLouise Bates 5NS Grade 1 Piano MeritTony Maximous 5NS Grade 1 Piano PassThomas Cann 6JEB Grade 1 Alto Saxophone MeritOscar Kenny 6PA Grade 1 Flute PassRowena Moores 4SEO Grade 2 Piano MeritJamie Edgerton 5AER Grade 2 Music Theory PassVictoria Provis 5AER Grade 2 Piano PassJoseph Hale 5AGE Grade 2 Flute MeritRebecca Humphreys 5AGE Grade 2 Flute PassJenna Self 5NS Grade 2 Piano PassEllen Barratt 6PA Grade 4 Flute PassCongratulations to all the above and their teachers.Following the earlier victory of the swimming team in the local primary schools gala, it was the turn of the cross countryrunners to achieve outstanding success at their championships held at the Macclesfield Athletics Track on March 21st. King’srunners came home first in three out of the four races: Rowena Moores (Y3/4 Girls), Bethany Burrows (Y5/6 Girls) andThomas Mort (Y5/6 Boys). There were also individual medals for Imogen Hanson (3rd in Y3/4 Girls), Matthew Baker (3rd inY3/4 Boys), Alix Davies (2nd in Y5/6 Girls) and Sam Stockman (3rd in Y5/6 Boys). Unsurprisingly, the Year 3/4 Girls, Year5/6 Girls and Y5/6 Boys teams picked up the team trophies with the Y3/4 Boys coming third, along with the Y5/6 Boys Bteam who gained bronze medals as a result of six King’s boys featuring in the top 10 finishers! Other competitors at this eventwere:Y3/4 Girls: Imogen McCance (7), Mimi Stevens (26), Abigail Johnston (27), Ella Solomon (35).Y3/4 Boys: Alex Krajewski (13), Gregg Booker (19), Harry Meadows (23), Oliver Andrews (29), Alex Soltau (39).Y5/6 Girls: Kate Garnett (6), Hattie McCance (11), Alice MacKinnon (16), Hannah Naden (21).Y5/6 Boys: Oliver Krajewski (7), Robert Coggon (8), Toby Bianchi (9), Charles Cockburn (10).In the house cross country competition, the respective winners were:Year Boys Girls Year Boys Girls3 Sam Brindle Erica Jones/5 Toby Bianchi Bethany BurrowsAlicia Roberts4 Matthew Baker Rowena Moores 6 Thomas Mort Alix DaviesThe final house results were:1. Capesthorne 2=. Adlington / Gawsworth 4. TattonWith many thanks to Mr Artkinson and Mrs Baker for their inspirational coaching throughout the winter period.Other sports results from last term are as follows:Football: 01.03.07 v Black Firs PS: U10A VII drew 1-1, U10B VII won 2-103.03.07 v Birkenhead Prep. U10A XI lost 1-2; U10B XI drew 2-208.03.07 v Upton Priory JS U11A VII lost 0-4, U11B VII drew 0-009.03.07 v King’s, Chester U11A XI lost 0-2, U11B XI lost 0-614.03.07 v Marlborough JS U11A VII drew 2-2, U11B VII won 5-117.03.07 v Bolton School U11A XI lost 0-4, U11B XI lost 0-6In addition to these fixtures, the Under 9 teams have taken part in two competitions. Last term the AJIS tournament was heldat Stockport GS where two 5-s-side teams gained mixed success. More recently, on April 21st three U9 teams, includingseveral promising Year 3 players, represented the school as we hosted the Macclesfield Primary Schools’ Festival at FenceAvenue.House competition: Semi-finals Capesthorne 1 Gawsworth 3 ; Adlington 4 Tatton 23/4 place play-off: Capesthorne 0 Tatton 0Final: Adlington 6 Gawsworth 1Congratulations to Adlington on a deserved win. These matches displayed a high level of skill and commitment by over 40players which is a testimony to the efforts put in by Mr Walton during the year with significant support from Mrs Cole.HockeyThe U11 girls’ success in jointly winning the plate competition at the AJIS tournament held at Preston on Mrach 8th wasreported by captain Justine Blake in First Class. The results in the house competition were:1. Adlington 2. Capesthorne 3. Tatton 4. Gawsworth.Well done once more to Adlington - another blue ribbon in the trophy cabinet! Many thanks to Mrs Baker and Mrs Brown fortheir excellent input throughout the past two terms.Netball: 01.03.07 v Orme House U11A VII lost2

07.03.07 v Parkroyal JS U11A V won 9-209.03.07 v Liverpool College U11A VII lost 5-614.03.07 v Prestbury JS U11A V won 5-1, U11B V drew 2-217.03.07 @ Macclesfield PS Championsips:v Ivy Bank JS U11A V won 7-0v Whirley JS U11A V won 3-0v Prestbury JS U11A V drew 2-2v Marlborough JS U11A V drew 2-2v St Alban’s JS U11A V won 4-13/4 Playoff v Upton Priory JS U11A V lost 3-6The netball team reserved some of their best play of the season for the final tournament where they only lost one game to endin fourth place. I must pay tribute to the excellent team of staff which has been encouraging the girls’ netball skills at all agesduring the winter period, notably Mrs Squares, Mrs Baker, Mrs Cole, Mrs Panton, Miss Smith and Mrs Davies.Rugby: 02.03.07 v Cheadle Hulme U11A VII won 80-0, U11B VII lost 15-4505.03.07 @ AJIS Tournament (Merchant Taylor’s, Crosby)v St Anselm’s U11A VII won 28-0v Arnold, Blackpool U11A VII lost 0-5v Merchant Taylor’s U11A VII lost 0-14v Cheadle Hulme U11A VII won 42-5v The Grange U11A VII lost 7-1916.03.07 v Terra Nova U11A VII lost 14-17, U11B VII lost 24-34I am very grateful to Mr Walton for raising the profile of rugby (union) during the course of this school year which will nodoubt reap rewards as the boys move on to the Senior School. Incidentally, former King’s Juniors pupil Francis Barker(brother of 4SEO’s Hannah) has recently signed professional terms with Sale Sharks and may appear in the Premiership in thenot too distant future.Speaking of former pupils who have reached sporting success, Peter Moores (a former Senior School pupil) has recently beennamed as England cricket coach to succeed Duncan Fletcher. Peter’s brother is the school’s Head Groundsman and his nieceis a pupil in the Infants. I have no doubt that he will be a familiar presence in the sports news over the summer and beyond -hopefully for positive reasons!Thanks to the invaluable input of parent helper Mr Ireland, the Chess Club played a friendly match at Stockport GS on March28th. In a tense and absorbing encounter, King’s narrowly lost by 11 boards to 13. A return match is being planned for laterthis term when Thomas Pearson and his team aim to gain revenge on home soil!Finally on the sporting front, I congratulate Rowena Moores (4SEO) on her outstanding achievement of being placed secondin the Under 9 age group at the Cheshire County Swimming Championships. She gained two gold, five silver and one bronzemedal in competition against the best young swimmers in the county at galas held in Macclesfield and Stockport.A total of five Year 6 children have earned scholarships into the Senior School, namely Katie Cornish (6MW), Michael Li(6PA), Hattie McCance (6MW), Thomas Mort (6MW) and Isaac Reaney (6PA). There has only been one other occasion inthe 14 year lifetime of the Junior Division where that total has been reached. Congratulations to all five children and welldone to their parents and teachers.I reported in my previous bulletin that Liam Hadfield (6MW) and Edward Nathan (6JEB) had qualified for the final stages ofthe Primary Mathematics Challenge, a national competition organised by The Mathematical Association. Whilst Edwardproduced a creditable result on the finals paper, Liam’s score of 24/30 placed him in the top 320 children out of approximately100,000 entrants, thus gaining him the honour of a bronze medal. Well done, Liam! Congratulations also go to EleanorCollett (3LC) and Justine Blake (6JEB) on their award of Junior School Writer and Poet of the Term respectively.Our charity fund-raising recently centred on Red Nose Day (March 16th). Non-uniform day donations as well as variousfund-raising efforts generated £369.91 in the Juniors, £265.41 and £40.39 from the After School Club. The Junior School’sEaster Service collection also raised £132.10 which will be added to the Junior School’s Spring Term charity,Medequip4Kids. The Infant school children are looking forward to their special Charity Week which begins on May 14th.This year they will be supporting the Happy Days children’s charity again and will be taking part in the national Bounce-athonevent. If it is as successful and fun as the similar event two years ago then everyone will be in for an enjoyable time!The Sainsbury’s Active Kids and Tesco Computers for schools voucher schemes are coming towards the end of theirrespective durations. Please continue to bring the vouchers into school for us to collect.In the previous bulletin I failed to report on a significant event that took place last term. The school agreed to allow aprofessional TV film crew to film activities within Year 6. A team from a production company called Fever Media was3

filming for a future ITV1 programme with a working title of No Place Like Home. This series will be focussing on severalfamilies who left the UK to make a new life abroad and are considering making a return. (It was stressed that the series will beemphasising the positive nature of such a move!) The reason for the school’s involvement is that the family of a former pupilat King’s Infants, Matthew Jones, has taken part in the series. Matthew and his family left the Macclesfield area in 2002 (whenMatthew was in Year 1) and he has kept in touch with several of his old classmates whilst he has been living abroad. Theintention was to film Matthew back in his former school’s environment. It will be very interesting to see the finishedprogramme – I have no details as yet as to when it will be shown.I am grateful to Mrs Squares for the following report of a recent visit by Y4 to St Paul’s Church:On Wednesday 25 th April Year 4 visited St Paul’s Church as part of their RE topic on Christianity. Although they have beeninside the church on previous occasions, this was the first time they had really looked at some of the features in detail andbeen able to ask questions. We learnt about Reverend Tear’s job, the clothes he wears, christenings, baptisms and funerals;as well as why certain objects in the church have their names and what they are traditionally used for. Year 4 were then ableto sketch items of interest within the church for their project.I should now like to list events of general interest that are going to take place during the remainder of the half-term - eventsnot listed on or amended from the termly calendar are shown in italics:• 08.05.07 Y2 visit to Dunham Massey & Y3 visit to Styal (River study)• 10.05.07 Junior Division Open Afternoon 13.15-14.30 (for prospective families)• 15.05.07 Photographs of sports team & music groups• 16.05.07 Y6 Competition Choir @ Alderley Edge Music Festival• 17.05.07 Y6 trip to Eden Camp (York)• 18.05.07 - 20.05.07 Y4 holiday at The Manor, Shropshire• 21.05.07-25.05.07 - Wildlife Week & Walk to School Week• 25.05.07 Junior School Swimming Gala - please note that we are currently having difficulty in confirming arrangementswith Macclesfield Leisure Centre regarding the availablility of the pool for the gala - this date is currently provisional only.I am delighted to learn that the changes to the Infant School timetable made last term have proved to be very beneficial. Inparticular this has meant the introduction of a number of new clubs for the children to enjoy during the lunch break. MrsWarburton and her staff have been very keen to put on a variety of activities to interest the children involving areas such asdrama, draughts, choir, construction, rhymes and using a Roamer (a programmable computer device). This term has also seenthe advent of a number of new Junior school activities such as trampolining, gymnastics, boules and a Spanish Club based onthe successful Infant School club.May I remind you that this bulletin and the First Class magazine can now be found on the school’s website(www.kingsmac.co.uk). You may also check the details of the termly calendar there too.Finally I have some staff news to report. Unfortunately, Mrs Bamberger did not enjoy her Easter holiday as she suffered abroken shoulder and she has been incapacitated since her accident. I understand that she is recovering well and we can lookforward to her returning to her duties with 1CW/LJ soon. I can also confirm that Mrs Turner will be retiring at the end ofthis school year from Year 3. She is one of the longest serving members of the Junior School staff having moved to King’sfrom St Hilary’s School, Alderley Edge in 1997. Her calm manner and attention to detail has welcomed scores of Year 3children to the Junior School over the past 10 years and countless parents have been soothed by her down-to-earth andknowledgeable advice. Her influence on the successful development of the Lower Juniors has been highly significant and shehas developed the understanding and record-keeping required in the area of Learning Enhancement. She will leave to spendmore time with her family, but we hope that we still keep in touch via some supply teaching! She will be replaced inSeptember by Miss Elena de Maine, who is currently teaching at Stonyhurst College, Lancashire.With best wishes, as ever,Geoff ShawPrincipal, Junior Division4