News from the Junior School - shebbearwebdev.co.uk

Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster

Issue No 701st May 2015

Dear Parents,My week started in Harrogate where I was attending the MIST conference (Methodist Independent Schools Trust). The conference was hosted by fellow MIST school Ashville College and in addition to the usual meetings, the delegates were treated to a variety of inspirational speakers including Sir Ian McGeechan, rugby legend, who is trying to create a new rugby powerhouse in Yorkshire. There are several colourful phrases to describe how Governor Lester Bird looked singing ‘Bread of Heaven’ shoulder to shoulder with the great man - but needless to say he looked thrilled. Shebbear is very lucky to be part of MIST, one of the strongest schools groups in the UK and one which is so dedicated to providing high quality education. I expect that our pupils will increasingly get opportunities of sharing resources and experiences in our other schools.

I have written to all parents today with the news that two of our own legends are retiring from teaching at the end of the calendar year. Annie Farrell (Deputy Head) and Lin Quirk (Head of Pastoral Care and Boarding) have been crucial in taking the school forward in the last two decades and much of the school’s reputation has been achieved through their hard work. Their work is not yet done, but we will find ways of recognising their wonderful achievements in the months ahead - although not perhaps the ‘Thelma and Louise’ exit they have both suggested.

On Tuesday the school was treated to a Chapel service by lots of Lotts (pictured above right). You might not expect a gang of octogenarian old boys to transfix 260 children, but they did and the service was very moving. Eric Lott is a very keen cricketer (clearly a good man) and he was delighted to learn that our latest addition to the school, Daniel Da Costa, our exchange student from Rondebosch High School in South Africa, had made his mark with a scorching 50 in the hard fought win against a Blundell’s XI. Daniel’s wicket keeping is something to behold if you get an opportunity come and watch him play at Hatherleigh CC - our temporary home ground.

There are many things on this coming week, not least Open Day on Monday and Sports Day on Thursday. I hope to see you there. Unfortunately I have once again been overlooked for the staff relay team with suggestions that I might try the shot putt. I wonder what people are trying to say?

Simon Weale

News from the Junior SchoolDear Parents,Another generally fine and sunny week has meant a full programme of sports fixtures in the Junior School.

On Monday our U9 cricket and rounders teams visited Kingsley School for their first fixtures of the summer. The girls were involved in a closely contested match, which ended, fittingly I believe, in a 6-6 draw. The boys impressed me greatly in their match. Every player batted with real concentration and as a result we lost only one wicket in the entire innings. The running between the wickets was particularly impressive, which is an aspect of the game which has

Our Year 1 and 2 class on a day trip to Westward Ho!

In Year 4, English pupils have been involved in more ‘tragic pursuits’. Having studied the Alfred Noyes poem ‘The Highwayman’, in guided reading, and having written their own versions of the piece, they are now preparing a short play to perform to the rest of the school. I hope everyone has their hankies ready?

I would like to end this newsletter by highlighting certain aspects of our school and its pupils which make me feel particularly proud. On Monday at Kingsley School I was impressed by the behaviour of all our boys, but one in particular. The way Hunter Middleton encouraged the other boys was great to see, as was his outstanding manners after the game, where (without a prompt from me) he personally thanked the Kingsley teachers and the kitchen staff for the tea. He certainly set a great example to the rest of the team.

Following cricket nets in after-school activities on Wednesday, I was also impressed by Joe Faulkner in Year 6, who stayed behind with me to put away all the equipment and roll up the nets. This is something he does every week, without being asked. Needless to say, both Joe and Hunter have received gold stickers this week, as have all of our Year 1 and 2 class, who have perhaps put the biggest smile on my face this week when they selflessly donated some of their ice cream money to the Great Torrington Cavalier’s Charity Fund during their trip to Westward Ho! beach. Nick, from the Cavaliers emailed the school to thank the children saying that “it was a truly a heartwarming story”.

It is examples like this that bring me the most pride in our wonderful Junior School.

Mike Furber

Congratulations Laura!Form 1 pupil Laura Priest took part in the North Devon Schools Gymnastics Competition in Barnstaple during the Easter break and was awarded the silver medal in the Under 13s individual competition.

Lotts VisitAs mentioned earlier by the Headmaster, on Tuesday this week we had some visitors with us from times of old. Lott 1,

Lott 2 and Lott 3 came to visit their old school. Revd. Dr. Eric Lott (Lott 3) was visiting his brother Gordon Lott (Lott 2) with his Wife Chris and some friends, The Revd. Dr. Israel Selvanayagam and his wife Leela (from South India). They asked if they would be able to join with us for our Chapel service, along with Ted Lott (Lott 1). We welcomed them in and invited Revd. Lott to share with us some experience of his time here at Shebbear. Eric spoke to us about how things were here in ‘his day’ and the students very much enjoyed what he had to say.

Revd. Israel was then introduced and bought us greetings from India and shared briefly about his relationship to Revd. Lott and voiced his gratitude to all that Revd. Lott had taught him. Israel and his wife then shared with us a stanza from a Christian song in Tamil which the whole school enjoyed. The Chapel service concluded with a brief time of quiet thinking about those who have lost their lives in the disaster in Nepal

been our ‘Achilles heel’ in past years. Accurate bowling then led to a flood of Kingsley wickets and a fairly comprehensive victory by the close of play. My apologies to any of you who don’t follow the game of cricket, and to whom the last part of my write-up appears to be in a foreign language.

On Tuesday, Bradworthy Academy brought U10 football and netball teams to play us and this provided another great afternoon of sport. Both games were extremely close affairs, but on this occasion Bradworthy took both the netball and football spoils. The netball ended 14-10, the football 2-0, thanks to two wonderful strikes by Bradworthy’s star player!

On Thursday, in glorious sunshine, it was the turn of our U11 teams to compete, also against Kingsley School. For the first time since I’ve been at Shebbear the boys (and girl!) played their cricket match on Beckly pitch, watched on by students, parents and even the builders who are hard at work on the new Sixth Form Centre.

Our team continued on from their impressive season opener against St Petroc’s with a strong performance against Kingsley. We batted first and batted well throughout the team, ending with a total of 274. Wonderful bowling, including 8 wickets, led to another comfortable victory by 38 runs. Having missed the opening match against St Petroc’s, it was great for me to see our new ‘secret weapon’ in action, Jemima Vereker in Year 5, who also plays for South Devon U13 girls and U10 boys. She capped a great all round performance with 10 runs (not out), 3 wickets and a catch!

We are also very proud of Lillie Sealey in Year 5, who is part of the Titans netball squad in Barnstaple and was recently chosen as the Player’s Player of the Year for her U11 team.

In some respects the sport continued into the classroom this week. In Year 5, pupils have been busily involved in a CDT project to design a race track, racing flags, winners podium and trophies, culminating in a snail race across the finished models. Don’t worry, no betting took place (or so I’m told). There were five race tracks in all and ‘Steve the snail’ won four out of the five races! He was a real ‘goer’ and couldn’t wait to reach the tomato at the finish lines. However, we are still waiting on the result of a ‘dope test’ before he can be confirmed as Shebbear’s Supreme Snail of 2015!

Weekly Newsletter from the Headmaster www.shebbearcollege.co.uk



and then a prayer was said for all of the families who have been left bereaved. On this note, a friend of Mr. Kingsland was stranded on Mount Everest when the disaster happened and three of her Sherpa crew were killed in the avalanche. We have since heard that she is well and making her way back to safety.

Following on after Chapel I was very glad to show our guests around the school and hear how the rooms were used then in comparison to how they are used now. A good time was had by all and memories old re-lived and new memories were made together.

Tim Aldridge, Chaplain

Year 5 Team Mathematics CompetitionOn Tuesday 30th June there will be an all day mathematics competition for Year 5 pupils. Teams of 4 are invited to take part. The day will involve around 4 different rounds where pupils will be challenged to work either in pairs or as teams. Lunch will be provided for staff and pupils should bring a packed lunch.

If you would like to take part or be involved please contact:Eleanor Bearpark - [email protected]

Busy Time at Blackberry FarmWith the sun shining and the promise of meeting a few animals, our Kindergarten children traveled to Blackberry Farm at Milton Damerel. After being met by Lizzy, the owner, they met a day old chick before heading outside to be greeted by the friendly farm animals. The lambs, named Banana, Cherry, Peaches and Strawberry were a huge hit, as was the farm dog, May. Thankfully we didn’t get too close to the geese, but the pigs, George and Charlie, really enjoyed having their tummies tickled! They then met ponies, a donkey called Muffin, lots of chickens and ducks, as well as a very pretty guinea fowl. We discovered a grumpy cow who had won lots of prizes at various shows, and a number of calves. Then they fed dandelions to the rabbits.

After enjoying their lunch in the garden, the children were delighted to bottle-feed the lambs, as was Sam, our gap student. We couldn’t decide on our favourite animal so we left them all at the farm so that we could visit another day. Everyone agreed it was a super day out, definitely recommended, especially the hot chocolate and lemon drizzle cake!

Jacqueline Biddlecombe

Spanish Spelling BeeOn Wednesday 29th April we held our own final competition of this year’s Spelling Bee. The four finalists were Poppy Daniel, Cameron Young, Findlay Irish and Owen Hendry (below). Having had one minute each to name and spell in Spanish as many words as possible chosen by their teacher from a list of 150 words, they all raised to the challenge with impressive scores. However, Findlay Irish managed to spell 10 words at incredible speed and is now the winner of the competition. Well done to everyone who participated and congratulations to Findlay.

Christine Fanet

More Pupil Reviews of Model United NationsOn 14th March a group of 12 students were given the opportunity to take part in Queen’s Model United Nations. It was an early start for all of us but all of us were pumped with nerves and excitement for what was going to happen later in the day. Personally, I really enjoyed the day, it was my first time attending this event and I would definitely go again. It was a very good team bonding day as I had to learn to co-operate with students who I had never met before and I was able to take part in very interesting debates. Throughout the day my confidence grew and I found myself debating more and creating more clauses. After the event we all went for a very enjoyable meal at Las Iguanas in Exeter which allowed us to celebrate what a successful day we all had together. I look forward to next year’s Model United Nations and the discussions that will arise. Thank you very much to Mrs. Blundell who supported us in the lead up to the event.

Summer Dunscombe



This was my third year taking part in Queen’s Model United Nations. As always I was excited and keen to take part as this year was the last time I would be able to represent Shebbear College at this event. As debating is my forté I felt comfortable discussing the issues of Russia, Ukraine and immigration in developing nations. I was surprised to see the high standards from the new participants from Shebbear College and hope they carry on attending this event.

Salah Gobara

I found the trip to be enjoyable and interesting. It provided me with an insight into the mechanics of modern politics. I thought the event was superbly hosted and organised by Queen’s College Taunton. Overall both of the College teams performed well and we engaged in all aspects of the day, with each team member learning how to communicate ideas and to work with others. I had a fantastic day; it was such a worthwhile trip and an experience I shall definitely be repeating next year.

Oliver Ryder Green

On the Beach!Years 1 and 2 had a sun-soaked, fun packed day at Westward Ho! beach last week. By the time we had found the river’s estuary and mouth at Instow and travelled on to ‘Pebble Ridge’ it was picnic time. We made camp overlooking the bay and munched our way through our delicious lunches whilst watching the spectacular wind and kite surfers on the water.

It was then time to dig! We worked in teams making our own castles, moats and rivers which grew into lakes and seas of their own. A brisk walk followed and an essential drying off spell for some! The discovery of the head of a monk fish grinning up at us from the sand brought our afternoon to an end and it was soon time to head home for ice cream.

Great Torrington Commons beckoned us and whilst we were there, we all had a good look at the Cavaliers’ model of ‘Trumpton’. As mentioned earlier by Mr. Furber, the childrens’ generosity shone through as they started to put their change into the donations pot. I was so incredibly proud of them. It was a truly heart-warming end to a wonderful day.

Di Jones

North Devon District CricketCongratulations to Eddie Jones and James Edge who have been selected to play in the North Devon District Cricket squad this Sunday at Plymstock.

Rounders ReportsThe U12s started their rounders season with an impressive win over Great Torrington School. In the first innings the girls fielding was excellent and kept Torrington to just 2 rounders. Backstop and Captain Poppy Daniel and 1st Base Maggie Dorey combined very well to get a number of girls out in quick succession. Shebbear went on to score 17.5 rounders in their 2 innings, and held Torrington to 6.5. Well done to all, especially Eliza Banbury with the bat, and Player of the Match Bess Scambler.

Jamie Sanders

The U14s played Kingsley on Tuesday and got off to a flying start, scoring 9 rounders in the first half. Their fielding was excellent and Kingsley were all out in 19 balls, scoring only half a rounder. Taking some of our stronger players off, we still scored an impressive 12 rounders in the second half, Kingsley scored 1.5. An excellent win 21-2.

The 1st IX rounders team kicked off their season on Wednesday against Mount Kelly. Scoring an impressive 10 rounders in the first half and getting Mount Kelly all out in 20 balls for 4.5, we went into the second half with the upper hand. It was a good job we did, as the opposition pulled themselves together, only allowing us to score 8 rounders to their 8.5. Still an impressive win for Shebbear though, 18-13, well done girls. Top scorer was Eloise Maxa with 5.5.

Serena Ham

CricketDespite defeats for the U15s and U14s in their cup matches this week, there was a second win of the season for the 1st XI against Blundell’s.

The U14s travelled to West Buckland on Monday and lost early wickets before recovering through some sensible batting by man of the match Will Cowan-Dickie (17) which helped the final score to 70 all out. Then he took two wickets of the four lost by the home side before the target was reached and so cup success will have to wait for another year.



The U15s played Callington in the 1st Round of the National stage of the Lord’s Taverners’ Cup and after a start which saw the visitors struggling against some accurate pace bowling by Jabez Weale and Freddie Stevenson, they piled on the runs and finished their 30-over innings on a daunting 291-1.

However, Jabez Weale (36) and Carl Stanbury (42) set off at a blistering pace putting on 78 for the first wicket and had Carl not been run out, the result might have been different - the team eventually finishing on a respectable 186-6.

On Wednesday the 1st XI played Blundell’s 2nd XI at Hatherleigh and the visitors chose to bat - a decision they were probably regretting as Chris Taitt tore into their top order with figures of 4-8 from his six overs. However, the visitors recovered well and it was spinner Carl Stanbury (3-34) who finally brought the innings to a close on 176.

In reply, Jared Lovell started well before having to leave the field with cramp (it’s apparently much warmer in Barbados!) and the 2 wickets in 2 balls brought newly-arrived Daniel Da Costa to the wicket. Already having taken a leg-side stumping, Daniel immediately took control and played some wonderful drives, scoring 64 in quick time, taking the score to within 25 runs of the target.

However, a mini collapse followed and it needed Jared to return when the 8th wicket fell to hit the winning runs and give the team a 2-wicket win.

The U14s travelled to Blundell’s on the same day and lost by just 13 runs - the highlights being Jed Foster’s 3-12 and Eddie Jones’ innings of 40 runs in much improved batting display.

Andy Bryan

Rugby Scrum Machine from The FriendsMembers of the Senior rugby squad (pictured below with Andrea Stairs, Chair of The Friends of Shebbear College committee). The Games Department would once again like to express their thanks to the Friends for their purchase of a scrum machine. The machine has already been used throughout last season to help with players body positions in the scrum and tackle area. The results were obvious from very early on, and players were able to take control of the crucial contact area of the game in fixtures against other schools.

The machine can be used across all ages and adds to our impressive collection of training aids to help continue develop the sport at Shebbear.

Jamie Sanders


www.shebbearcollege.co.ukWeekly Newsletter from the Headmaster

Picture this ...

Shebbear College, Shebbear, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5HJ Telephone: 01409 282001 Email: [email protected]


News from the Junior School - shebbearwebdev.co.uk

Documents

Transcript of News from the Junior School - shebbearwebdev.co.uk